Hello everyone, and welcome to our December Court Report! With Thanksgiving past us and the end of the year rapidly approaching, we have many things to be thankful for at Fort Walton Beach Tennis Center. We at FWBTC and USTA Florida are extremely lucky to serve you all, and this past year has reaffirmed this feeling of thankfulness. I truly believe that we have one of the best tennis staffs in the state of Florida, and we all love making FWBTC the best it can be for the tennis community. With that being said, let’s get to what happened around the courts this past month, and what is coming to the courts in December!
November Recap
New Stringer
We received a new stringing machine at the start of November, and we are very excited to announce an expanded stringing and tennis shop services. For all tennis players (not just the professionals), stringing is an important part of the game. With each racket dropped off, we will have the racket strung and ready in 48 hours max. If you have not had your racket restrung recently or want to try some new strings, call the front desk, or stop by the shop for more information.
Saturday Morning Clinics
Thank you to all our participants in our inaugural Saturday morning Junior Clinics! While the weather was rainy this month and caused some cancellations, I saw all our participants having a blast with Coach Jillian on the court. Spots are limited for December, so sign up ASAP!
Tennis Shop
As stated earlier, we had a huge expansion of our Tennis Shop services this month! We are now selling Diadem pickleballs, Diadem pickleball paddles (for sale and rent), Diadem and Wilson Tennis String, and, as of this week, Coca-Cola products. Please call the desk or stop by the tennis shop and check out all we have to offer!
December Happenings
Ugly Sweater Mixer
On December 15th, we will be hosting an Ugly Sweater Mixer at FWBTC! Come out from 6-8pm in your ugliest holiday sweater for some tennis and/or pickleball play, as well as some food and drinks. The cost for this mixer is $15. If interested in playing, sign up online or call the front desk to secure your spot!
Holiday Hours
We will be closed all day on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. For December 26 through December 30, our tennis shop will be open from 2-6pm, but we will not have any lessons or programs during this time. We will also be closed all day on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. We will resume normal operating hours on January 2, 2024. Thank you for your understanding during the holiday season!
Price Changes and Military Discount
While these changes won’t take place until January of 2024, I wanted to give everyone plenty of notice before they take place. Starting on January 1, 2024, we will be raising our junior clinic rates from $12 per class to $15. We will also be changing our military discount policy on January 1, 2024, to 10% off court time, group lessons, pro shop sales, and select strings. It’s always hard to make these decisions, but they are necessary to continue to improve the facility and our players’ experience here. If you have any questions, please reach out to Travis Tressler at tressler@ustaflorida.com. Thank you all in advance for your understanding.
Closing Time
I have stated this many times throughout the newsletters this year, but 2023 has been an amazing year for FWBTC! We have new courts, a new stringer, expanded staff, and, most importantly, many new players enjoying the sport at our facility. With the end of 2023 approaching, we will look to continue our momentum from the previous 11 months and finish strong this year! We are here to serve you, and I know that we will continue to improve in our service. Thank you all for reading, and I will see you all on the courts!