APRIL 2023 Newsletter

2023 Grand Opening - Getting Closer

ATC Board members and other volunteers have been busy doing spring clean-up as we get the facility ready. Although we had to make a few repairs, including replacing our water pump, the courts and grounds are in great shape, just waiting for the influx of tennis players anxious to get outside and play on our favorite surface.

Once again, the Oval Corporation will be setting down new clay topping and nailing in the lines. The company is located in Brewster (Westchester), NY, and is a third-generation family tennis contractor for the tri-state areas of Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. We expect them to be in Albany by mid-May for this work.

2023 Membership Info Available Online

2023 membership information is now available on the ATC website. www.albanytennisclub.com. Online credit card registration is available, as is information for those who wish to pay by check.

Message from our Manager

Manager Larry Yakubowski would like the members of the ATC to know he will be communicating with them via email about programs, professional services, and special events at the club soon. The staff is looking forward to welcoming all users of the courts.

ATC Store Update

The ATC Store is now open. Please check out our wide range of apparel in the attached brochure or on the ATC website www.albanytennisclub.com. Purchases will benefit the Club. This early spring offering closes on April 30 but we will continue to work with Precision to offer regular opportunities during our fast-approaching season. See the attachment.

Best wishes,

ATC Board of Directors

March 2023 Newsletter

We are all counting the days until the beginning of the 2023 Albany Tennis Club outdoor season. Planning for the opening of the courts is underway. The irrigation system needs to be checked and winter debris needs to be cleared away before Oval Tennis can set the courts up for another year of fun and great tennis.

Membership Dues

Based on our anticipated expenses, mainly for the increased costs of opening the courts, labor costs, and court maintenance, it necessary to increase dues this year. We are keeping our membership fee structure affordable, so as many tennis enthusiasts as possible can enjoy our beautiful red clay courts. In the scheme of things, ATC remains a bargain compared to the other tennis clubs in the area.

The dues schedule for this year will be as follows:

Individual - $300 (first-time members will receive a $25 rebate)

Couples - $450

Family - $500

Student - $134

Junior - $56

The ATC website will be updated shortly to allow for membership renewal and applications for this season.

Manager and Lessons

As reported last month, Larry Yakubowski will be serving a full-time manager to coordinate daily operations and special events. Larry is planning several social events at the club that will be made public once the season begins.

Also, returning will be Jack Curry, Chris Bradt, and Mark Mirasol to provide instructional services. All these instructors have a long-standing relationship with the club and its membership.

Odds & Ends

Chris Mercogliano will again be with us this season. He will be undertaking daily court preparations and helping to notify members on court conditions with his humorous reporting.

Once again, we will be having the Fundraiser Apparel Program for members to buy ATC logo sportswear – details to follow.

We are very excited about the 2023 season. We hope you are too. We look forward to seeing everyone soon.

Sincerely,

The ATC Board

Albany Tennis Club – February 2023

Welcome to the 2023 Tennis Season. We are now in the middle of winter. Hopefully, all of you are getting to play our favorite sport either in warmer climes or on the indoor courts in the Capital Region. Although our courts have been closed since October, there has been plenty of activity behind the scenes in getting ready for the 2023 season on the red clay of ATC. We thought we would take this opportunity to let the membership know what has been going on to prepare for the new season.

Board of Directors

Based on our fall elections, the Board of Directors this year consists of Steve Angle, Theresa Cary, Ned Foss, Marc Gerstman, Gary Henning, Jay Martin, Betsy Breaznell MacMaster, Bruce McBride, Dave Motta, and Peter Reed.

Officers elected in mid-January are Bruce McBride, President; Gary Henning, Vice President; Ned Foss, Treasurer; Theresa Cary, Secretary.

We want to thank outgoing Board Members Scott Halle and Mike Pawlows, who served as President and Vice President, respectively, for their leadership these past few years and getting our club through the height of the Covid pandemic. We would also like to thank the immediate past Treasurer Margaret Yang, David Liebschutz, and Paul Hook for their Board service this past year.

2023 Club Management & Operations

We are pleased to report that Larry Yakubowski will serve as club manager this season. Larry has long been associated with the Albany Tennis Club and brings a wealth of experience in tennis club management and programming.

Long-time member Steve Beditz will continue to provide expertise in all things involved in maintaining red clay tennis courts in his position as Manager of Operations. We also thank Kirby Hannan and the host of volunteers who make the ATC work.

Club Opening

Over the past few years, we have learned of the difficulties in securing a contractor to prep and open the courts for a new season. Only a few companies do this work, and the ones that do are in great demand.

After thoroughly researching our options, the Board has decided to use the Oval Tennis Company of Brewster, N.Y., to open the courts again this year. This is the company that opened the courts last year. We hope you all agree that the courts were in the best condition they have been in years, thanks to Oval's good opening prep work.

While we had hoped to have the courts open earlier, Oval is scheduled to open the ATC courts in mid-to-late May. For the quality of Oval's work and the very reasonable price they quoted us, the Board decided this was the correct option. (The weather in April is always questionable anyway!) The Board will be planning for spring grounds maintenance activities in conjunction with the court openings.

We look forward to seeing everyone in May.

Best wishes,

ATC Board of Directors