5 Best Places to Play Tennis by Eric J. Lawrence
Eric J. Lawrence, KCRW Music Librarian/DJ.
Believe it or not, we DJs really need our exercise. Like most working folk, our gigs don’t provide us with many opportunities to move around all that much. Instead, we fall into bad habits, like hunching over the mixers, contemplating our next selection, all the while screwing up our posture and building up pressure in the neck and upper back. So, in order to keep in shape, we have to work out. And each of us has a different routine. Myself, I’m a tennis guy.
Southern California is well-suited for the tennis fan, with our year-long accommodating weather. It’s a social vs. solitary activity, and, depending on your mood, can inspire serious trash-talk or silent, steely-eyed stares. And thankfully there are plenty of courts (and players) around town. Here are my Top 5 Favorite Places to Play Tennis in Southern California:
5) Best Local Free Courts – Stoner Park
Don’t let the name fool you – you’ll need all your senses to keep the ball in play at this local park and rec center. Being a Westsider, it’s nice to have some nice, free tennis courts within a couple of miles of both work and home. The only drawback is that is can get a little busy in the afternoon and early evening. Other similar options include Mar Vista Park and Veteran’s Park in Culver City.
4) Best Resort Courts – Palm Springs Tennis Club
Getting out of town is always a good thing, and it’s all the better if you can squeeze in a little tennis while you’re there. For me, Palm Springs is an optimal destination for such trips. Although this particular hotel is private, there are plenty of other nice places in Indio and Indian Wells that also serve nicely for the Coachella Festival weekend, where you can play a set of tennis in the morning, take a dip in the pool in the early afternoon, then rock out for the rest of the day.
3) Best Collegiate Courts – Los Angeles Tennis Center at UCLA
I’m a little biased, being an UCLA alum, but these are some nice courts! In addition to being the home courts for UCLA’s tennis teams, it is also the host venue for events like the LA Tennis Open, where I hope caught an exhibition match between Marat Safin and Pete Sampras earlier this summer. It’s always a thrill to be playing on courts where such legends have trod, but you’ll have to bring your own cheering section.
2) Best Local Pay Courts – La Cienega Tennis Center in Beverly Hills
Los Angeles has a number of great public venues that take reservations, which makes for an easy-in, easy-out kind of experience. Of course this also means paying a fee, which usually ranges from $6 to $8 an hour. But if you roll like me, with a weekly doubles match with three hot ladies, it works out just fine. The City of LA has a reservation card you have to get in order to reserve courts at such nice locations as Cheviot Hills or Griffith Park. But my favorite such destination is this Beverly Hills location, where you might even spot such luminaries as members of the band Keane, Regis Philban or KCRW’s very own Raul Campos smacking aces right by me.
1) Best Backyard Courts – ???
Being LA, there are plenty of high-rollers who have palatial estates with private courts on their properties. There’s nothing better than playing with a celebrity or industry big-wig, then having Jeeves bring you some freshly-squeezed lemonade to help you cool down on the veranda. I’m not at liberty to reveal all my usual hangouts, but should any of you celebrity-types be looking for an occasional tennis partner with a wicked slice, feel free to email me.
