Plans are under way to construct three platform tennis courts at the Bitsy Grant Tennis Center.  The project is being funded entirely by private donations to the American Platform Tennis Association (APTA) and will be gifted to the City of Atlanta upon completion. HGOR has been retained as the landscape architect for the project, and the platform tennis courts are expected to be completed by February, 2015. Lessons, clinics, and league play through the Peachtree Paddle League are just a few of the program offerings that will be available to the public once the courts are completed.

 

Platform tennis, also known as “paddle tennis”, began in the Northeast in the 1920’s as a way for tennis players to stay active during the winter months. The court is 1/4 the size of a tennis court with an all-weather aluminum surface surrounded by 12’ high screens. It is a combination of tennis and racquetball with long points as the ball can be played off of the screens. Watch a platform tennis point in action. 

 

Platform tennis is an easy sport for players of all ages and skill levels to enjoy, and is an excellent sport for families to enjoy together.  The sport is also complementary to one's tennis game, particularly volleying, overheads, and strategy. 

 

The platform tennis season typically runs October-March, and is the perfect amenity for tennis centers during the winter months when it becomes too cold or wet for tennis. The court surface allows for play through all elements, including rain and snow.

 

Although the sport is quite popular in the Midwest and Northeast, the Southeast has witnessed the greatest growth in the past few years with new courts being built in Atlanta, Charleston, Charlotte, Chapel Hill, and Orlando. Atlanta has become the epicenter of paddle in the Southeast, growing from 2 courts to 9 courts and an estimated 1,000 active players.

 

The Peachtree Paddle League, formed in 2005, has been instrumental in growing the sport in Atlanta. The league, with 700 current and former players is open to everyone, includes 11 teams, and holds a championship event each year. The league hosted a national ranking tournament in January that featured 128 players from twelve different states. Click here to watch a news segment that WSB-TV ran featuring this year’s tournament and the growth of platform tennis in Atlanta.

 

While platform tennis is growing in Atlanta, the major barrier to growth is the lack of public access courts. The platform tennis courts at Bitsy Grant will be the first public access courts in Atlanta, and will introduce this great sport to all that are interested in playing.

 

• Questions about the Bitsy Grant Platform Tennis project can be directed to Freddy Goldenberg

at fgoldenberg@me.com.

 

• To make a tax-deductible donation to the APTA in support of this project click here