It won’t be wrong to say that the situation at the Grande Dunes Tennis Club is now beyond repair. The future of the club that was started by the community in the 1960s is now quite uncertain. Its blueprint and early courts were designed by tennis legend Arthur Ashe, the first Black man to win singles titles at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open. Yet the prestige may prove inadequate in ensuring its survival. There have been plans to demolish the club for years, but the tennis community in South Carolina has fought long to prevent its destruction. But it appears that there is no way back now.
A redevelopment plan for the tennis club was recently proposed at the Myrtle Beach City Council meeting. The plan includes demolition of the ten-court clay tennis facility before it is replaced with a 31-home subdivision. This proposal has already received approval from the planning commission. But the tennis community isn’t ready to bid goodbye to its beloved club and has raised concerns over the redevelopment plan.
“It goes even deeper than that — there is a lot of history,” Terry Springs, a community member, said. “Over the last 10 years, Myrtle Beach has talked a lot about their history, and you’re talking about the top seven pros coming in and building that.”…