The luxurious up-and-coming Eagle Tennis Club prepares to change the Treasure Valley’s tennis community
By Becky Davis
Photography by Nena Earl
With the Treasure Valley still abuzz over The Davis Cup being played in Boise this past April, tennis players across the Valley are gearing up for the opening of the community’s brand new tennis facility, the Eagle Tennis Club. Slated for the south corner of Edgewood Drive and Highway 44, the Eagle Tennis Club plans to break ground this summer and hold its grand opening in the spring of 2014.
The Eagle Tennis Club will include six indoor and six outdoor courts through the first phase of development, including two clay courts. The next phase will add another six outdoor courts for a grand total of 24 courts for the facility. In addition to the courts, the club will also offer a full spa, fitness classes, and a restaurant within the facility, as well as childcare, a sand volleyball court, and a stadium tennis court.
Eagle resident and avid tennis player Kara Hoge started looking into the idea of bringing a tennis club to the northwest side of the Treasure Valley in 2009. She thought hustle and bustle of traffic at the corner of Edgewood Drive and Highway 44 had great potential, and so the decision was made and she quickly purchased the land.
Now, Hoge and White-Leasure Development Company own a combined total of 15 acres for the project. They are also in talks with an undisclosed national chain restaurant, a retail chain, and a hotel in hopes of bringing them onto the property as well.
This new tennis development doesn’t come without a need. According to the United States Tennis Association (USTA), the greater Boise area has one of the highest per-capita rates of participation in adult tournaments and leagues. And, following the success of the Davis Cup being held in Boise, having Eagle Tennis Club in the Valley could generate more international tournaments being hosted in our neck of the woods, especially with a stadium court and a hotel for players. “We are hoping that we will bring in some national tournaments, hopefully next summer,” Hoge said. “We’re excited.”
But tournament play isn’t Hoge’s only goal in opening the Eagle Tennis Club. By providing childcare in the tennis facility, Hoge hopes to keep Eagle Tennis Club very family oriented and stresses the importance of a strong junior member program. “Along with the childcare,” Hoge says, “we’re going to have a ton of kids tennis programs and non-tennis programs just for kids so that families can come and go play tennis and not worry.” Hoge plans on having constant junior tournaments, including a traveling team, to keep young players active, involved, and having fun.
Alongside the childcare program, the facility will also provide a luxury atmosphere, allowing members to indulge in massages and manicures, as well as the services of an on staff chiropractor and physical therapist, and the professional services of tennis directors.
With all of the extravagant amenities, Hoge aspires for a “stay and play, eat, have a manicure, whatever you want” feel to the club. “My goal is to bring tennis players, non-tennis players and families together to a place where they can stay and play all day,” Hoge said. “I want people to come and feel like they just walked into a resort and they’re going to be treated like a queen or king.”
But the question on many tennis players’ minds is who Hoge find to act as the tennis instructors for Eagle Tennis Club – especially at the caliber club members will demand? Hoge reports that, “a nationwide search has begun for instructors and will continue” until the best-qualified candidates are recruited.
Membership to the Eagle Tennis Club will range from a basic tennis membership, fitness only, and a family membership, which will include childcare. Non-members will be able to walk in and use the amenities as well, but at a premium. Pre-membership sales have already begun and provide future members a substantial amount of savings for those interested.
To learn more about Eagle Tennis Club and pre-membership options, visit www.eagletennisclub.com for more information.
