THE U.S. TENNIS ASSOCIATION has named San Francisco’s Lisa and Douglas Goldman Tennis Center in Golden Gate Park as its Featured Facility of the Year.
The Goldman Tennis Center was one of 29 facilities receiving the USTA’s 2023 Outstanding Facility Award and received the top honor among those 29. The center will be honored at the national tennis body’s Annual Meeting and Conference next year.
The USTA recognized the winning facilities during the opening day of the U.S. Open Tennis Championship in New York City on Aug. 28. San Francisco Recreation and Park Department general manager Phil Ginsburg accepted the award on behalf of the Goldman Tennis Center.
The U.S. Open is taking place through Sept. 10.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed described the Goldman Tennis Center as one of the city’s “true jewels.”
“This national recognition by the USTA shows what we can accomplish when the city, community, and philanthropy join together to support our parks,” Breed said in a statement.
The tennis center at Golden Gate Park has served tennis enthusiasts of all skill levels since 1894, with tennis legends like Billie Jean King, Peanut Louie Harper and Rosie Casals, among others, having played on the courts.
In 2021, the center reopened after a $27 million renovation through a public-private partnership with leadership gifts from Taube Philanthropies, the Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund, the Koret Foundation, Jackie and Joby Pritzker, the Fisher Family and others.
The renovation transformed the center into a state-of-the-art public facility with 16 tennis courts, including a sunken stadium-style court, lights for night play, five mini courts for pickleball and teaching young children, and a garden courtyard for socializing.
The tennis center’s Taube Family Clubhouse features a lounge, a recreation room, a class room for the Koret Tennis and Learning Center, two locker rooms, a kitchen, and a vibrant outdoor ceramic tile mural by renowned artist Sanaz Mazinani.
The renovation was made possible through a partnership with the Tennis Coalition of San Francisco and the San Francisco Parks Alliance.
Lifetime Activities manages the tennis center and provides professional teaching in addition to supporting tournaments, teams and many community events.
The center provides a variety of programming year-round for both adults and children, including tennis and pickleball lessons, youth tennis camps, competition training, college team play, league match play and USTA and other tournament play.
The center also is home to the Koret Tennis and Learning Center, an award-winning program for underserved youth that promotes academic achievement, health and wellness, and social-emotional development through tennis.
“Receiving this coveted prize highlights all the hard work put in by Rec and Park, Lifetime Activities, and the Tennis Coalition of San Francisco to ensure that it remains the city’s premier public tennis location,” Ginsburg said in a statement.
Each year, the USTA recognizes facilities across the country for their ability to go above and beyond in serving tennis communities.
For the award, the USTA considered criteria such as overall layout; the quality of court surfaces and lights; maintenance; aesthetics; accommodations for players, spectators, and press; graphics like signage and landscaping; amenities; and participation in USTA programs.