Club News September 2023

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Arrowhead Exchange Results

   We held our infamous Private Club Challenge with Arrowhead Country Club on Friday, August 18th! Gold Key was the host site for this rivalry, and it turned out to be a fantastic event. We were very fortunate to have a nice cool evening, as the weather was very cooperative! It was a close competition, and the tennis was fantastic! Fortunately, this time, Gold Key was able to hang on to the coveted traveling “World Champion Private Tennis Club” trophy! This was also our first exchange with Arrowhead’s new Tennis Director, Tatum Prudhomme. We are already working on a day for our next exchange, so stay tuned. In the meantime, well done Gold Key!

 

Meet New Pro Nick LaPoint

    We are excited to announce our newest addition to our teaching staff, Nick LaPoint! If you were fortunate enough to attend our Membership Appreciation Party last month, you got a chance to see Nick play in the Pro Exhibition. Not only can this guy teach, he can play! Nick comes to us with a strong tennis background, from playing college tennis to working at our favorite tennis shop in Scottsdale, All About Tennis. Nick is working with both the Adult and Junior programs and is a perfect fit for our Club. He is also available for private lessons if you are looking to improve your game! Please be sure to introduce yourself!

 

SWITA Junior Coed Tournament

       There will be a SWITA Junior Singles Co-ed Tournament for players 18 years old and under. It will be held from September 22nd to 24th. Matches will start on Friday after school and conclude on Sunday. This is a co-ed event, so boys and girls will play against each other. The format will be a First Match Back draw, 2 out of 3 sets, with a 10-point match tiebreak in lieu of a 3rd set, using no-ad scoring. At 6-6 in games, players will play a 7-point tiebreaker. The draw is open to all players and is limited to a UTR rating of 5 and below. The entry fee is $45 per player, with gift cards for 1st and 2nd place, medals for 3rd place, and a consolation champion. The sign-up deadline is September 20th. If you have questions or want to sign up, please contact Luis Ridaura at luis@switacademy.com.

 

US Open Watch Party

      The US Open this year promises to be an epic battle. We can’t think of a better way to enjoy it than watching with a crazy bunch of tennis enthusiasts. If this sounds like your kind of scene, plan on joining us in the club’s Sports Bar on Sunday, September 10th, at 1 pm for the Men’s finals. There is no charge to come out, and we will have champagne and orange juice on hand so we can enjoy mimosas during the match. No need to sign up, just show up! 

 

Junior Tennis Academy  & Workshop

     The new fall junior tennis program is back in full effect! The next session starts the week of September 4th, and YES, there is a clinic on Monday the 4th, which is Labor Day! Each session runs for 4 weeks, but late starts are always welcomed. There is a calendar showing the complete season on the back of the Academy brochure to help you plan. 

    There will also be a special SWITA Junior Workshop held on Saturday, September 30th. The workshop begins with one hour of fitness and mental training followed by 2 hours of tennis training. Lunch is included after the workshop has completed. The price is $80 per player and is an invitational event only. If you have any questions about the program or where your junior fits in, please contact Director Luis Ridaura at luis@switacademy.com. Brochures are available at the front desk and on the club’s website.

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New Ladies Clinic

     The Ladies Only Clinic is now up and running! The clinic is held every Friday night at 8 pm and will run for 1 hour. It is open to all levels of play. The price is $18 per class or free for inclusive members. Following the clinic, discounts on both beer and wine will be available in the sports bar. You can sign up for the clinic through the club portal.

 

New Monday Morning Clinic

   We have received several requests to increase daytime clinics, so we have responded by introducing a new All-Level Clinic on Monday mornings at 7 am, which will also run for 1 hour. The first clinic will kick off on September 11th. The price for the class is $18 per person and free for inclusive members. 

 

Mens Interclub   

    The new session of the Fall Men’s Interclub will be starting in the next month, and we will once again be hosting a team. Last year, we had a great showing and came in 2nd. This is a high-level league, and you must be rated at 4.5 or greater to participate. If you have any questions, please contact our Adult Director, Cody Kacerek, at cody@goldkeyracquetclub.com.

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Clinic Ideas 

   We are always looking for feedback on current clinics and ideas for new clinics. If you have feedback and thoughts you would like to share, please send them to our adult director, Cody Kacerek at cody@goldkeyracquetclub.com.  

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Find a Tennis Match Service            

   Are you looking for more tennis but need someone to hit with? Then check out the Gold Key Tennis Match Finder! Whether you are looking for Singles, Doubles or Mixed Doubles, this new online program can help you find new players to hit with. To get started, register or seek out a match by clicking here. If you have registered and not been contacted for a match, have no fear, all you need to do is use the search function to seek out your own match! Don't be shy, give it a try! 

 

Got Ideas?

    If you have any ideas for instruction, activities or special events for the club, we would love to hear about them. Please email your ideas to  don@goldkeyracquetclub.com .