Between me and my kids I think we take tennis at most clubs in the North Shore. We've taken…read moreprivates here with Maria Fernitz who is fabulous when it comes to teaching both kids and adults. It seems to be easier to get a court here than some of the other nearby clubs (ex: North Shore Racquet Club) and it's always pretty quiet. In fact, there's many Friday mornings (during this pandemic) where we've been lucky enough to have the club to ourselves. The billing system is a little confusing. They invoice you and if you do a semi-private lesson with a few kids they can't seem to split the cost. Sometimes they invoice me and sometimes my son's friend so there's lot of consistency. We figure it out between us, but would be great to just pay for half the lesson each week, which doesn't seem to be an issue at any other club. For example, I take a lesson at Northbrook Racquet Club with 2 other friends and they split the cost between us at the front desk. Overall, been pleased w/ their covid protocols from masks to hand sanitizer at the front. It's also an easy drive from our house in Glencoe. I haven't taken any of their classes or from any other instructors, but Maria herself is 5 stars.

Instructors here are great, especially Andrew and Daryl. My 5 year old goes here and so do I. I've…read morenever picked up a racket in my life and I must admit I'm pretty good after just 8 weeks

Very expensive, no air conditioning in the summer, and coaches that play favorites. If you have…read morekids that could potentially fit in their junior tennis program, you might get treated better. If you're a stay at home mom, with money and time to devote to their programs, you will get treated better. Otherwise, they have very average tennis coaches who will give you constant feedback on every shot you make, whether you like it or not. It's a little too intense!

This is an article on the ATP tennis tourney that comes to Nielsen once a year:…read more http://www.windycitytennis.com/2013/05/who-can-we-expect-to-see-at-this-years.html Nielsen is great...very helpful staff. They have night owl tennis once a week, normally on Thursdays.

I've been taking private group lessons with Coach Tim here over the past few years. Tim himself is…read morea phenomenal instructor who gives amazing instruction and also makes his classes super fun. I just picked up tennis during the pandemic and it's quickly become one of my favorite hobbies thanks to the instruction I've received from Tim. Tim is a great instructor for adults, but great with kids too. My 9 year old son has been taking privates with him to supplement the group classes he's doing at Karzen. He always has the best time and comes off the court an even player player than when he walked on. Like all other tennis clubs in the area lessons are pricey and there's limited court time, but seems to be priced similarly to others. I also got my racquets restrung by Mark for the first time ever and he did an amazing job (the ball was flying off my strings today!). He also got 2 racquets restrung within a few hours, which was great since my daughter wanted to use one of them to play the next day. I haven't tried their group classes yet since I have my own group of friends I like to play with and my kids are obsessed with the classes at karzen, but have heard from others that they are great. I've also heard good things about their cardio tennis class, which I hope to try soon!

We had a group of 14 or so players who played at NRC for approx 30 years, same time slot same day…read more This year they decided to give away our long standing time slot to other players, even though we paid a deposit in May to secure our Sept slot. . Just very disappointed they seem to be prioritizing short term $ over long term loyalty. Sad to see them sell out like that. 14 disappointed players and long time members now need to find alternative venue.

The new tennis courts are AMAZING! The pavement is perfect, the nets are tight, the lights are…read morefunctioning well at night!!! Oh yea and for someone that has allergies these courts do not have much pollen flying around, hence no allergy attacks, score! Oh yea, they did add a beautiful new entrance that is handicap accessible. There is a very nice playground. Clean bathrooms. Concessions are open during kid's baseball games... and there are two baseball fields here. The Parking lot is huge. The inside facilities do have some fitness classes, and during the summer I do believe that they have a day camp here still. BG Park District, you did very well with this one!

Came here with friends on a random day when we were in the mood for badminton and honestly it ended…read moreup being such a fun find. It's a pretty big indoor space with a bunch of courts it doesn't feel cramped even when it gets busy. They also have racquet rentals which were super affordable, so it's easy to just show up and play without overthinking it. The booking system is a little different though. Courts are in 20-minute increments and if another group is waiting, you might have to rotate out once your time is up. At first I thought it was kind of weird, but it actually keeps things moving and gives everyone a chance to play. The place itself is clean and well maintained, and overall the pricing is really reasonable for what you get. Definitely a solid spot if you're trying to do something active with friends without spending too much. I'd come back!

My friends and I were in the mood for some badminton and we randomly found this place /'d decided…read moreto give it a try. This is an indoor badminton space and is open all year round. It's huge, they have easily 8-10 courts. They offer racquet rentals at a reasonable price. The court booking is a bit different here. The courts can be booked for 20 mins. Any new teams that don't have courts can apply for any of the courts. Once your timer is up and a new team had bid for your court, you'd have to leave the court but you are more than welcome to grab any other court that is free. I found this a bit odd but it kinda works Overall, it's well maintained and the prices are reasonable.

My son had a birthday party at the LoVerde center and it was fantastic. The jungle gym was very…read moreclean and the birthday party room was huge. Staff did everything and were very nice. I highly recommend their parties.

I am very impressed with this Park District. Every person I have spoke to has been kind and…read moreknowledgeable. The staff has gone out of its way to help make sure we had the right time slots and explain what my kids will need on the first day. The teachers are also excellent. My kids are in the Karate and Ice Skating Classes and they are pleased as pie. What more can you ask for! Thank you for making the process painless and we look forward to seeing you every week!

The Evanston Township High School plays host to badminton players on Mondays and Wednesdays from…read more7pm to 9:30pm for a $5 entrance fee. If you're looking for a fun way to exercise during the winter, check out the open gym at ETHS for a game of badminton. No matter your skill level, there's usually partners to play with you. (I am an absolute beginner with almost zilch tennis experience, though I consider myself fairly athletic and competitive in sporting events. However, hitting a moving object with a stick, e.g. tennis, baseball, etc, is not my strong suit.) The courts are entirely devoted to badminton, so there's no worry about stray basketballs smacking you in the face when you're not looking -- a definite plus compared to other open gyms where anything goes. Some players are very serious, and unless you're a collegiate star or aspiring professional, it's better to stay away from those matches. It's still fun to watch those people play, as you stand in awe of the beauty and ferocity of the game when it is performed by players of skill, agility and power. For those of us plodding along, whiffing at the birdie and smacking shots into the net, the best way to enjoy the evening is to bring a group of four friends together. Take along rackets and a few birdies. A water bottle, too. (Drinking fountains are available in case you forget.) A line often forms for the main courts. Etiquette says you play one game to 21 and then see if another group of 4 is waiting for a turn. Their rackets will be lined up on the bleachers near the entrance to the gym. There's a secondary gym that is smaller and less ventilated -- you can usually find me there, as there's no competition for court space and you can hit your ridiculous-looking shots (or miss) and not make a fool of yourself when running around the gym picking up errant birdies. Occasionally you'll bump into someone who takes the whole affair far too seriously. He or she may even say something dumb or try to bully you and your friends. Happens in every minor sport with a dedicated following. Brush them off as you would any silly trash-talker, stand your ground when necessary. The vast majority of people are kind and welcome newcomers to the sport. After all, we're talking about badminton players, not angry arm wrestlers. You'll have a blast. Transportation tips: Free parking is a breeze across the street from the school. There's also a larger lot that is a few dozen yards farther away.

The review from josh K 2006 is quite accurate except for the part about beginners being openly…read morewelcomed. The players don't mind if beginners are out there for the first hour but you can tell that people would like them to leave so that more serious games can take the courts. The courts are typically really busy, with a waiting line to play (especially during the colder months). For this reason, the regular players would like to only see beginners taking the courts in the first hour or so. Though sometimes you might get taken under a wing and be shown some pointers by one of the advanced players. The mood seems to depend on the night and how busy the courts are. If you are somewhat good, well then you will have a real blast with the Evanston club. Most of the regulars are quite advanced.

I just love the Niles Sr. Center and their staffers. I found…read morethis gem about 5 years ago. I love the unique activities that they offer like: Floral Arranging, Cute As A Button Crafters Class, Oil Painting, Water Color Painting, Acrylic Painting, Line Dancing, Aerobics, and much much including Entertainment with Lunch, and I can't even tell you how happy I am since I have been going here. Now we have a Nutrition Class. Next store to the Sr. Center is a Gym, and a Swimming Pool the Athletic Center. Kathy S-C from Skokie, IL