That scene is pretty much dominated by the older and youth crowd, with me and a couple of my friends being the primary middle aged exceptions (hopefully at 30 I'm not yet middle aged). If you see Patrick Lynch at Lynch GMC in Burlington, be sure to remind of my prowess. We've played tennis regularly at the Grand Geneva for about 8 years, a club that has two indoor and six outdoor courts. It's a great club, and the membership options are available to anyone looking to play tennis, swim in their indoor pool, work out, or just have a relaxing afternoon in the spa. My son Thomas takes tennis lessons there on Wednesday afternoons, and there are open drills and leagues for players of all ages and skill level. It's a great club, and the indoor courts are fast like I like them, but it's far from the only tennis option in the Lake Geneva area.
Another public club option with indoor courts is FLAC (Four Lakes Atheletic Club). It's a bit too YMCA-ish to me, and the blue counters kill me, so I'd recommend sticking to the Grand Geneva if you're looking for a tennis club. Private clubs with tennis courts include the venerable Lake Geneva Country Club, and the Big Foot Country Club. Both are fantastic clubs, but require considerable capital to join, and an invitation is necessary to join the LGCC. Great clubs, but definitely not for everyone.
A condominium or association with tennis courts is the next best option for the recreational player in search of a weekend tennis outlet. Condominiums in the Lake Geneva market with tennis courts are Geneva Towers, Vista Del Lago, Stone Manor, Abbey Springs, Willabay Shores, and Geneva National. Abbey Springs and GN both have har-tru for the player who prefers a clay surface for their joints or the slower pace of play. Public courts are available in downtown Lake Geneva, just a block north of the Library, or in Williams Bay, on the north end of town by the village hall. The Lake Geneva courts are lit at night in the summer, so if you're voyeristic and need the attention, play there at a summer weekend evening and you'll be a star. The Williams Bay courts lack windscreens and are usually too windy, but they are the courts that I learned to play at when I was 18, so I still like them, even if I never play their anymore.
Single family associations with tennis courts are more limited, but they do exist. Buena Vista in Fontana has two tennis courts, and the Lake Geneva Club on the south shore has a single court as well. Country Club Estates has a tennis court in addition to their golf course and lakefront beach. The South Shore Club has a beautiful new har-tru court, and of course Geneva National has their two hard and two har-tru (even though they screwed up the har-tru courts by dumping way to much clay on them). Of course you could skil the public and private courts and go directly for the personal on site court. Lakefront homes and private off water estates often have tennis courts, so if you're so inclined, you can buy a home with an existing tennis court. One of our oldest and best customers actually bought a lakefront home from my dad some 30 years ago based on the fact that the property had a tennis court.
See, the Lake Geneva market is loaded with tennis options, both public and private. Perhaps you'll find that perfect vacation home this Spring, and if you're a tennis player, or a family member is a tennis player, let's find a home with a tennis court or at least access to an association court. If you're a strong player and could use a hitting partner in Lake Geneva, look me up in a few months when my back is better. If you beat me, I'll just blame my back.
