May,01,2018
Pine Hollow Country Club ushered in a new season of tennis at its facility on Sunday afternoon as it hosted its annual Opening Day Carnival.
“Today is for everybody to see each other again, and to be able to play in a very casual atmosphere,” said Ricky Becker, Director of Tennis at Pine Hollow. “It’s not so much about getting better as a tennis player today; it’s more about the camaraderie and enjoying each other’s company.”
The day was filled with various activities across Pine Hollow’s many courts. From young kids to adults, there were tennis games for everyone who attended, including High Intensity Doubles, Mid-Intensity Doubles, Lower Impact Doubles, a Junior Clinic, a Young Kids Clinic and Open Play.
“You can tell everyone is excited to be here. With the weather we’ve had, everybody is chomping at the bit to get back to playing outdoors,” added Becker. “The event definitely has a good, festive vibe to it. People who don’t necessarily play together during the summer are playing together today. So it’s pure social tennis in a really fun way.”
A food spread and refreshments were available for all guests who got a chance to mingle with some other people they may not have met or played tennis with before.
“The event is fantastic. There are a lot of diversified offerings for everyone today,” said Jen Kirschenbaum, who was there with her young son who took part in the Young Kids Clinic. “We have Karl [Sommer] who is running the young class, he has all of his devices out here and the kids are having a blast. We have the men’s and women’s courts full today, so we’re really excited for another great season.”
Opening Day also served as a celebration of Pine Hollow’s two championship teams from last year. Pine Hollow won the 2017 North Shore Country Club Championship in both the men’s and women’s divisions, and each now have banners hanging up above the clay-courts.
“We’re looking forward to another great season,” said Mike Ferber, the men’s team co-captain. “I think we’re going to be stronger this year. We have a couple of new players joining, so we’re confident.”
