FAQ
Do I need to belong to a club to take tennis lessons in the Hamptons?
No. Montauk Downs State Park rents its six Har-Tru courts to anyone at $44 an hour ($24 for members) from mid-May to October; the Village of Southampton sells a court permit at $25 (individual) or $75 (family); Sag Harbor’s Mashashimuet Park, 8 clay and 2 hard courts, is a nonprofit’s public facility with lessons, clinics and a camp; Ross School Tennis Center’s six Hydro Har-Tru courts are open to the public and under a bubble in winter, with private lessons at $175–190; SPORTIME Amagansett sells non-members clinics, camps and private instruction with a surcharge; and the East Hampton Tennis Club teaches non-members. The Town of East Hampton’s public courts in Springs, Amagansett and Montauk post a rule against unauthorised commercial activity, so a paid lesson there needs the Recreation Department’s say-so. A coach with a court of their own is the other answer.
Last updated · Reviewed by Hamptons Ace Tennis
The public courts
The Hamptons has more public tennis than its reputation suggests, and most of it is reachable without a membership.
| Court | Who runs it | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montauk Downs State Park | New York State Parks; the Montauk Tennis Club under contract | $44 an hour; $24 for members | 6 Har-Tru courts; mid-May to October; 8 a.m.–7 p.m. Memorial Day to Labor Day |
| Village of Southampton courts | Village Parks Department | $25 individual, $75 family permit; $150 refundable key-fob deposit | the permit form (Village Code §101-3) says nothing about paid instruction — ask |
| Mashashimuet Park, Sag Harbor | Parks and Recreation Association of Sag Harbor, a nonprofit; operated as Sag Harbor Tennis | not published | 8 Har-Tru, 2 hard; lessons, clinics, camp, junior programmes on site |
| Town of East Hampton courts | Town Recreation Department | not published | Springs (3), Amagansett (2 + 2 on Abrahams Path), Montauk (2); “no unauthorised commercial activity”; one hour when others wait |
| Herrick Park, East Hampton Village | Village of East Hampton | not published | 3 new courts from the park’s first renovation phase |
| Ross School Tennis Center | Ross School | private lessons $175 weekday, $190 weekend | 6 Hydro Har-Tru courts open to the public; bubble mid-fall to mid-spring |
Bridgehampton, Water Mill, Wainscott and Sagaponack have no public court that any source names; their families drive to the nearest of the above.
The clubs, for non-members
SPORTIME Amagansett (33 Har-Tru courts, mid-April to early November) restricts social and competitive play to members and guests but sells clinics, camps, private instruction and special events to non-members with a surcharge. The East Hampton Tennis Club (15 Har-Tru courts on Montauk Highway) advertises lessons for members and non-members. The Montauk Yacht Club’s racquet center lets the public book 48 hours ahead. Southampton Racquet Club’s camps include a complimentary membership.
The memberships, if you want one
Hampton Racquet: $3,000+ individual, $6,000+ family for the 2026 summer. Southampton Racquet Club: from $2,547.13 individual, $3,770.11 couple, $4,321.84 family. SPORTIME: a seasonal fee for unlimited court time. The Meadow Club and the Maidstone are private in the older sense, and publish nothing.
The coach’s court
Some coaches have a court, their own or a club’s that they can book, and the question of membership disappears into the rate. When you tell us where you are based and whether you have a court, that is the first thing we sort out; the coach we send you to arrives with a court in hand or teaches on yours.
Services
Related services
Private & Semi-Private Lessons
One-on-one and two-player lessons with a certified coach: the $175–190 Hamptons rate one club publishes, New York and national ranges, where to play without a court, and what RSPA certification means.
Family Lessons
One coach, one court, the whole family: the permits and memberships priced for families, the season, and how a coach runs an hour for three levels at once.
Adult Lessons & Cardio Tennis
Adult privates, beginner series, Live Ball and Cardio Tennis: what the clubs run from beginner to 4.0-plus, what a lesson and a membership cost in 2026, and how to get back on court without a club.
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