Tennis

Tennis

Tennis has been a hallowed part of Crane Creek's DNA since the 1960's. Members enjoy the use of five outdoor tennis courts situated among our beautiful Boise foothills and five heated and brightly lit indoor tennis courts. Whether indoor or outdoor, members do not pay court or ball machine fees. 

Take advantage of Adult, Senior or Mixed Leagues, weekly clinics for juniors and adults, as well as a rotating door of social events (for everyone) and cut-throat competitions for 2.5 to 5.0 level players. Crane Creek's highly qualified, professional instructors offer private lessons and group clinics for both beginners and those just looking to improve stroke techniques and serve up a few more aces.

Crane Creek's tennis program is aggressively welcoming. The competition-tested professionals cater to all ages and skill levels. On any given day you can expect grit teeth, improved agility, a better understanding of the sport, leaner muscles and a rollicking good time.

Whether you are a novice or a circuit fixture, you're sure to meet your match with Crane Creek tennis.

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Contact the Tennis Center at 208-514-4361 or [email protected] for more information.

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Lee's Crier Article February 2024

February Frenzy

USTA Leagues, Tournaments & Blocks


It’s hard to believe that we’re already in February. My hope is that spring is right around the corner, but you just never know with the crazy Idaho weather we’ve been having lately. With that being said, the USTA league will be here in no time, starting with the 18+ Mixed league, which starts March 1. At the Tennis Center, there are lots of things going on, including Blocks, the upcoming Rush & Crush Mixed tournament, lessons, adult and junior clinics, and lots of other tennis and pickleball play.

As you know, this is the busiest time of year for indoor court usage here at Crane Creek. If you plan to make a reservation, do it early, and don’t forget to release your court if you can’t make your reservation. This allows other members the chance to use the court. For those playing on the courts after hours, please turn off the lights if no one is on the court when you leave. Thank you for helping us out with this.

Last month, we held our Fast 4 Shootout tournament. Members had the opportunity to play with another member or a guest. The Fast 4 format has grown in popularity, with each set the first to 4 games with a 5-point tiebreaker being played at 3-3. Each game had no-add scoring. We had 22 teams competing for $1200 in prize money. Players and spectators were treated to some terrific matches, and everyone had a great time! This year’s winners were:
Women’s 3.0—Cindy Haroian & Kim Prohaska
Women’s 3.5—Lauren Noonan & Andrea Lambe
Women’s 4.0—Maji Daines & Caitlin Smart
Men’s 3.5—Brad Daines & Will Zimmerman
Men’s 4.0—Shane Vaughan & Dave Agler

Our next event is the upcoming Rush & Crush mixed doubles tournament. This will be held from February 23 to 25. Divisions will be 5.0/6.0/7.0/8.0 and Open, with combined ratings being allowed for this event. Regular match scoring will be used for both main draw and consolation matches. Light appetizers will be available for all entrants on Saturday night, and each player will also receive a beer or wine ticket. Entry forms are available in the Tennis Center. The entry fee for this event is $55/player. This is going to be a great event with perfect timing for the start of USTA 18+ mixed league the following weekend.

Our always popular Blocks will run this year from February 12 to March 15. The start date was pushed back a few weeks and by doing this, it allows players to participate in Blocks closer to the start of the 2024 USTA season. Blocks will run Monday through Friday weekly.

Starting on March 1, we will implement a new guest fee policy for tennis and pickleball. Members with a guest playing must sign them up with the reservation. Guests will now be classified as Declared and Undeclared. To add a tennis guest when making your reservation, type in “Tennis Guest” as if you were adding a second person to your reservation, and then click on Tennis Guest to add them. Please add the appropriate number of guests playing with you. To add a pickleball guest when making your reservation, type in “Pickleball Guest” as if you were adding a second person to your reservation, and then click on Pickleball Guest to add them. Please add the appropriate number of pickleball guests playing with you.

Declared guests:
Must be signed up on a member’s reservation OR
The Tennis Desk is notified about a guest by email, voicemail or in person before the reservation OR
The member or guest checks in and pays at the Tennis Desk before the reservation.
A Declared guest fee is $10, and they can play twice per calendar month.
Undeclared guests:
Not registered on a member’s reservation AND
The Tennis Desk is NOT notified in advance about a guest by email, voicemail or in person AND
The member or guest does not check in at the Tennis Desk prior to the reservation.
An Undeclared guest fee is $25 and will be charged to the member making the reservation.
An Undeclared guest can play twice per calendar month.

Last month, we replaced one of the ball machines on Courts 4/5 with a new Playmate iSmash. This now means that all three of our ball machines are identical. Don’t forget that when reserving a ball machine, it’s always best to put your name on the reservation, along with Ball Machine 123 (for Courts 123), Ball Machine 4, or Ball Machine 5, depending on which court you use. Just a friendly reminder to pick up all tennis balls on the court and behind the curtains after use. Then, use the yellow sweeper to collect dust and tennis ball fuzz on the court afterward.

Crane Creek was well represented in the recent ETC Level 6 junior tournament. We’re so proud of how our juniors have trained and prepared for such events. Here are some notable results…

JP Hay—1st Boy’s 16 Singles and Boy’s 16 Doubles (with Nolen Larson)
Nolen Larson—1st Boy’s 16s Doubles (with JP Hay)
Sam Chasan—Semi-finals Boy’s 14 Singles & 1st Boy’s 16 Singles Consolation
Emily Turcke—2nd Girl’s 14 Singles Consolation
Drew Cutter—Quarter-finals Boy’s 12 Singles
Laura Dean—Semi-finals Girl’s 16 Singles Consolation
Ryan Hay—2nd Boy’s 12 Singles Consolation
Graham & Ellis Brown—2nd Boy’s 14 Doubles
Rainey Gross—Semi-finals Girl’s 18 Doubles Consolation

In 2024, we’re again offering a wide variety of adult and junior clinics. All clinics offered are included in this Crier, and we look forward to seeing members on the court improve their game. For our junior clinics, we ask that you call the tennis desk to register and reserve your child’s spot. For our adult clinics, please get in touch with the tennis pro running the clinic to sign up. For our junior clinics, players will be billed for the entire month and not the days they attend. If you have any questions about our winter junior clinics, please get in touch with the front desk at (208)514-4361 or email us at [email protected].

Idaho Tennis has changed multiple rules for the upcoming 2024 USTA League season. You can look over these rules on the Idaho Tennis Webpage. Go to Idtennis.com… Hover over “League” > Click on Rules, Appeals, Grievances > Click on 2024 Idaho District Rules & Regulations. Whether you’re a captain or a USTA league competitor, it’s worth reading these changes before the season starts.

USTA League season is right around the corner. The first league played is 18+ Mixed. Matches are played on weekends from March 1—May 19. Registration for 18+ Mixed is January 3—February 11. The USTA 40+ league will be played April 1-May 19. Registration for 40+ league is January 29-March 10. Players can sign up for their team on Tennislink.com. 

Just a reminder that our No-Show court fee is now $25. Indoor courts are at a premium, and no-shows can be very frustrating to people who want to play but can’t get a court. The goal of increasing the No Show Court Fee is to help members cancel courts ahead of time, allowing other members the opportunity to play.

Lee

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