Where are the courts?

The public courts are located downtown on Venice Avenue between Business 41 and The Gulf of Mexico.

When can I play?

You can play doubles anytime during the day and until the lights go off at night. Singles play is permitted after 12 noon and sometimes in the late morning, as long as there are no foursomes waiting. In the evening, the timer for lights varies, but it usually stays lit until slightly past 10:00 p.m.

Who goes there?

Literally, people from all over the world who enjoy tennis.

How does it work?

It is self-regulated which means there is no one "in charge". The system was designed and honed through decades of trial and error. It became sanctioned by the county for use only at these courts, and has been highly successful. Thousands of tennis players, of all levels, have visited and played there, and have found the system to be very fair and easy to follow.

The system operates on good will, common sense guidelines and the honor system for enforcement.

Here are the guidelines posted by the county. Also, Sarasota County's Court Courtesy code is there for your information and an explanation of the Honor System.

Finally, nowhere in life are you guaranteed success. Here, on any given day you have between 20 and 100+ tennis players, enjoying themselves, enjoying each other, and leaving happy. The system works.

Who's runs it?

The property is owned by the City of Venice and Maintained by Sarasota County. Having said that, for many years there have people who do their part to "fill in the gaps" if you will. Two people who have stepped up and helped tremendously these past few years are Bill E. and George W.

Bill would often be early to come in the morning to touch things up and to organize the sign-up sheets. Many a time, Bill would man the broom and help clean up sand or other debris after a heavy rain.

George also helps organize the sign-up system and helps with mending and replacing nets when necessary. They also assist in interfacing with the county when something needs to be brought to their attention. Both men are volunteers and everyone who plays downtown owes them, and others who give back to the community, a debt of gratitude for keeping this public court system running well.