The Long Story ...

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Tennis’s wild growth spurt in the 1970s and ‘80s generated countless player interest groups, including ones where singles could meet.  

Some Bay Area tennis groups, like the large one affiliated with the Apres Ski Club, stressed the social, welcoming all comers regardless of skill level.​ Two groups took a different tack. Bay Area Tennis Singles and the Peninsula Tennis Singles Association focused on tennis quality as well as the social aspect. Both required an NTRP rating of at least 3.0 and membership approval to join. Today’s Bay Area Tennis Society grew from the pre-1990 merger of those two clubs. The combined clubs became Bay Area Tennis Singles, or BATS. At its height, the club had more than 100 members. One of the club rules was that people who met in the club and later married had to resign. Over time, as member needs and demographics shifted, BATS relaxed its player requirements and its singles-only rule. In 2016, the club officially confirmed the shift by changing its name to Bay Area Tennis Society. ​

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Current life members who were long-time board members include: Dan Andker (social chair), Judi Gentry (president), Tom Gregory (social chair), Dick Kiehl (tournaments), Marshall Kroot (treasurer).