Alright so last Tuesday I’m walking past the harbor, right? Saw these folks playing tennis on these beautiful courts right by the fancy boats. Looked different, more relaxed than the city club I tried before. Figured, hey, that’s yacht club tennis? What’s the deal? Let me actually try this out instead of just wondering.
Figuring out this yacht club tennis thing
First up, I called the club near me – the Seaside Harbor Club. Honestly felt kinda awkward asking! Just said, “Uh, hi… I heard about tennis there? Can anyone come?” Turns out, yes! You don’t need to own a yacht, thank goodness. Marie, the super friendly person who runs the courts, explained it’s mainly for members, but they have “guest days” and beginner socials. Perfect for me to poke around. Signed up for their Saturday afternoon “Intro & Hit Around” thing.
Just showing up and feeling it out
Okay, Saturday rolls around. Wore my regular gym clothes and decent sneakers – nothing fancy. Marie met me at the gate, showed me the courts. Smelled the salt air, heard some ropes clinking on masts nearby. Felt instantly more vacation-y than serious competition.
- Not stiff at all: Saw people laughing after missing shots. Older couples playing slow, young ones smashing hard. Mixed bag! Dress code? Mostly just clean shorts/tshirts, comfy shoes. Saw one guy in deck shoes!
- Getting started is stupid easy: Marie just handed me a racket (they have loaners!) and put me with three other newbies. No deep strategy talk. Just “Here’s how we hold the racket… now try hitting it back and forth across the net.” We spent 10 minutes literally just tapping the ball to each other trying to keep a rally going. It was messy, we giggled a lot.
- The social bit is huge: Afterwards, everyone – even the old-timers finishing their serious match – wandered over to this little patio area right by the courts. Drinks cooler was out (BYO usually, club has water). We just stood there chatting about boats, the weather, tennis mishaps. Marie mentioned they do a BBQ social first Sunday of every month. Sounds like the tennis is just the excuse to hang out.
So yeah, this is how you actually enjoy it
Based on just dipping my toes in? Yacht club tennis isn’t really about winning Wimbledon. Forget intense drills unless you join a team (which they have, but optional!). It’s way simpler:
- Find a club near water: Call or check their site. Ask about “visitor days”, “social tennis”, or “beginner sessions.” Just tell them you’re new and wanna try.
- Go casual: Wear stuff you can move in. Bring water. Maybe sunscreen and a hat. That’s literally it. They likely have rackets if you don’t.
- Focus on hitting, not winning: Seriously, just try making contact with the ball. See how many times you and a partner can tap it back and forth without it dropping. Your only goal is to keep it going. You’ll surprise yourself.
- Stick around after: The best part is often the chit-chat near the courts or clubhouse. That’s where the “club” part really happens. Just chat folks up about anything – the boats, how weird a tennis ball feels, whatever.
Honestly? Felt way less pressure than my one attempt at a city league. You’re basically playing tennis near cool boats with people who mostly just wanna be outside and socialize. That’s the secret sauce. Just gotta actually call the club and show up. That’s the hardest part, really.