SUN CITY – At Sun City, tennis is a year-round sport.
The hardy tennis enthusiasts who hang around Huntley when cold weather comes stay active with the serves and volleys at welcoming indoor venues in the Huntley area.
Karen Michaels (left) with Vicki Osness playing doubles.
The wind screens are down at the Tall Oak Tennis Club’s courts at Del Webb and Sun City Boulevards, but the nets are left up so club members and residents can take advantage of whatever decent days are left this fall.
John Sterling in singles action at Centegra.
Meanwhile, a lot of Sun Citians are going over to Centegra’s fitness center on Algonquin and Haligus Roads, or the Crystal Lake Park District’s Racquet Club on Route 31 in Algonquin to keep their skills sharp while the snow flies.
“These two facilities have accommodated us by setting up a lot of programs for seniors and not requiring us to be members of theirs in order to participate,” said Ken Kalscheur, newly elected Tall Oaks club president for a two-year term. “Our members and residents can go over there at specific times to just play casually or participate in their lesson and drills’ exercises. It’s a great way to keep up our skills, stay in shape, and make tennis truly a year-round sport. These venues like it because it brings a lot of business to them throughout the year.”
At Centegra, a typical weekday time for senior guests to come and play is 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Club members hold four to five social events at each facility on Saturday evenings during the winter. Tennis and snowbird habits go together for the club, Kalscheur said. “A lot of our members head to Florida or the Sun Belt for the winter, and they play there. My wife and I go to Florida for two weeks in the winter, but the rest of the time, we’re here. So these opportunities are great for us to play our favorite game indoors.”
The club ended its outdoor season activities October 5 with a dinner and election of officers. Sharon Little is completing her two-year term as president, and Kalscheur, who has served as vice president, will formally succeed her as president at the club’s first board meeting in November.
“Everything we do at Tall Oaks depends on the weather, even in the middle of summer,” Kalscheur said. “But in the winter, players have a place to play at their convenience, no matter what the weather is.”
Tall Oaks members enjoyed a special highlight this past summer, when they paid back the final installment on a loan that financed the construction of their two newest courts on the Sun City Boulevard side of their complex. This permitted them to reduce their annual dues’ rate for the first time in three years.
