USTA St. Louis has become operating manager of the historic Dwight Davis Tennis Center in Forest Park. A smooth transaction is ensured with help from Dan Apted and the Dwight Davis board of directors. Apted-Hulling Inc. has been managing the facility for the last 15 years.
“We are just super excited about the opportunity to offer tennis to our neighborhood and the city at-large,” said Mary Vassar, USTA St. Louis Executive Director. “We’re especially looking forward to providing tennis programming for beginners between the ages of 7 and 18.”
Like the Dwight Davis Tennis Center, USTA St. Louis is a non-profit organization. The district is not affiliated with any tennis clubs and does not operate any other facility. Vassar will serve as the operations manager.
Vassar said things won’t look very different for patrons, as Jess Campbell — who has worked at Dwight Davis for the past 12 years — will continue as director of tennis development. John Callahan will provide pickleball instruction, and Anthony Adams will serve as desk supervisor.
Judy Dippold — who has been involved in the St. Louis tennis scene for the past half-century — will continue to manage all long-term tennis bookings and permanent court time. Individual court reservations for tennis and pickleball, which can be made up to seven days in advance, must be placed online, here. Reservations are $10 per hour.
“With all of that staff in place, the transition will appear seamless to our customers,” Vassar said. “USTA has long supported community tennis through our grant program. It a good fit for USTA St. Louis to be stepping into this new role, and it is a great honor for the district to serve the tennis community in this capacity.”
Dwight Davis had a soft opening on March 15 with limited available court hours. Those court hours will expand throughout the spring until May 1 when the facility will have full operating hours. At that point, Dwight Davis will be open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., as well as Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Masks are required throughout the facility except when individuals are on court.
The Dwight Davis Tennis Center was the first public tennis facility in the country when it opened and has been a key cog in the community ever since. It features 18 lighted tennis courts and a stadium court with seating for 500 spectators that has been converted into four pickleball courts.
USTA St. Louis will host an adult league player party at Dwight Davis on Saturday, May 22. To read more about that event, click here.
