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Tennis

Serving Up Year-Round Fun in a First-Class Complex

At Greenville Country Club, our tennis program is unparalleled, serving players of all ages and levels of expertise. With our first-class, 17-court complex, teaching pros, local tournaments, associations and program affiliations, Greenville Country Club is the best place around to hit the court.

The tennis program at Greenville Country Club has produced world-class players competing on professional levels including Robert Galloway, Grover (Raz) Reid and Nancy Furman. Though the facilities have changed through the years, as have names and faces, Greenville Country Club Tennis remains a standard bearer in the industry.

Accolades & Amenities

  • Fourteen Har-Tru Clay Courts, two Hard Courts lined with four Pickleball courts, and one Clay-Tech court
  • Five full-time teaching professionals and two part-time teaching professionals
  • Ladies’ and men’s tennis associations (250+ active ladies, 100+ active men)
  • Organized tennis clinics and private lessons for all levels
  • 50+ teams that participate in USTA League tennis annually at the local, state, sectional (Southern) and national levels
  • Host of the USTA National Level 3 Annual Carolinas’ Cup Father-Son Tournament, which brings in the best players from all over the country
  • 2021 Tournament of the Year – Father-Son Tournament

Outstanding League Tennis Facility

Recognized by the USTA

Recognized by the USTA in 2021 for Tournament of the Year – Father-Son Tournament, 2018 for Junior Tournament of the Year, 2014 for Outstanding League Tennis Facility and 2013 for Greenville Junior Tennis League Facility of the Year, the first-class, 17-court complex serves as a centerpiece for the Club with active ladies’ and men’s associations and 40+ teams participating in USTA League tennis annually at the local, state, sectional (Southern) and national levels. The facility also offers members a tennis pro shop featuring a diverse and popular selection of tennis and pickleball equipment and apparel.

Instructional Staff of Experts

Top-Notch Tennis Professionals

Through the leadership of Greenville Country Club head professionals including our first Rich Ritzenberg followed by Czechoslovakian Davis Cup player and Wimbledon finalist Vladimir Cernik, to greats such as Paul Scarpa, Bobby Brien, Wilton McKinney, David Holly and current Director of Tennis Robb Thompson (USTA Tennis Professional of the Year, 2019), Greenville Country Club Tennis has taught hundreds, perhaps thousands of players on the courts. With more than five tennis teaching professionals, Greenville Country Club offers organized clinics and private lessons for all levels.

Instructional Staff of Experts

USTA Professionals

At Greenville Counrty Club, our tennis professionals are eager and more than qualified to help you improve your game.

  • Robb Thompson
    • Director of Tennis
      A native of Myrtle Beach, Robb Thompson played tennis at Limestone College after playing tennis for Socastee High School, earning placement into the Hall of Fame at each. A two-time SC Pro of the Year, Robb is USPTR certified and has won 36 State Championships in South Carolina. In addition to his personal successes, Robb has served on the S.C. Tennis Board for four years, and as chairperson of the South Carolina Junior Competition for eight years. He has been at Greenville Country Club for 28 years.

      Book a lesson or clinic with Robb at 864-205-1809

  • Molly Stefka
    • Assistant Director of Tennis
      Originally from Dublin, Ohio, Molly Stefka began her career at GCC in 2013 as an accounting intern, after graduating from Winthrop University in 2015 with a business administration degree. She was the hired as Tennis Pro Shop Manager before being promoted to Assistant Director of Tennis. During her tenure, Molly was recognized by USTA SC for 2021 Tournament of the Year – Father-Son Tournament, Junior Tournament of the Year (2018). She currently Serves on USTA UPTA Board.

  • Lester Herbert
    • Head Tennis Professional
      Lester Herbert has been at Greenville Country Club for 22 years, serving as a Head Tennis Professional. Born in Charleston, SC, he played for Coastal Carolina, and was ranked #32 in the nation in men’s open and #5 in men’s doubles in 1982, and played the USTA Pro Circuit’s 1983 Hawaiian Segment. Prior to coming to GCC, Lester served in lead professional positions with Wild Dunes Resort in Isle of Palms, the Shipyard Racquet Club in Hilton Head, and the Cherokee Country Club in Knoxville, Tennessee.

      Book a lesson or clinic with Lester at864-230-8729

  • Pratik Shrivastava
    • Director of Junior Tennis
      Originally from India, Pratik Shrivastava has worked at Greenville Country Club for 13 years, after serving as Director of Tennis at Keowee Key Racquet and Fitness Center. He attended Erskine College on a full tennis Scholarship, where he was nationally ranked in singles over all four years of his career, then inducted into the Erskine College Athletic Hall of Fame for Tennis. In addition to this prestigious career, Pratik is nationally ranked #24 for singles in NCAA rankings (May 2001), holds a Top 10 junior singles ranking in India for 18 and under age group, and participated in professional challenger level tournaments and ITF junior world ranking tournaments in America, India and Southeast Asia. He is USPTR certified.

      Book a lesson or clinic with Pratik at 864-353-0358

  • Warren Bray
    • Tennis Professional
      Warren Bray has been on the Greenville Country Club Tennis staff for over 21 years, and is USPTR certified. Born and raised in Greenville, he attended Erskine College on a cross country and tennis scholarship. In his spare time, Warren enjoys spending time with family and watching sports.

      Book a lesson or clinic with Warren at 864-360-2423

  • Haley Rush
    • Associate Tennis Professional
      Originally from Cary, N.C., Haley Rush played one year at Presbyterian College, then transferred to Erskine College where she played for three years. Certified in cardio tennis, Haley started working in the GCC Pro Shop in 2016 and slowly transitioned to a full-time teaching pro. She is now PTR certified.

      Book a lesson or clinic with Haley at 864-918-1993

  • Lauren Allen
    •  

      Tennis Professional

      Lauren joined GCC tennis as a part-time teaching professional in 2022. Lauren grew up at GCC, played tennis at CCES, and played club tennis at Furman University.

      Book a lesson or clinic with Lauren at 864-326-6336 

Junior Tennis Program

One of South Carolina’s Top-Ranked

Greenville Country Club is dedicated to providing a high-quality, comprehensive Junior Tennis program for all ages, levels and abilities for its members. Our junior tennis program includes more than 250 active juniors and is a combination of instructional, competitive, and social play - set in a fun, family environment.