City of Palm Coast Unveils New Tennis Courts with Funding from USTA Florida

PALM COAST, FLA. JAN. 13 — USTA Florida joined the City of Palm Coast to celebrate five new tennis courts at the Southern Recreation Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on January 13, 2025.  The event marked the official start of the Palm Coast Open, a combination of USTA Pro Circuit events that draw top talent from around the globe.  The Women’s event begins January 13th and runs through January 19th.  The Men’s event begins January 27th and runs through February 2nd. 

During the ceremony, USTA Florida spoke about the need for more tennis courts to accommodate the growing player base in the city and across the state.  Current members and new players will now have 15 total courts to enjoy at the state-of-the-art facility that also features pickleball.  The latest expansion moves the facility closer to the original plan of having 20 courts at the site, which was built in the early 2000s thanks to local advocacy efforts. 

“This facility was built for the tennis players in this community.  We are proud to have supported the expansion of the tennis courts to ensure that the tennis players in Palm Coast will continue to see this facility as their home, and welcome new players, events and programs to serve the growing population in this area,” said Laura Bowen, Executive Director of USTA Florida. 

The addition of five new courts was funded through a USTA/USTA Florida Growth Catalyst Fund Grant, totaling $700,000, and additional support from the city staff, leaders and local tennis advocates. Welch Tennis Courts, Inc., constructed the new courts, which feature a new stadium court adjacent to the Southern Recreation Center building.  In addition to funding the courts, USTA Florida recently agreed to provide the City of Palm Coast with a full assessment of play at the facility and present ideas for more play, programs and events in the future. 

“We are pleased to support Palm Coast and the Southern Recreation Center in their commitment to grow and enhance tennis in this vibrant community.  Palm Coast has a rich tennis history and helping communities like this is the perfect way for us to fulfill our mission of growing tennis in the State of Florida,” said Chuck Gill, President of USTA Florida. 

The Palm Coast Southern Recreation Center has a storied history for champions. It has hosted tennis legends such as Andre Agassi, Michael Chang, Monica Seles, and Jimmy Connors, as well as rising Florida star Reilly Opelka. The new courts will continue this tradition by nurturing future champions while offering more recreational opportunities for players of all ages and skill levels. 

USTA Florida is honored to help fuel the future of Florida tennis at this vital community hub. For more information about USTA Florida and its advocacy efforts to grow tennis across the state, visit ustaflorida.com/advocacy.