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Tennis Facilities: Community Services

The former Racquet Club of the South is reborn as a key Life Time Athletic tennis and fitness facility.

By Jacqui Frasca

The Life Time Athletic facility in Peachtree Corners, Ga., just north of Atlanta, finished its nearly nine-month renovation in October, premiering the company’s largest indoor/outdoor tennis complex and the first in the always-hot Atlanta tennis market.

One of two locations in Atlanta, Life Time Athletic at Peachtree Corners is a more than 20-acre, 90,000-square-foot club that boasts eight indoor hard courts, 16 outdoor hard courts (including a stadium court with seating for 2,600), four outdoor clay courts, and eight 36-foot hard courts. The facility also has two platform tennis courts.

The Peachtree Corners location also offers a pro shop, stringing services and everything from nutritional expertise to a day-care center. (Parents enjoy two free hours of child care every day.) The extensive fitness center has the latest cardio equipment, a cycle studio, Pilates studio, fitness and yoga studios, free weights, and more. The locker rooms (towels are free throughout the facility) have saunas and steam rooms. There are also indoor and outdoor pools, and the facility’s on-site restaurant offers beer and wine. Membership includes 24-hour access.

The facility was formerly known as Racquet Club of the South, and General Manager Layne McCleary, who previously served as the national tennis director for Life Time Fitness in Minnesota, says every inch of the property has been redone. Major renovations began in August 2012 as Life Time crews aimed to bring the club back to its glory days, while adding a completely new vibe to the facility.

Since Atlanta has a reputation as one of the most influential tennis markets in the country, Life Time further strengthened the program by bringing more than tennis to the table.

McCleary reports that the updated Peachtree Corners facility is thriving. “Our tennis program continues to grow with more leagues, drills and mixers added on a regular basis,” he says. “Lots of ALTA and USTA leagues are forming to connect new members and help round out existing teams.” In addition to the influx of tennis attention, the club’s group fitness and yoga programs are also seeing success and “getting great participation from tennis players and non-tennis players.”

Of course, in Atlanta a dedicated tennis program is an important focus. “We have a very robust program for all ages and skill levels — from beginner adult programs through our High Performance Junior Academy,” McCleary says. With weekly drills, clinics, private lessons, weekly mixers, inter-club leagues, ALTA and USTA leagues, members have the opportunity to keep playing regardless of weather or scheduling constraints. Life Time also offers Flex Leagues, Cardio Tennis and a Match Play program. The Adult Instructional Program includes Tennis 101/201/301/, which introduces the fundamentals of tennis in a comfortable environment, with an emphasis on developing relationships and future playing partners.

McCleary and his team want tennis players to tour the facility, and offer a deal for ALTA or USTA teams that includes “a free 90-minute team drill with one of our expert pros followed by a happy hour in our bar just to come check us out.”

In 2012, before the renovation of the Racquet Club of the South, the Life Time Fitness company itself was named Tennis Industry’s Private Facility of the Year for its dedication and investment in tennis. Life Time Athletic at Peachtree Corners is helping to show that investment is paying off.

From the March 2014 issue
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