Alright, let me tell you how this whole finding covered tennis courts thing went down for me. It wasn’t exactly rocket science, but man, it took some digging.
So, the weather started getting real unpredictable, you know? One minute it’s sunny, the next it’s pouring rain. Trying to plan a regular game was becoming a joke. My backhand was getting rusty just sitting around waiting for a dry day. I decided, enough is enough, I need somewhere I can play consistently, rain or shine. Covered courts seemed like the obvious answer.
The Hunt Begins
First thing I did, like probably everyone else, was whip out my phone. Typed in the usual stuff: “covered tennis courts near me”, “indoor tennis courts”, “tennis bubble nearby”. Got a bunch of results, sure. But here’s the thing:
- A lot were these super fancy private clubs. You know the type – membership fees that cost more than my car payment, dress codes, the whole nine yards. Not really what I was looking for. I just wanted to hit some balls, not hobnob.
- Some listings were just flat-out wrong. Showed courts that were definitely outdoors when I looked closer on the map view. Or worse, led to places that didn’t even exist anymore.
- Then there were the ones that were technically “near me” if “near” meant a 45-minute drive one way. Not exactly convenient for a quick game after work.
I spent a good hour just clicking around, getting more frustrated than anything. Called a couple of numbers I found. One just rang and rang. Another person answered but had no clue what I was talking about – turned out it was a completely different business now.
Changing Tactics
Okay, so the quick search wasn’t cutting it. I figured I needed to think more local. Started checking out the websites for nearby towns and cities. Specifically looked for their Parks and Recreation departments. This felt a bit old-school, navigating those government websites, but hey, sometimes that’s where the info hides.
Found a couple of mentions of public parks having tennis courts, but the descriptions weren’t always clear if they were covered or not. Some had pictures, but they were often small or taken on perfect sunny days, which didn’t help.
I also asked around. Talked to a guy I sometimes see at the local park courts (when they’re dry, obviously). He mentioned hearing about some covered courts at a community center a town over. That was a decent lead.
Getting Somewhere
So I focused on that community center tip and the couple of slightly promising Parks and Rec listings. More targeted searching now. Looked up the specific park names and the community center.
The community center website actually had decent info! Showed pictures of these dome-like structures over their courts. Bingo. It listed hours and a phone number for booking. Looked promising.
One of the public parks I found listed through the city website also seemed legit. It mentioned “all-weather courts” in the description. I decided to just drive over there one afternoon to see for myself. And yup, there they were – not a fancy bubble, but a solid permanent roof structure over two courts. Looked a bit worn, but definitely playable and dry.
The Result
So, in the end, I found two solid options. The community center courts were a bit nicer, maybe slightly more expensive, and needed booking further in advance. The public park courts were more basic, first-come-first-served sometimes, but cheaper and closer to my place.
It took more effort than just a quick search, that’s for sure. Had to actually dig into local government sites and even do a bit of old-fashioned scouting, driving around. But now I know where to go when the weather turns bad or I just want a guaranteed spot to play.
Managed to get a game in last week even though it rained all Saturday. Felt pretty good, honestly. Worth the initial hassle.
