Belton Tennis Association - The Rex Maynard Belton Tennis Center

Belton Tennis Association BTA operates the 5-court Rex Maynard Belton Tennis Center, provides programming & hosts tournaments.

Belton...the Tennis Capital of South Carolina!

Tennis in Belton can be traced back over 130 years, according to a news item appearing in the Anderson Intelligencer in 1892. "The young men of our town are happy. The stores are closed at 6:00, and the clerks have an opportunity of engaging in lawn tennis." Since then, tennis has been a vital and unique part of Belton's history.

The first court was located in the triangle formed by the railroad tracks near the location of the present depot, and later the famous old Town Court stood where the present battery of five courts is located today. As the popularity of the game increased, private courts began to spring up to relieve congestion. By the mid-1940's there were nine private courts located in and around Belton.

Tennis really began to catch on during the time between the two world wars. The number of local players vastly increased, and Belton's youth cominated play, producing many state high school campions. During one 14-year stretch the high school girls team did not lose a match.

Following World War II the Belton Tennis Club was organized and received its official charter from the state in 1954. More effort and attention were given to planning and programming and numerous local leaders became more involved. The Town Plaza, an area which included two courts, was deeded to the club and the First Baptist Church. The club raised $10,000 from local donations and built a third court. The first Palmetto Championships was played August 12-17, 1957 using the three town courts and three private courts. Sixty-Seven years later the tournament is still hosted by the Belton Tennis Association using over 50 courts in Belton, Anderson and Clemson.

The South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame was added in the Belton Depot in 1983, cementing the town's legacy as "The Tennis Capital of South Carolina." Five people with Belton ties are Hall of Fame inductees: Janie Haynie Hentz, Jim Russell, Fluffy Rice, Rex Maynard and Max Grubbs. Many others (too numerous to name) are not Hall of Fame inductees, but were outstanding players who won local, state (including 33 singles titles at the Palmetto Championships), sectional and national championships.

BTA

The Belton Tennis Association was established in 1954 and operates the 5-court Rex Maynard Belton Tennis Center, a privately funded facility open to the public for free play day or night. BTA is a 501-c-3 non-profit organization  and a registered USTA Community Tennis Association. Much of BTA's budget is funded by contributions, which are tax deductible. Belton is known as the "Tennis Capital of South Carolina" and has hosted the Palmetto Championships, the state's largest junior tournament, since 1957. BTA hosts numerous tournaments during the year for junior and high school playeres, college players and special athletes. A PTR certified teaching professional, Jonathan Rice, is on site and available for clinics and lessons.

Coming up:

  • Special Populations Unified Doubles (SPUD)-July 21-22
  • Tennis & Art (TART) Camp-9:00 to 11:00 July 31-August 2 9:00 to 11:00 for children ages 4 and up
  • Tennis 101 Children's Introductory Clinics-9:00 on Saturdays, August 5 through September 9
  • Fall teaching and clinic schedule starts August 7 (see Instruction for more details)
  • BHP Girl's high school season starts August 9 and continues through October
  • Hall of Fame Classic girl's high school tournament September 30 and October 1

 

Clinics and lessons are available from Director of Tennis Jonathan Rice. Click on "Instruction" at the top of the page, then the subtitles at the top of the next page for more detailed information on:

  • Junior Clinics
  • Adult Clinics
  • One on One Lessons and Clinics

Jonathan Rice-864-328-8097 or jrice.tennis@yahoo.com

Mailing Address:  Belton Tennis Association, PO Box 274, Belton, SC 29627

Physical Address:  Rex Maynard Belton Tennis Center, 104 Brown Avenue, Belton, SC 29627


Our Partners

Chick-fil-A of Anderson
South State Bank
Dunlop