Beyond the Baseline: Advantage Tennis Clubs

The roots of tennis in New York City run deep. As a city that prides itself on its communities, tennis has often been at the center of bringing people together, whether it’s indoors at all the tennis facilities in the metropolitan area, playing on the public parks from Brooklyn up through Riverdale, or coming together to celebrate the world’s biggest tennis event, the U.S. Open, in Queens at the end of every summer.

And it is impossible to tell the story of tennis in New York City without talking about Advantage Tennis Clubs, which has been serving tennis enthusiasts for a half-century, and is excited to continue building its legacy as an integral part of NYC tennis.

As Advantage puts it:

“For over 50 years, we’ve been at the heart of the city’s tennis scene, shaping culture and nurturing talent. With a rich history of legendary matches and community engagement, we’re excited to continue shaping the game for the next 50 years.”

Advantage Tennis Clubs, whose parent company is HCK Recreation, was formed in 1969,  operates three separate facilities in the city: New York Tennis Club (NYC’s oldest club, first opening in 1886), Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club and Roosevelt Island Racquet Club, and all three have been serving their respective communities since their inception.

HCK Recreation was founded in 1969 by Skip Hartman and Bob Kelton, NYC tennis legends who have been integral in growing the sport. From the very beginning, it was about meeting the needs of the individuals who walk through their doors, and that approach has been at the core of the club’s missions ever since.

Bob Ingersole, another pillar of tennis in New York City, has known Hartman since the early 1980s and was on the original staff at Roosevelt Island Racquet Club when it was launched in 1991, and was a key part of designing its programming.

“Quality across the range; quality of staffing, quality of programming and quality of teaching,” Ingersole said when asked what has made Advantage Tennis Clubs a success. “And giving back to the community. Not focusing so much on how much money they can pay, but developing a relationship with every individual that comes in our doors. They are the people who support you, so you have to be there to support them. Everyone is different, you have to get to know these people, what their needs are and what they desire.”

And those needs can vary from club to club: the community around Manhattan Plaza is different than the one at Roosevelt Island, and they both contrast New York Tennis Club, so while they operate under the same umbrella, each club serves the community in which it resides.

Pat Schoenfeld recently turned 96-years-old and the Upper West Side native has been playing at Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club since its opening.

“My husband Gerald Schoenfeld played a major role in building Manhattan Plaza. He was instrumental in making sure it became a home for the performing arts community. He worked with the Shubert Organization, helping to clean up and revitalize the entire area,” Schonefeld said. “Over time, as more buildings rose around us, the neighborhood transformed.”

Part of that transformation was the construction of the tennis club, and Schoenfeld has been a familiar face on those courts for decades.

“It’s about friendships,” she said. “I worked with Manhattan Plaza tennis pro Marlie Buehler and joined a small group that played on two courts. I used to play twice a week, every Monday and Wednesday. Now, I still play once a week with a wonderful group of players.”

Schoenfeld is just one of many people who have found solace on the tennis courts of Advantage Tennis Clubs throughout the year, and Josie Underwood, Sales and Communications Director for Advantage Tennis Clubs, says she never gets tired of listening to those who share how they have been positively affected.

“The best part of my job is getting to know the incredible community of players who’ve made Advantage Tennis their home,” she said. “The stories I hear remind me that these spaces are more than just a place to play–they’re second homes to many of our members.”

And it’s that dedication to its members and meeting their needs that will continue to make Advantage Tennis a beacon of tennis in the greatest city in the world. That means adapting to the ever-changing landscape of tennis, which was what Pam Glick was tasked with when she was brought in to Roosevelt Island Racquet Club in 2021. Hartman knew her background and wanted her to bring that to Advantage Tennis, and RIRC specifically.

With an extensive track record of developing programming and building leagues, Glick has been instrumental in helping Tony Huber, the Director of Adult Tennis at RIRC, grow their adult offerings exponentially over the past five years.

“We’re not afraid to add classes, and try different things. If this isn’t working, let’s try something else,” said Glick. “In working closely with Tony [Huber], we’ve increased the adult participation here about 300 percent. We exceeded our own expectations.”

Glick explains how they have placed a strong emphasis on memberships, as Advantage Tennis Clubs offers a multitude of them, and added more amenities that accompany them in addition to just lower court rental rates. That has helped change the clientele of the club and they have seen a lot more younger people, in their 20s and 30s, taking out memberships, something that dates back to the pandemic.

“The average age of the club has come down since I have been here, with a large part of our older members moving out of New York [during the COVID pandemic], it gave us an opportunity to rebuild, and build up a new clientele, ” said Glick.

By recognizing what works and what doesn’t work, and making upgrades to the facility itself, Roosevelt Island Racquet Club has seen a revitalization of not only its adult programming, but also seen its courts filled in the middle of the weekdays.

Advantage Tennis Clubs has also made a concerted effort to upgrade its junior programs, both for high performance players and beginners. A key reason for that has been bringing in new Junior Program Director Magnus Gunnarsson, who has been the driving influence behind the growth of its junior programs. Gunnarsson is an Iceland native who competed for his county in the Davis Cup six times, and now lives right on Roosevelt Island.

Roosevelt Island Racquet Club has made it a priority to provide quality programming, and Ingersole says:

“We have been on a two-year venture and we are starting to see the results of it now. We are seeing kids from our summer programs flow into the fall and winter ones, and have introduced tournament segments into the programs where we provide tournament options for our players, coaching them through match play and traveling with the players. Myself and our coaches understand the tournament system, and we are able to give our players a lot of direction and guidance.”

While these may seem like small improvements on the surface, by continuing to upgrade its offerings to all members, and non-members, Advantage Tennis Clubs is ensuring its sustainability and claiming its place as an invaluable part of the New York tennis community.

By not abandoning its traditions, but also bringing the clubs into the modern day, Advantage Tennis Clubs, led by Ingersole, Glick, Underwood and the rest of its team, are ensuring that it remains not only a central figure in the tennis world, but an important part of their communities overall.

“It’s what keeps me going,” says Ingersole. “Tennis is my family, and everyone involved with it I consider to be in my tennis family. When you walk through our doors, you will be welcomed. We treat everyone as an individual. When you come to us, you know you’ll be coming up Aces.”