MOSS CREEK TENNIS CENTER ONE OF 13 TENNIS FACILITIES HONORED FOR EXCELLENCE AS A 2015 USTA FACILITY AWARD WINNER

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., June 16, 2015 – The USTA has announced that the Moss Creek Tennis Center in Hilton Head, S.C., is one of 13 winners in its 34th annual USTA Facility Awards Program, which recognizes excellence in the construction and/or renovation of tennis facilities throughout the country. Representatives from the Moss Creek Tennis Center will be honored at the USTA semi-annual Meeting at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City on Sept. 6.

Moss Creek Tennis Center (MCTC) is one of just six private tennis centers to be recognized by the USTA. Built in the early 1980’s, it has undergone continuous upgrades and will be expanded further in 2015 with approximately $120,000 in improvements. The Center, which is wheelchair accessible and “Green” focused, includes umbrellas and water fountains at each court, and all the amenities for competitive and casual playing.

During 2014, 36 USTA teams used the MCTC as their “home” court. The Tennis Association of Hilton Head Island regularly hosts at least one District tournament each year at the MCTC. The Center also is a satellite site for USTA National L4 Open Regional tournaments.

The MCTC and its members support several charities each year, and 2015 will be the third year that it hosts the Special Olympics Pro-Am. This annual event has raised over $20,000 for the Special Olympics Area 8 and provides local Special Olympic athletes, especially tennis players, with the needed funds to participate in area competitions. The Club has also provided over 80 pairs of shoes for the athletes. The MCTC Marines Tennis and Golf event raises approximately $30,000 each year, providing support to “Marines In Harm’s Way.” Last year money was raised to provide service dogs to Marines needing assistance.

“Great tennis facilities like the Moss Creek Tennis Center help us to grow the game at the grass-roots level, and we are proud to recognize them for their ongoing impact on the sport of tennis,” said Kurt Kamperman, Chief Executive, Community Tennis, USTA. “The Moss Creek Tennis Center has embraced many of our tennis initiatives and kept the sport at the forefront of their community each year.”

To be considered for an award, facilities must be under the jurisdiction of a parks and recreation department, an educational institution, a non-profit corporation, or be a private or commercially owned and operated facility that offer both USTA and public programming designed to help grow tennis.

Facilities were judged upon the following criteria: overall layout and adaptation to site; excellence of court surface and lights; ease of maintenance; accommodations for players, spectators and press/officials; aesthetics; graphics (including the use of signs and landscaping); amenities such as casual seating for spectators, food services and social areas; and the facilities’ participation in USTA programs.

Nominated facilities were voted upon in the following categories: Public Courts that are either small tennis centers with 2-10 courts or large tennis centers with 11 or more courts; Educational Institutions; and Private Facilities that support the USTA and other “growth of the game” programs open to the public.

All 2015 award winners will receive a wall plaque and an all-weather sign, which can be mounted at the facility. Certificates of award will be made available to park and recreation departments, schools, and those professionals responsible for the design, construction, and maintenance of the facility. In addition, a one-year complimentary membership to the USTA will be awarded to each winning facility.

The 2015 USTA Facility Awards Program winners are:

Public Courts: Small Tennis Centers (2 to 10 courts)
Deer Creek Courts – Highland Park, Ill.

Public Courts: Large Tennis Centers (11 or more courts)
Reed Sweatt Family Tennis Center – Minneapolis
Princeton Racquet Club – Princeton, N.J.
Chandler Tennis Center – Chandler, Ariz. (Featured Facility)
The Phoenix Tennis Center – Phoenix
Southside Tennis Complex – Jacksonville, Fla.

Educational Institution
McKinnon Family Tennis Stadium – Albuquerque, N.M.

Private Facilities
Horseshoe Bend Country Club – Roswell, Ga.
Moss Creek Tennis Center – Hilton Head Island, S.C.
The Phoenician Resort – Scottsdale, Ariz.
West Winds Tennis Center – New Market, Md.
Trump National Golf Club – Potomac Falls, Va.
Cherokee Town and Country Club – Atlanta

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The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level -- from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization with more than 715,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, the highest-attended annual sporting event in the world, and launched the Emirates Airline US Open Series, linking eight summer tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns approximately 90 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S. and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTA’s philanthropic entity, the USTA Foundation, provides grants and scholarships and helps under-resourced youth and individuals with disabilities, and supports wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans and their families. For more information on the USTA, log on to usta.com, “like” the official Facebook page, facebook.com/usta, or follow @usta on Twitter.