Clay Court Tennis on the rise in China

After four days of a massive Sports Trade Show in Beijing it is very apparent that Tennis in general and Clay Courts in particular are now part of the Tennis scene. It reminded me of the old days in Miami as to how busy we were at the booth and the people who wanted to find out about Clay Courts. We showed our above ground Har-tru court in a model, our American Red in a HydroCourt model, and both our Green Har-tru and a European Red Clay in ClayTech models. It was really interesting to see the reactions and the whole point was to establish our partner Chai Yong as the clay court expert of China which has been a hard court world up until the last few years. Lots of education went on as Chai really has become the local expert and with the courts he has built and the experience he has in taking care of them he has most of the answers. It is interesting how you don’t have to know the language to know what they are talking about. Don’t get me wrong, I was worthless unless Chai had a question, but it was like the old days in the sense of educating the folks on how HydroCourt works and all the different options and there pros and cons.

The bottom line is that China is developing a Tennis Market not unlike what we did years ago. No one seems to have any good data on how many folks are playing tennis here but there must be demand or all those people wouldn’t be so interested. Once again the advantages of learning the game on clay is the big driver as the Chinese pride in their athletes and how they look to the world still trumps any comfort issues that may be side benefits to them.

I have meet a lot of great people here and they are extremely hard workers and have been wonderful to me as I muddle my way through the world over here. It is both an adventure and a challenge and I definitely recommend a visit to the world of China.

John Welborn

Lee Tennis

From Beijing, China

Har-Tru Australia?

If you happen to read the Sidney Morning Herald you have probably noticed that Australia is making a major commitment to training players on clay. Take Robert Grant’s April 28 article for instance, titled, “Aussie Tennis Aims to Dominate on Clay”

(http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/aussie-tennis-aims-to-dominate-on-clay-20100428-trx1.html).

In this article the author reports that, “the move to encourage Australia's best players to devote as much time to the clay court circuit as the hard court events is the key to breaking back into the men's top 10.” The trick for the folks down under is that the climate is quite arid, water is a very scarce commodity, and managing real clay has so far proved impractical. Now however, Tennis Australia has officially approved the Har-Tru surface with the HydroCourt sub-surface irrigation system as an accepted product for facilities interested in installing clay. This mean that facilities that choose to install HydroCourt will be eligible for funding from Tennis Australia. No courts have been installed yet but there is considerable interest at facilities in Sydney, Tasmania and Perth.

How about a clay court circuit in the US played on Har-Tru in February? It's time.

The Passing of an Industry Legend

It was with great sadness that laid down my iPhone this weekend and reflected a while on our company.

I had just received word that our founder, Robert “Bob” Lee (pictured right) had passed at the age of 85. Bob was a real leader in the tennis industry. In 1964 he left the Har-Tru Corporation to start Lee Tennis here in Charlottesville, VA. As the story goes, he would often travel US Rt. 29 South from Har-Tru’s headquarters in MD on route to points south in Virginia, the Carolina’s and Georgia. During those lonely and lengthy drives in the 50’s and 60’s, Bob would notice that the asphalt roads in and around Charlottesville, VA were of a green hue. From that, he concluded that there must be a natural green stone source in the area, and after a little research, discovered a green basalt quarry owned by Luck Stone Corporation existed just miles from Thomas Jefferson’s home at the base of Monticello Mountain.

The found knowledge of another greenstone quarry, that much closer to the ever-growing coastal markets for clay court tennis in FL, GA and SC forced Bob to consider branching out on his own and away from the Har-Tru Corporation where by the early 1960’s he had advanced the role of Vice President. So by 1964, Bob, armed with a little money, a few potential customers, and a handshake agreement to supply him Greenstone from the Luck family, started the Robert Lee Company (it later became Lee Tennis Products). He then pieced together a small plant to screen fines out of the ¼” minus material Luck was already producing in their Shadwell Quarry and within a decade was a real player in the tennis surfacing business.

Over the next 34 years, Bob saw Lee Tennis grow into the largest clay court materials supplier in the US…overtaking the crown from the leading brand, and his previous employer Har-Tru. His commitment to quality, his work ethic, and his integrity, made him a man that most wanted to do business with.

Even though Bob retired in 1998 and sold the company to Luck Stone, his impact on the industry is still felt today. In fact last December, he and a handful of other gentleman were awarded the American Sports Builders Association Industry Merit award for their visionary efforts in starting the then, United States Tennis and Track Builders Association back in the 1960’s. And it wasn’t but a few weeks ago, at the USTA’s Annual Meeting that I had no less than 5 or 6 people ask how Bob was doing and how much they missed seeing him.

If you ever sat down and listened to Bob, you are smarter for the time spent. I, like many, will miss Bob. I will miss his commitment for not taking short –cuts, his can-do attitude, his assuredness, and his humor…and all that great stories of barnstorming the US in the early days of the tennis construction industry.

Bob, rest in peace old friend…you will be missed by many.

Randy Futty - GM, Lee Tennis Court Products

A Short History of the US Clay Court Championships

Found this short history of the US Clay Court Championships on the Supernetters blog - http://supernetters-teejohn.blogspot.com/2009/12/14us-mens-clay-court-championships.html. Its amazing to me that this is the only men's ATP clay event in the US. If the governing body of our sport is truly committed to bringing clay into the mix and inspiring our young players to spend time on this surface that will have to change.

It seems to me that there is a clear opportunity in the schedule. After the Australian we have a mini hard court season in the US with San Jose, Memphis, Delray Beach, Indian Wells and Miami. Meanwhile the clay court players are getting entrenched on their favorite surface in places like Vina del Mar, Costa do Sauipe, Buenos Aires and Acapulco. Why not transition one or two more US events to clay and give our guys a chance to play at home? I can't believe Federer or Nadal or any of the Europeans or South Americans would complain if Miami went to clay. A few might even stay to play in Houston.

Building a Clay Court - Learning First Hand

These are exciting times for Lee Tennis! We are installing a HydroCourt at our manufacturing facility and we are doing the work ourselves. In fact the surface went down Friday and the tapes will go down today.

One of the reasons for installing the court is to be able to test new products and new technology. This court will be a learning laboratory for us for everything from maintenance equipment to irrigation systems. We have very generous clubs in Charlottesville, VA that have aided us with our testing on many occasions but this can be burdensome for them and inefficient for us trying to monitor things from a distance. Now we can test and make adjustments at any time quickly and efficiently.

We also used this experience so associates could learn first-hand how our products are used by tennis court builders, tennis court owners, teaching professionals, maintenance professionals and tennis players. We believe that this will lead to innovations in our practices and products that will make the experience of building and owning a clay court simpler and more rewarding for everyone involved.

Lastly, this court will provide a platform for our associates to learn more about the game of tennis. Tennis has such a large impact in the health and well-being of people of all ages and backgrounds. It brings tremendous joy, good health, treasured friendships and character to individuals' lives. We want to have a piece of that internally to help us become better students of and advocates for the game.

For pictures of the court at various stages of construction visit our Facebook page - Lee Tennis. It can be accessed directly from www.playtheclay.com.

Carmel Valley Ranch Play The Clay Event

5-02-09
Once again we dodged the bullet on the weather. The day was a bit overcast at the start but got better and better as the time wore on. There were 8 for the clinic and round robin – two of which had participated the previous day. Clark, Tim and I ran the group through a series of warm up drills where we were able to emphasize sliding and movement, drop shots, angles, inside-out forehands and patience. We then talked strategy, played out singles and doubles points and finished by playing a little up the ladder down the ladder doubles.

One of the highlights of the day for me was getting to meet the great Jean Harris. Not a familiar name? I recognized her from the minute she walked on the court as I have seen her picture and read about her in magazines and on the tennis channel. She owns 16 gold balls. That’s right – 16. She continues to play in the 90’s age division and participates in both singles and doubles. She cannot run and serves underhand but has exceptional hands and about the wickedest drop shot I have ever seen. I think she could have taught the clinic on that shot!

I got to play with Jean as my partner for one set which was lots of fun. Jean is a member at Carmel Valley Ranch and needless to say is rather a celebrity. She has played with and against nearly all the greats of her day at one time or another, men and women as she plays mixed as well. She has had a knee replacement, rotator cuff surgery and a few others but it does not seem to bother her. She is very modest, soft-spoken and engaging. Oh yes, and she was heading to LA Tennis Club next week to play one of the senior nationals on their two new HydroCourts – singles and doubles – and continuing on to La Jolla after that to play the hard courts. She is an inspiration!

After the clinic Dave Houston showed up. Dave is about as well connected in tennis in NorCal as anyone I know. He absolutely loves the game of tennis, is active in the tennis community, grew up in Monterey and taught and coached for many years. He currently provides clubs and tennis facilities with an assortment of products from windscreens to Playmate ball machines. His company is called DH Distribution.

Dave drove down from Half Moon Bay to join us with one of his ball machines on the chance we had any juniors for the afternoon clinic. First we ate lunch together at Earthbound Farms farm stand and café which is just a short, convenient drive from the Ranch. If you buy organic vegetables you have heard of Earthbound Farms and they had one of the best selections of healthful, organic and natural food that I have ever seen for a stand that size and much of it was straight from their fields.

Back at the Ranch we did not have any juniors come out but we did get to try out the latest innovation in ball machines. Playmate has adapted the use of a footswitch pad and a series of indicator lights that will greatly augment training and practice, particularly as it relates to the serve and volley. It is fabulous! There is a footpad that acts as a switch and connects wirelessly with the ball machine. For serve and volley practice, a player steps onto the pad with a ball and lines up to serve. The moment the player comes off the pad the ball machine is triggered to feed a ball to a predetermined location, which for serve and volley purposes can be at the T for singles or to one side or the other for doubles. The feed can be followed up with additional shots to programmed locations, including lobs to replicate the need for closing in and shuffling back for the overhead.

If you have ever used a ball machine, particularly for volleys, coordinating your feet and preparation with the feed of the ball is difficult as you are not quite sure when to split step. This is where the indicator lights come in. Just prior to ball feed a panel of red LED lights that looks almost like a miniature version of what you see in drag racing illuminates in sequence. This is akin to when your opponent would be hitting the ball in a live point, allowing you to learn exactly when to split step. It is a wonderful invention that I think will really help players improve serve and volley and many other skills. We spent about 1 ½ hours drilling on it that afternoon and got just an incredible workout. Dave also set up shot sequences that allowed us to practice poaching and working as a team at the net.

We thought people might be interested in viewing the machine and drills in action so we have placed video on the Lee Tennis YouTube page www.youtube.com/leetenniscourtprod that you can view anytime. I inquired about cost and Dave informed us that this technology will work on ball machines that are less than two years old and both the foot pad and lights together run between $800 and $1,000.

We ended a great day by having dinner with Dave at Clint Eastwood’s Mission Ranch restaurant, a restored mission overlooking where the Carmel River runs into the ocean, and having a few drinks at the Crown and Anchor Pub in Monterey. Tomorrow is the last day. There is a mixed doubles round robin that will be held on the clay courts from 11 AM – 1 PM.

Carmel Valley Ranch Play The Clay Event

5-2-09

I had artichokes on my pizza Friday night. I followed that up with artichoke chowder and an artichoke and asparagus omelet for lunch yesterday at Jeffries, a cozy and pleasant, bustling restaurant that featured not only good food, but the serenading of the Cannery Rogues, a barber shop quartet. Needless to say, I have tried to get in the artichoke spirit but I think I am about artichoked out!

The day began with some uncertainty about the weather but, in the words of Homer, dawn spread her rosy colored fingers across the sky, and there was sun. Indeed the weather remained very nice until our clinic ended, when it promptly began to rain. This was a positive development as there were 10 people who showed up for the event. They consisted of a mixture of Carmel Valley Ranch members, local residents and a few out-of-towners. About half had played on clay previously but even among those the experience was limited. One relayed that he is really only able to play on clay due to his knees.

I was impressed with the level of talent. All the players knew their way around a court. After a brief warm-up Tim and I started with the most basic and typically the most disconcerting aspect of playing on clay – the footing. Participants learned about sliding – why it’s important and how it’s done. After that we transitioned into strategy. As we had mostly doubles players we discussed the differences between doubles on hard courts and clay courts and after doing some drills to hone these tactics we played out points and then broke into groups for match play. It was awfully fun to be back on the teaching court and sharing some knowledge about clay court tennis. The group seemed to have a very nice time. Hopefully they will want to begin playing on clay more regularly and will share their experience with other tennis players.

After the clinic ended there was time to learn more about the Ranch. First of all, our hosts here are Tennis Director Clark Corey and Head Professional Rick Manning. Clark and Rick know how to make tennis fun. They clearly enjoy what they do and instantaneously put guests and members at ease. They are both PBI pros as the facility is managed by PBI, and they are extremely knowledgeable and definitely patient, as I peppered Rick with questions about the resort and the area.

The facility they manage is beautiful and includes two well-manicured Har-Tru courts and 10 hard courts. It’s called Carmel Valley for a reason, as the resort is nestled in the narrow valley with views of the hills rising up on both sides that produce a certain yearning to explore (note – for pictures check out the album on the Lee Tennis Facebook page). The view from the courts is particularly pleasing and might easily lead to an occasional boner as you get lost staring at the scenery and forget to be ready for the return to come right at you at the net.

Development of the Ranch began in 1976 with the golf course completed in 1981. The hotel opened in June of 1987. The entire property sits on what used to be fruit plantations. The last cash crop grown there was pears but when the Great Depression settled in they switched to cattle farming and it indeed became a ranch. The resort has what looks to be a challenging golf course that weaves its way up and down the hillsides. The rooms have been constructed in a modest fashion that suits the surroundings and they are nicely tucked away behind a canopy of trees so as to be hidden from view when you are on the tennis courts and golf course.

As afternoon rain set in Tim and I decided to make our way over to Pebble Beach Tennis Center to see how their two courts were performing. Tim conducted a maintenance seminar on the courts a few weeks back and led a renovation project, complete with drilling holes in the court and heavy scarification with the court devil, to improve drainage. He clearly did an excellent job because when we arrived the only courts still playable were the two Har-Tru courts. In fact they looked about perfect, despite the steady rain, and since these were the only two courts available the teaching staff had moved their very enthusiastic weekend group to these courts. We watched for a good 45 minutes, with it raining the entire time, and they were still playing as we left. Tim will be running another Play The Clay event at Pebble Beach on May 30^th so it’s nice to see those courts in such great shape.

Back at the Ranch our 3:30 PM clinic was rained out so Tim and I contented ourselves with computer work and catching up on phone calls. Hopefully the weather improves for tomorrow. We are on again at 9 AM.

Carmel Valley Ranch Play The Clay Event

Took the morning flight from Richmond to San Francisco yesterday. Felt a little like coming home when I landed. I spent half of '06 and most of '07 coming to the Bay area to research the market and understand the opportunity for bringing clay to the west coast. Actually looked at northern and southern Cal but at the end of the day we just loved the "community" that exists in tennis in the Bay area. So every other week for 6-7 months of the year I made this trip.

The trip had always felt a little like coming home. My dad grew up in Palo Alto, was a Paly High grad and went to San Jose St where he played water polo for a couple of national championship teams. I had taken several trips out here as a child to visit my Grandmother, who lived in Menlo Park, as well as my dad's sister in Los Gatos and my mom's brother in Apotos. My dad passed away a couple of years ago and my Aunt only two months ago and as I drive away from SFO south to Los Gatos for a meeting at Courtside Club, a flood of emotions best described as a combination of nostalgia, pride and a certain emptiness, invariably washes over me. It is a feeling I embrace and I am very glad to be back in Northern California swimming in memories that otherwise get stored away behind the cares of everyday.

Met up with Tim Beyer and after a nice meeting about Advantage Lighting with Gordon Collins at Courtside Club we head south on 17 for La Selva Beach and the Flora Vista Inn to pick up tennis balls and waters for the weekend. Flora Vista is a beautiful bed & breakfast nestled between fields of flowers and very private Manresa Beach, a lovely beach that is one of the few in the area that still allows campfires. The proprietors, Ed & Deanna Boos, are wonderfully warm and knowledgeable and understand that balance of privacy and company for their guests. The cooking is fantastic and as a getaway from the hustle and bustle of the Bay area it is first rate. And of course la piece de la resistance...there two, perfectly manicured Har-Tru courts there. These courts are a little known secret and in this season of clay - or any time for that mater - how nice it is to spend the day on the tennis courts accompanied by walks on the beach or just sitting, gazing across a tapestry of color with a glass of wine in hand.

On to Carmel. Monterey and Carmel are recognizable by reputation for most. They are exquisite seaside town homes to exclusive resort communities with postcard ocean views and quaint shops and restaurants. As an aside, the 2011 USPTA World Conference has been scheduled for Monterey which I think is a great choice and I am already looking for to. On the drive to Carmel you pass through some of the nation's finest growing areas. Fields of strawberries, almond farms and giant tracts dedicated to nothing but artichokes. Artichokes are grown on spiny looking bushes that are no more than 3' tall. The artichokes open up on the top like a flower. I saw a sign that the Artichoke Festival was coming May 16-19. Although I initially snickered a bit as I considered what the Artichoke Festival could possibly be like, I later learned from Tim that Marilyn Monroe was once the queen of the festival. Go figure.

Finally we arrived at the Carmel Valley Ranch. More on the Ranch in the next blog. After crossing through the gated entrance we wound our way through the community to the lodge, where we were greeted and driven to our room on a golf cart. A quick jog on the golf course as the sun dropped, to shake off the cobwebs of a long day, revealed marvelous old trees, deer and a few turkey, all of which seemed to regard me with suspicion and a bit of disdain for interrupting what I expected is typically "their time". Pizza at Ioli's - where we did manage to recruit some additional players for our clinics and round robins this weekend - and then bed.

First event starts tomorrow at 9 a.m.

A Tennis Tragedy Continues to Play Out on the West Coast

Californians are trend setters. Socially, technologically, environmentally and morally they have challenged and continue to challenge our nation and make the world a better place. Yet there is one place where California is dreadfully lagging behind their east coast brethren and the toll is severe. It’s without a doubt costing us tennis champions.

We live in a tennis world dominated by clay court players. We have since the tennis boom. Examine the top 10 ATP rankings since their inception in 1973. Examine the players who have reached that pinnacle of number one in the world. There is no debating it. Training on clay in your formative years is a crucial ingredient in the development of future champions.

So I assert again, California is depriving the United States of tennis champions. Less that one percent of the tennis courts in California are clay. In the greater Bay area there are less than 10 clubs that even have a clay court. In LA and San Diego the numbers are greater but not much. We are talking about a tennis powerhouse with huge participation numbers, a myriad of tournaments, where intercollegiate tennis thrives like nowhere else in America. We are talking about a storied past with legendary champions but a dwindling future in the elite ranks of this most international of sports.

Why doesn’t the state of California have more clay courts? Clay does exist and the few who are privileged enough to have access are reaping the benefits. They play longer they play healthier and their children develop a well rounded game. So what could possibly stop facilities from adding clay to what they have to offer?

The answer in a word - Fear. I have heard all the questions. Will a clay court work? Will players like it? Will players use it? It’s too hard to maintain. It’s too dry out here. It uses too much water. I will venture to say that the success stories out there decry these objections. I also hear - “My leagues play on hard courts. The tournaments are on hard courts.” Well of course they are! There aren’t any clay courts!

Experts suggest that clay courts represent 15-20% of the overall tennis court market in this country. Do you realize that this number is over 50% in FL? That’s correct - the majority of tennis courts in Florida are clay. Public courts, private courts, country clubs, resorts…you name it, they’re clay. You see a similar story in the northeast, though the percentage drops a bit. Looking for league play on hard courts in these locales? Don’t count on it. No one would even sign up.

Come on California, welcome to the 21st century. Our sport has been doing amazingly well thanks to the efforts of the USTA and its network of advocates all across the country. It’s time that the west coast does its part.