No Public Tennis Courts? No Problem

The Grafton Tennis Club, located on Stratton Road, has always charged an initiation fee for new members ever since it was founded in 1963.

But this year, because of the uprooting of the public tennis courts during the building of Grafton’s new high school, the club has decided to wave all initiation fees. The club hopes to accommodate fellow tennis enthusiasts and novices alike by giving them the opportunity to hone their skills by becoming a year round member.

The Grafton Tennis Club offers two well-maintained red clay courts, a peaceful location to learn and enjoy playing tennis, as well as availability and access to the courts at almost any time of day from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. seven days a week.

Yearly memberships are $225 for singles and $300 for families; there are no court fees involved.

“It’s a real idyllic setting, it’s on a back road and it’s quiet,” said four-year president Rick Anderson, whose father and his friends started the club 48 years earlier. “You’re not down at the high school with people running all over the place and with people on five other courts being bothered by them. Most of the time, you get a court where there is a ton of playing time available because of the limited memberships. You pay your membership once for the year, and you play for as much as you want.”

Upon paying for the membership, you can just show up and play or sign up to reserve the court for certain hours on certain days of the week. If you don’t sign into the reservation book, you can use the court until someone who has reserved the court shows up.

“The only time you couldn’t probably show up and play is probably between 5:30 and 7 p.m. on a weeknight,” Anderson said. “Beyond those times you can pretty much reserve a court for any time and you can pretty much get one [court] without much trouble.”

Though the Grafton Tennis Club may seem like just another tennis club, it’s the red clay courts that help set it apart from other clubs as well as any public court in the area. Regardless of the level of interest or competition, the red clay courts will provide an easier surface to play on for all ages.

“A lot of tennis players really appreciate red clay because of the fact that it’s soft,” Anderson said. “It’s a little bit slower [in terms of pace of play], which some people like or don’t like and it’s much easier on your body, as opposed to running around on pavement for two hours. Red clay is soft and forgiving and you can actually slide on the court when going into your shot. I personally enjoy that a lot.”

With the public courts out of commission until the new high school is finished, a Grafton Tennis Club membership provides the use of two red clay courts, plenty of court availability, lights to play at night, a quiet place to improve your game and most of all an opportunity to have fun with others or those within your own family.

For more information or to join the Grafton Tennis Club, contact President Rick Anderson at (508) 612-7416.