Tennis courts are a "jewel"
In 2015, we asked the question: "Could Tennis Be A Hidden Gem In The El Conquistador Country Club Purchase?"
Our contention then was that the the purchase of the El Conquistador Country Club gave the town the opportunity to become a major player in the Southern Arizona tennis world. The town acquired 31 pristine tennis courts. 15 of these are located at the Pusch Ridge facility (near the El Conquistador Hotel). The others abut the Oro Valley Community Center.
Three years later: The pieces are in place for Oro Valley tennis to shine.
A bigger jewel is Oro Valley's top-notch tennis professionals
Tennis Center Director Jennifer Fuchs has been leading Oro Valley tennis for 20 years. First, she was the Director of Tennis for the El Conquistador Resort for 16 plus years. Subsequently, she served as the Director of Oro Valley Tennis. Jennifer is a tennis professional. "As a junior, she became the number one ranked player in the nation." She has with her a team of three other professionals.
Since the town's purchase of the El Conquistador Country Club, Tennis was being managed by Troon, the company that manages the town's golf facilities. Frankly, we think it was relegated to the background. That will be no more. Tennis is now "front and center" in Oro Valley and that is a good thing.
Here's why.
Jennifer Fuchs has taken a bold step.
In August, Fuchs created a company, El Conquistador Tennis, LLC. Her company signed a lease with the Town Of Oro Valley. The lease gives El Conquistador Tennis a 3-year window to provide tennis related services such as: Tennis lessons, clinics, youth programs, tennis leagues, and racquet services. They also sell tennis related items like some apparel, shoes, grips, bags, dampeners, towels, balls, and they take special orders.
El Conquistador Tennis will host events and tournaments. Fuchs and her team host about one event per month. These events bring dollars to Oro Valley. According to Fuchs, one recent event had a positive $300,000 economic impact on our town.
We should expect to see more events. Jennifer is considering adding an event to attract a younger crowd. "We will also be adding Junior league play and member events."
Want to learn more?
You can get involved in Oro Valley tennis in several ways. You can choose among two membership levels to the Oro Valley Community Center tennis program. Memberships enable you to use the courts and some related facilities. You can also use the facilities on a daily fee basis. Membership and daily use fees go directly to the town.
You can avail your family of tennis instructional programs. These are provided by Jennifer and her team. These include adult tennis clinics, leagues, semi-private and private instruction. Visit this link to learn more. You can also follow El Conquistador Tennis on facebook. Or, you can get involved by simply calling them at 520-544-1780. They can answer your questions and get you started!
Let's go, Oro Valley. Get in the game! Its time to make this jewel shine.
---
Note: The town continues to be responsible for pickleball and golf.
