The Lowcountry Tennis Association (LCTA) has been named South Carolina’s Community Tennis Association (CTA) of the Year. The CTA of the Year award is given each year by the U.S. Tennis Association in South Carolina (USTA SC).

USTA SC will present the award to LCTA at its 2023 Annual Meeting Nov. 17-19, at the Wild Dunes Tennis Center on the Isle of Palms. 

“We are proud of the work our CTAs do to grow the game of tennis across the state,” said Nan Smith, President of the USTA SC board. “We are particularly proud of the work our Lowcountry Tennis Association has done this year as one of the largest CTAs in a fast-growing community.”

LCTA runs the fourth largest local adult tennis league program in the country, behind only Atlanta, Denver and Dallas. Also, LCTA is the second largest adult league in the USTA Southern Section. USTA SC is one of nine states included in the USTA’s Southern Section.

LCTA was chosen for several additional reasons, including the following:

• 4,600 active adult players in the Charleston area.

• 16,308 player registrations in 2023, thus far.

• LCTA hosts the annual Peiffer Cup which determines the Lowcountry tennis champions in all flights. It is named after Bob Peiffer, who pioneered the original LCTA. More than 500 players participated in 2022 and more than 50 teams will participate in 2023.

• The LCTA board established a facility enhancement committee which will allocate more than $30,000 in grant funding, in 2024, to area tennis facilities and youth organizations.

• LCTA held a robust grass roots advocacy campaign in 2023, focused on local municipalities and facilities. The ongoing goal is to increase tennis court capacity and to improve tennis court conditions.

• LCTA hosts an annual social event at the Credit One Charleston Open, inviting tennis leaders and local elected officials to showcase the value of tennis in the community.

• LCTA established the annual Dee Mack Scholarship Award in honor of its long-time adult league coordinator.

“The Lowcountry Tennis Association is excited to accept the USTA South Carolina CTA of the Year Award for 2023,” said Bill Ennis, President of the LCTA Board of Directors. “I want to congratulate our board, outstanding league leaders, coordinators, facility managers and the thousands of Lowcountry tennis captains and players who represent LCTA with dedication and sportsmanship in creating such a high-quality tennis environment.”