In The Swing/ Bay Tennis & Fitness

March 9, 2008

When Tom Behan and his family purchased the former Polar Bear Ice Arena, located between Petoskey and Harbor Springs, their intent was to turn it into a professional building. Once local tennis buffs found out, the pressure to bring back a tennis facility to Northern Michigan was overwhelming. In November 2006, Bay Tennis and Fitness opened its doors.
With input from wife, Mary Jo, and children, Tom II and Julie, Behan led the building’s remodeling effort, in which no expense was spared.
“We decided to build the highest quality facility that could be built today, anywhere in the United States,” says Behan. “From the nets to the surface to the insulation to the lighting to even the types of paint that we used, we used the highest quality product that we could possibly find and we built the facility to last for a long, long time.”
The 10,000 square foot facility was completely gutted and top-quality tennis courts recognized by the U.S. Open were installed, as well as special lighting that’s 35 percent brighter than in standard facilities.

THE BEST IN FITNESS
Fitness options include five indoor U.S. Open cushioned Deco Turf tennis courts, four outdoor deluxe Har Tru clay courts, two racquetball courts easily converted for walleyball, an upper deck tennis viewing area with kitchen amenities for tennis league get-togethers, a variety of specialty fitness programs, and a two-level fitness room with top-quality machines by Cybex, Precor, Stairmaster, FreeMotion and Ivanco.
“We put in the finest equipment that there is made anywhere in the world,” admits Behan. “Call it overboard, but we’re really glad we did. It’s highly adjustable – this will fit somebody that’s six foot eight.”
The upper level is home to the cardio machines – all with flat-screen TVs and 70 channels – massage and tanning rooms, as well as the group fitness studio.
“All our equipment is equipped with what we call a ‘Quick Start’ button, so pretty much anyone, even with no instruction, can come up, get on the machine, press that button and it walks you right through any program that they want to use,” explains Behan.
Equipment comes standard with hand sensors to measure heart-rates, but for those who wish to work out hands-free, the purchase of a heart-rate monitor – also sold at the club – is recommended.
“We put in first-class equipment, then we decided to bring in the best staff that we could find….people that really know what they’re doing,” says Behan, happily disclosing that most of his nearly 30 dedicated, high-quality employees are from the local area.

TENNIS – EVEN IN WINTER
Bay Tennis and Fitness employs three full-time tennis pros and schedules plenty of programming – even in the winter – to satisfy any tennis enthusiast.
“Our programs in tennis, they start at four years old and go up to 94 years old,” says Behan. From winter tennis leagues, to drills, clinics and lessons for all ages, the desire to learn and have fun is all you need. Join up for singles, doubles or ball machine drills, as well as cardio tennis workouts, no tennis experience necessary. Advanced players will enjoy competition matches and league play.
For those wanting private instruction, tennis professionals Doug Dickinson, Denny Green and Jason Walsh are always available by appointment.
Members and guests will be impressed with the facility’s attention to detail. A welcoming front desk and seating area greets visitors, along with a juice bar offering morning treats, as well as soup and sandwiches from Toski-Sands market each day.
Wood-toned locker rooms offer lounge seating, private showers, as well as complimentary towels, razors, soaps, shampoos and hair dryers. Two outdoor Jacuzzis are accessible from both locker rooms, year-round.
On-site babysitting, professional massage services and a Del Ray tanning bed are offered by appointment, and a well-stocked pro shop is filled with clothing, tennis, racquetball and biking gear. Racket stringing services are also available.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PROGRAMS
“From the day we opened, it’s been nothing but non-stop program building,” says Behan. “When we started, we only had a spinning class, two aerobics classes, cardio-tennis and that was it. We run over 55 programs a week here, right now… from clinics to drills to classes to yoga to spinning.”
At 9 a.m. on a Monday, the parking lot was full, but the facility looked nearly empty. A peek in the packed fitness studios – spinning and cardio combo – and it was evident where people were hiding.
Group fitness classes such as STOTT Pilates, adult jazz and hip-hop, stretching and cardio are set by the month and are complemented by personal training overseen by Fitness Director Glenn Stark.
“When someone joins here or renews their (yearly) membership, they get three free personal training sessions, automatic,” says Behan.
Although the facility is membership-driven – there are two member appreciation parties each year – it is open to everyone. With member and non-member rates, as well as pricing based on age, there’s a program and plan for everyone.
Bay Tennis & Fitness is located at 611 Woodview Dr., Harbor Springs (directly behind Little Traverse Primary Care on M-119/Harbor-Petoskey Rd.) and can be reached at 231-487-1713. Hours of operation are Monday-Thursday, 5 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday, 5 a.m.-9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. For more information and class a schedule, visit their website at:
www.baytennisandfitness.com.