Julie King chooses her words carefully. She's known to friends on and off the tennis courts for being warm and humble. After a few seconds of silence, the question is lobbed her way again: "Are there rivalries among Reynolds Members?"
"Well..." she says again, "we're all good friends off the court..."
You can sense a "but" coming.
"....but unless we're playing on each other's team, we all want to kick each other's butts. What can I say? We're competitive."
The sentiment has been spreading from The Lake Club to The Landing to Great Waters. Pull up to The Lake Club courts at 8 a.m. and you'll hear the sounds of rackets pounding on balls. It might not stop until 10 p.m. Some Members play for exercise. Some play for fun. And some are like Julie - they play for keeps. In 2018, her Lake Oconee Tennis Association team won the Georgia State Championship. (11 of the 12 players are Reynolds Members).
To have high-end clay courts and tournament-level hard courts available makes it unique. It's no wonder our teams are so good.
Julie King
Sarah Leppert is one of Julie's good friends. The two are even better friends when they're playing partners.
"My husband, Drew, and I moved to Reynolds mostly for the quality of the tennis," says Sarah, a tournament player who admits her email handle (gosarahgo) has something to do with her athletic drive. "We were attracted to the nice clay courts, the pro shop, the clinics, the coaching, and so many good players."
I can come out almost any day of the year because of the weather and because I can always find someone to play.
Sarah Leppert
Sarah adds one more thing: "The camaraderie means a lot..."
Another "but" is on the way.
"But I really like competing... and winning."
Fun Fact: Reynolds Lake Oconee was named a Top-50 "tennis resort" by Tennis Resorts Online.
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There are a total of 50 kids in Reynolds’ youth tennis program. For James and director of tennis, Eric Gessner, the goal is to impart basics ...
There are a total of 50 kids in Reynolds’ youth tennis program. For James and director of tennis, Eric Gessner, the goal is to impart basics and keep them all interested enough to come back.
