August 3, 2009

Charlottesville, VA – Lee Tennis Court Products (LTCP) installed the first permanent QuickStart HAR-TRU® courts, four, at the Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville, Va. As part of LTCP’s commitment to introducing tennis players of all ages to experiencing the game on clay courts and enabling those who love to play the game, play for life, LTCP teamed up with the Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville to setup QuickStart Tennis courts for junior tennis players.

Patrick Kearns, the head tennis professional at the Farmington Country Club, shares LTCP’s philosophy around the importance of innovation, experiential learning and advocacy for the game of tennis and the industry as a whole. The Farmington Country Club and LTCP saw an opportunity to convert an existing HAR-TRU court into four QuickStart courts to allow children under the age of 10 and older seniors to play tennis on a learning and forgiving surface.

Kearns said, “Bringing young players into the game of tennis and creating an environment where they can learn to play smarter and longer are crucial to developing their immediate and long-term skills and habits.” According to Patrick, to develop the next American Player, “we have a responsibility to get kids playing on clay courts.”

Randy Futty, LTCP’s general manager, said, “We believe the best play happens on clay. When Patrick contacted us about permanently installing four 36-foot QuickStart tennis courts, we jumped at the opportunity and made sure we had the best team and equipment in place to transform one of the club’s HAR-TRU courts into four QuickStart courts.” Futty added. “We strive every day to ensure the success of our partners, customers and peers and with QuickStart we hope to promote the development of junior players.”

The format of QuickStart Tennis is tailored to six to 10 year olds to get them into the game of tennis. The QuickStart equipment and accessories, shorter court dimensions and modified scoring are designed for an engaging, exciting and fun experiential way to learn the game of tennis. Kearns said, “Learning through experiences is the best way to motivate and teach children about tennis and its endless benefits.”

Pat Hanssen, LTCP’s director of sales, noted, “Patrick’s unmatched commitment towards developing the game is admirable.” Hanssen added. “He’s a visionary in his thinking and willing to try new things to advance the industry.”

The Farmington Country Club plans to hold QuickStart Tennis tournaments throughout the remainder of the year. The Club’s goal is to get children on the newly renovated HAR-TRU QuickStart courts as is LTCP’s mission to continue introducing clay court enthusiasts and those who love tennis to our sliding surfaces.

About Lee Tennis Court Products:

An affiliate of Luck Stone Corporation, LEE Tennis has played a vital role in the development of the HAR-TRU tennis court. Having 40,000 HAR-TRU courts, Lee Tennis has been the mainstay on the clay court business in North America since 1964. Lee Tennis’ dedication to quality and refinement has made LEE's HAR-TRU surfacing the number one selling clay type surfacing material. To support surfacing, Lee Tennis manufactures a full line of quality maintenance equipment and accessories, and provides expert technical consulting and customer support. Lee Tennis is represented by some of the leading tennis real property contractors in the U.S., and its products are sold in many countries around the world. 

About Luck Stone Corporation:

Luck Stone Corporation is one of the largest private, family-owned and operated aggregates suppliers in the U.S. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, Luck Stone is one of the largest producer of crushed stone in the nation. It operates more than 15 crushed stone plants in Virginia and North Carolina, 6 architectural stone centers as part of the Charles Luck Stone Center. The company’s real estate arm, Luck Development Partners, strives to develop real estate that is community- and environmentally-friendly. Luck Stone also owns Lee Tennis Court Products, the maker of HAR-TRU®, the world’s most popular type of clay tennis court and a leading supplier of court accessories. Luck Stone is committed to environmental stewardship and community involvement and has been recognized nationally for its conservation and community relations programs. Please visit www.luckstone.com for more information.