Private facility of the Year: Bonita Bay Tennis Center
By Kent Oswald
Never resting on its laurels, the Bonita Bay Tennis Center in Bonita Springs, Fla., constantly strives to make everything “old” new again, which leads to commendation as Tennis Industry’s 2015 Private Facility of the Year.
This past year, in service to 750 tennis-playing members of the luxury Bonita Bay Club, the Tennis Center debuted a new stadium court and cafe, adding amenities to the 18 Har-Tru courts resurfaced in 2010, smart-court technology and LED lighting, all of which support the more than 20 league teams and the area’s most active and competitive tennis program. New for the club as a whole is an 18,000-square-foot health and fitness facility.
Director of Tennis Paula Scheb explains that delivery on the intangibles and not just the tangibles is primary: “What we try and do every day is touch our members with as many positive interactions as we can [and] try hard to have each member be our only focus at that moment, and to try and find a way to say ‘yes’ as many times a day as we can.”
Two USPTA master pros head a teaching staff that plays in a member event at least once a week. Attention to membership needs includes a full-service pro shop, TV monitors displaying the day’s court assignments and patio service of drinks on the way to or from the court. Club veterans are enlisted as ambassadors to help new members integrate into the tennis community as quickly as possible.
While honors from others are appreciated, as Scheb explains it, success is measured with each member who receives the message from the staff that, “We are glad you are here and we know you are special.” — Kent Oswald
Tips for Success
- Make sure members know it is their club and staff is here to serve them.
- Be on the lookout to upgrade facilities ahead of membership requests.
- Build member-to-member bonds in support of staff-member interactions.
See all articles by Kent Oswald
About the Author
Kent Oswald 
is a contributor to TennisNow.com, producer at the JockBookReview.com and a former editor of Tennis Week magazine.
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