The Racket Club

What The Racket Club does

The Racket Club is a recreational tennis and racket sports facility located at 9101 South Route 31 in Algonquin, Illinois, operated by the Crystal Lake Park District. It bills itself as McHenry County's original and largest indoor/outdoor racket sports facility, with a physical footprint of 9 cushioned indoor hard courts (3 of which are lined for pickleball), 4 outdoor hard courts, 3 outdoor clay courts, a practice court with a ball machine, a pro shop, lounge and viewing areas, and locker rooms. The facility operates year-round, with extended hours during the September-May indoor season and reduced hours in summer.

The company's core offerings span private and group tennis lessons, court time rentals (open and permanent), competitive leagues including USTA and NITTL travel teams, sanctioned tournaments, junior development programs, pickleball programming, corporate memberships, and a pro shop with same-day/next-day stringing services. It employs 19 named teaching professionals with USPTA and PTR certifications, led by Tennis Director Cam Laktash and Director of Tennis Conni Stinek, and Club Manager Rob Laue handles operations. The Herrick-Thomas Memorial Foundation, named after founders Walt Herrick Sr. and Jack Thomas, provides tennis scholarships for junior players.

The Racket Club generates revenue through a multi-stream model including hourly court rentals ($24-26/hour), monthly membership fees, private lessons ($42.50-89), pro shop retail, corporate group memberships, banner advertising ($400/year), tournament entry fees ($29-39), and a $25/month flexible play add-on. Pricing is tiered by residency status, with Crystal Lake Park District residents receiving discounted rates. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via a physical facility, phone reservations, and WebTrac online registration, supplemented by community engagement through USTA tournament listings, digital brochures, and a Telegram channel for match-partner finding. In 2022-2024, the facilities underwent a complete outdoor court renovation with a new ProBounce surface, reopening in spring 2024.

Name

The Racket Club

Legal name

The Racket Club

Website

https://theracketclub.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1900

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Racket Club is a government-operated indoor and outdoor tennis and pickleball facility in Algonquin, Illinois, serving McHenry County residents with court rentals, private and group lessons, USTA tournaments, competitive leagues, junior development programs, and a pro shop with stringing services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recreational Tennis Facility Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Tennis & Racquet Sports Clubs (Tennis, Padel, Pickleball, Squash) (MPAKABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tennis & Racquet Sports Facilities (MPAKAEAE), Tennis Equipment & Accessories Retail (CRAMAFAA), Racquet Stringing, Grips & Customization Supplies Retail (CRAMAFAF)

Keywords

• Indoor tennis facility
• Tennis instruction services
• Recreational sports programming
• Court time rentals
• Competitive tennis leagues

Headquarters

HQ city

Algonquin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Court Time Rental: Hourly rental fees for open court time and permanent court time reservations. Open court time at $26/hour, permanent court time at $24/hour.
2. Membership Fees: Monthly membership fees providing access to facilities, classes, and discounted rates on court time and lessons.
3. Private Lessons: Half-hour and one-hour private lessons priced at $42.50-$89 depending on residency status. Every sixth lesson free.
4. Pro Shop Sales: Sales of tennis clothes, shoes, rackets, and accessories. Stringing services provided quickly and affordably, next day if needed.
5. Corporate Memberships: Group memberships for businesses starting with as few as 3 employees at economical rates.
6. Advertising: Banner advertising at $400/year for visibility in front of facility visitors.
7. Flexible Play Add-on: $25/month add-on for flexible play during off-peak hours (Monday-Friday, 7:30am-1pm).
8. Tournament Fees: Entry fees for tournaments like The Classic - $39 for singles, $29 for doubles.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Racket Club operates a year-round indoor and outdoor tennis and racket sports facility offering court time rentals (open and permanent), private and group tennis lessons for all ages, competitive leagues, USTA-sanctioned tournaments, pickleball programming on dedicated courts, and a pro shop with racquet stringing services. Programs are available across age groups from 5-7 through adult, with USPTA/PTR certified professional staff delivering instruction.

Product overview

The Racket Club is a tennis facility offering a comprehensive range of tennis and racket sports programs. The core offerings include tennis lessons (private and group), court time rentals, competitive leagues, tournaments, and pickleball. The facility provides year-round access to indoor and outdoor courts with a full pro shop and stringing services. Additional programs include a Junior Development Program (invitation-only), corporate memberships, and the Herrick-Thomas Memorial Foundation scholarship program for junior players.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Court Time Rentals Hourly rental of indoor and outdoor tennis courts with open play ($26/hour, reservable one week in advance by members, one day in advance by non-members) and permanent court time ($24/hour, recurring weekly slot during indoor and summer seasons). Billed in six installments for the indoor season permanent time.
• Tennis Lessons Group and private tennis lessons for all ages (5-7 through adults) and skill levels, delivered by USPTA/PTR certified professional staff. Private lessons priced at $42.50-$44.50 per half-hour and $85-$89 per hour, with every sixth lesson free.
• Junior Development Program (JDP) Invitation-only advanced training program for junior players who have demonstrated uncommon commitment, ability, and potential, overseen by Tennis Director Cam Laktash. Provides an elite pathway toward collegiate tennis.
• Competitive Leagues Competitive tennis leagues including USTA leagues, NITTL Ladies Club Travel Tennis teams, and high school programs. Provides structured competitive play for club members.
• USTA Tournaments (The Classic) USTA-sanctioned tournaments including the annual Classic event featuring singles ($39 entry) and doubles ($29 entry) divisions across all ages, genders, and ability levels. Registered through playtennis.usta.com.
• Pickleball Programs Dedicated pickleball programming including lessons and leagues, played on 3 indoor courts lined for pickleball and a practice court with pickleball lines.
• Pro Shop & Stringing Services Retail pro shop selling tennis clothes, shoes, racquets, and accessories, with next-day racquet stringing service and grip replacement.
• Corporate Memberships

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NITTL (Northern Illinois Travel Tennis League)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNITTL Ladies Club Travel Tennis teams operate through The Racket Club. League schedule and standings available through nittl.com. Partnership provides competitive travel tennis opportunities for club members.
• Crystal Lake Park DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Racket Club is part of the Crystal Lake Park District. Contact email is [email protected]. Club Manager Rob Laue serves as the contact. The district provides administrative support and facilities management.
• Herrick-Thomas Memorial FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScholarship foundation established in honor of The Racket Club founders Walt Herrick Sr. and Jack Thomas. Provides tennis instructional scholarships for deserving junior players. Donations accepted via PayPal.
• Summer Golf n' Tennis CampminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-branded summer camp program combining golf and tennis instruction for youth participants.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SPORTIME: Large multi-club tennis operator with comprehensive programming including junior development, lessons, leagues, and tournaments in a multi-facility model similar to The Racket Club's programming breadth.
• Lakeshore Sport & Fitness: Chicago-area multi-sport club offering tennis and other racquet sports with lessons, leagues, and family programming similar to The Racket Club's regional market position.
• East Bank Club: Chicago-based private athletic club offering tennis and racquet sports programming alongside other fitness amenities, serving a similar affluent Chicago-area demographic.
• Midtown Tennis Club: Premier Chicago-area tennis club offering similar indoor/outdoor court facilities, lessons, leagues, and tournament programming in a comparable urban-suburban market to The Racket Club.
• Five Seasons Family Sports Club: Midwest-based racquet sports and fitness club offering tennis, pickleball, and lessons with multi-sport programming directly comparable to The Racket Club's offering.
• Cliff Drysdale Tennis: Tennis club management company operating multiple facilities with lessons, leagues, and tournaments—a directly comparable business model focused on racquet sports programming.
• Universal Tennis: Tennis organization with strong junior development focus and competitive league/rating infrastructure (UTR), comparable to The Racket Club's Junior Development Program and competitive tournament offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Life Time: National fitness chain operating extensive tennis facilities, lessons, and leagues across multiple locations—broader portfolio than The Racket Club but with significant overlapping racquet sports programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theracketclubcl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Racket Club