By Cooper Williams
Over the last seven years, Bent Creek Country Club has been working on a project to help improve the tennis department at Bent Creek. Jim Haus, General Manager at Bent Creek, has been behind this project along with Alex Mast, the Director of Racquets at Bent Creek. The rest of Bent Creek staff have been working tirelessly to help improve Racquets at Bent Creek. The main challenges that have affected the bubble and have made it such a long and complex project have been property lines and finances. “The project would not have been possible without an anonymous generous donation,” said Alex Mast. Bent Creek had to change their membership assessment by increasing the price to help pay for the cost of the new bubble. So, after seven years, clearing land for the dome finally began last year, with the project being on pace to be done by January 19th, 2024, weather permitting. The 126ft by 272ft dome will consist of 6 courts, four pickleball courts, and two tennis courts. The dome will be heated, allowing members to play comfortably in game-like conditions. Alex Mast said, “This is a great opportunity for the club and its members to help improve their tennis and pickleball game.”
Previously, after the tennis season ended for the winter, all of the tennis instructors would go to different tennis facilities to continue instruction. They would return to Bent Creek the following April, starting again for the spring and summer seasons. The new tennis bubble fixes that problem and is more convenient for the instructors. The agreement allows the bubble to be up for 180 days, and then stored in a temperature-controlled facility provided by a member until it is used again the following winter. The courts will be used on tennis and pickleball systems, where members can schedule a time that they would like to use a court. “The Bubble will allow members to play without the worry of going to another facility to get their games in. It not only helps the members but the overall club as well.” Staff at Bent Creek are very excited about this opportunity for members to improve this racquet experience. It will make Bent Creek more one-of-a-kind than it already is.
