Mystery Court of the Month — Hawaii Tennis Courts
I’ve been around Hawaii tennis courts for most of my life, and whenever I see one that I’ve never seen before, it intrigues me.
Anytime I see a Hawaii tennis court in the newspaper, magazine, or TV, I can usually figure out where it is. When I can’t figure it out, it becomes like a game or challenge to find out. So, being the tennis geek that I am, I thought it would be fun to feature this game called “Mystery Court of the Month.”
Here are two courts that have a long-storied history. I’m sure some of you played on these back in the day!
Contribute to the Hawaii Tennis Courts Mystery Court of the Month
I’m hoping you folks will contribute to future newsletters by sending a picture of a mystery Hawaii tennis court to amstringing@gmail.com. You can include a comment, personal story, or anything you would like to share. Or just the picture is fine too.
Meanwhile, if you know this court, plug its name into the comments below.
Thanks for playing!
Previous Mystery Hawaii Tennis Courts
Congratulations to Ann Nakashima, who got the correct answer in 28 minutes! Six other people guessed it after her too.
Betsy Purpura was one of them that chimed in with the correct answer. She should know since her dad, John Somerville, was the Director of Tennis there in the early ’70s.
Mauna Kea Beach Hotel’s Seaside Tennis Club has been named one of the Top 10 tennis resorts in the world, and its hallmark is the 11 courts at the ocean’s edge. The layout of the courts is beautifully terraced to provide a spectacular view of the ocean from each court.
Court #11 is my favorite court. You can view it here if you haven’t seen it.
Congratulations to Richie Sato, who got it in 3 hours! A couple other people guessed it after him.
The Maunalani Community Park is located at the top of Wilhelmina Rise in Kaimuki at 4625 Sierra Drive. This single court sits at 800+ feet elevation with a spectacular rear view of Diamond Head (pictured in the background).
I’ve never played on this court but heard it was resurfaced about 3 years ago. The “old-school” fluorescent lights work but are spotty at best.
Richie mentioned, “The best part about this court is that it’s in pretty good condition, and every time I go there, it’s open. It’s located on top of a hill, so the view is pretty good, and unlike Waialae Iki 5, it’s not windy.”
Congratulations to Jerry Cape, his second win in a row! This time he got it in only one guess, in 1 hour, 14 minutes.
The Moanalua Community Park, located at 2900 Moanalua Road, boasts three recently resurfaced courts.
As you can see, this court is about 3/4 covered by the overpass above, making this unique court the only covered court on Oahu!
It’s the only place you can play if it’s raining, although it could be problematic for the player on the Koko Head side. This court also has a couple of design flaws.
- It could be a little tricky for lob shots since they didn’t design the overpass with a tennis court in mind.
- The court’s orientation is East-West, making it hard to see because of the glare coming from the back of the baseline.
The other two courts are facing North-South, so those are more like your typical courts. It’s a nice place to play . . . one of those hidden gems on the island!
Congratulations to Jerry Cape, who named these courts at the Royal Kona Resort in only 8 guesses! I really admired his determination and effort! Thanks for being a good sport too.
Court #1 at the Royal Kona Resort. It’s on the makai side of Alii Drive, located in the heart of Kailua-Kona. Back in the day, when I was growing up there, it was called the Kona Hilton.
My friend Joni helped me by taking this Hawaii tennis court picture. Little did I know at the time that I would end up accepting the position as the Director of Tennis ten days later.
More exciting details are coming up in my next newsletter!
Congratulations to Ann Nakashima who named the court in 45 minutes!
Kuliouou Neighborhood Park is located in East Honolulu. It has two tennis courts, a playground, a basketball court, and a baseball field. It’s a nice little park tucked back in a peaceful neighborhood in the valley.
If you ever plan on hiking the Kuliouou Ridge Trail, you’ll go past the park on your way there.