- January 14, 2025
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City architect Eric Gebo, USTA Executive Director Laura Bowen, Acting City Manager Lauren Johnston, Gilbane Project Manager Ty Bliss and Flagler County Tourism Executive Director Amy Lukasik get set to cut the ribbon. Photo by Brent Woronoff
City architect Eric Gebo, USTA Executive Director Laura Bowen, Acting City Manager Lauren Johnston, Gilbane Project Manager Ty Bliss and Flagler County Tourism Executive Director Amy Lukasik cut the ribbon. Photo by Brent Woronoff
City architect Eric Gebo, USTA Executive Director Laura Bowen, Acting City Manager Lauren Johnston, Gilbane Project Manager Ty Bliss and Flagler County Tourism Executive Director Amy Lukasik. Courtesy photo
USTA Florida Executive Director Laura Bowen. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Palm Coast Acting City Manager Lauren Johnston. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Palm Coast Director of Parks and Recreation James Hirst speaks at the ribbon cutting. Photo by Brent Woronoff
USTA Florida Executive Director Laura Bowen. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Palm Coast was once a tennis destination. It was home of the Players Club and U.S. Davis Cup and National Team Coach Tom Gullikson. Monica Seles and Andre Agassi, both reaching the No. 1 world ranking in the 1990s, were among the tennis stars who played here.
On Monday, Jan. 13, the city took another step in its tennis resurgence with a ribbon cutting for five new tennis courts at the Southern Recreation Center.
Thanks to a $700,000 growth grant from the United States Tennis Association, the city unveiled the facility’s first stadium show court with seating for over 100 spectators.
The center’s additions also include four more clay courts bringing the facility’s total to 15, LED lighting to allow for nighttime tournament play, expansion of the center’s outdoor concrete deck which now overlooks the new show court, artificial turf and fencing between the courts and additional walkways connecting the tennis and pickleball facilities.
The ribbon-cutting coincided with the first day of the inaugural Women’s 35K Palm Coast Open, a $35,000 USTA Pro Circuit event. The tournament continues through Jan. 19 with the singles finals. The doubles finals are scheduled for Jan. 18. On Jan. 27, the Men’s 15K Palm Coast Open returns for the 13th year.
“Palm Coast is so important to the history of Florida tennis, and Florida really is the epicenter of tennis,” said Laura Bowen, the executive director of USTA Florida.
Bowen noted that after the demise of the Players Club, the Palm Coast Flagler Friends of Tennis set a goal of 20 tennis courts at the Palm Coast Tennis Center, which has merged with the year-old Southern Recreation Center. Nearing that goal with 15 courts, the center is now “one of the best-in-class facilities in the state of Florida that’s open to the public,” Bowen said.
Palm Coast Acting City Manager Lauren Johnston said the USTA’s “partnership and belief in Palm Coast” has allowed the city to improve a facility “that will serve not only today's tennis players, but future generations to come.”
City architect Eric Gebo said the projects, constructed by Gilbane buidling company, were scheduled to be completed last month but were delayed by two hurricanes and a wet fall season. But the courts and other amenities were completed in time for the first day of the women’s tournament.
The women’s field includes former world No. 24 player Christina McHale, who received a wild-card entry. McHale announced her retirement from pro tennis in 2022, but is making a comeback at age 32.
Also receiving a wild card is Chukwumelije Clarke, who won the Girls 18 Championship at the USTA Winter National Championships in Orlando last month. The top seed in the tournament in Marie Benoit of Belgium with a No. 200 world ranking.
