W
hile some PD members were away in NYC for the 
U.S. Open, a big show of players and spectators 
turned out for mixed drinks, hors d’ oeuvres, and 
a 90-minute, all-pro exhibition with Colin and pros from 
Wichita, Kansas, and Oregon.
Dale Snell said the weekend is a poster for how the Prairie 
Dunes board of directors values tennis and wants to sustain 
the great momentum the program has. “This gives members,” 
he says, “another outlet for participating athletically and 
socially at the Club. It’s a year-round sport with year-round 
courts. You get great exercise and a full-body workout without 
even noticing it’s happening. Tennis players are said to live a 
full decade longer than the general population. If I recall, Alan 
Greenspan wrote that in one of his books, but you’d have to 
look that up. 
“Too few people appreciate how great a social thing tennis 
can be,” Snell adds. “It’s fantastic. You get the benefits of 
playing, or dressing up and watching, or doing both because 
of our indoor tennis courts.”
Laura Bechtel agrees. “The Club is doing a nice job of building 
an adult tennis program. We can choose from different clinics 
that are welcoming for all levels — beginner, intermediate, or 
experienced — and different skills. There’s a big turnout for 
cardio tennis. And I participate in the doubles tennis league. 
It’s a good way to meet new people, get more members out 
on the court, and get in more match play.”
S E C O N D
BIG TENNIS
WEEKEND
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