Henrí St. Croix
Former ATP No. 214
Coached 22 years
“You do not win a point with the shot you hit. You win it with the shot you chose.”
Henrí.
Baseline Tennis Academy
Volume XXIX · Spring Programme
An academy,
first.
A club, by
consequence.
The game is older than we are. So are the habits we teach. For fifty-eight years Baseline has trained juniors, finished adults, and quietly kept the lines straight on twelve courts.
“The backhand, unhurried.”
1967
12
188
34
The Club
On the origin of
a baseline.
The baseline is the briefest shot in tennis and the most argued over. A ball struck before the bounce. A meeting, mid-air, of intention and arrival. Our founder, Arthur Beresford — a Cornell man and an insufferable perfectionist — insisted the word also describe the club itself.
Fifty-eight springs later, the rhythm has not changed. Eight clay courts, three hard, one grass kept for finals. A junior draw that begins in March and ends, as it always has, on the afternoon of the last Saturday in May. We are, perhaps stubbornly, the same club we were in the year of our founding — only, we hope, slightly better.
“A club is a long conversation. Our members are the voices.”
Programmes
The season, in six chapters.
Junior Academy
Year-round stroke development, footwork ladders, and match play under the supervision of our head pro. Four tiers, progression by evaluation.
$3,240 / season
Adult Clinic
Tuesday and Thursday mornings on Court 4. A structured clinic led by two pros — drilling, live ball, and a finishing set of doubles.
$640 / eight weeks
Private Coaching
One hour in the company of a dedicated coach. A written progress note is delivered the evening after each lesson.
$145 / hour
Tournament Track
For players competing in USTA sectionals. Videotaped match review, periodization planning, and travel-tournament guidance.
$4,800 / year
Masters League
A weekday doubles league for the seasoned player. Ladder-style scoring, an honorary captain, and a ceremonial dinner in May.
$420 / season
Friday Mixer
Round-robin doubles at 6pm. Lemonade on the veranda, a single bell to end the evening. Whites are not required but are admired.
$18 / evening
The Courts
Twelve courts,
three surfaces.
Our eight har-tru courts are rolled twice weekly by a groundskeeper who has tended them since 1989. The hard courts were resurfaced last August; the grass, kept for a single Saturday each year, remains untouched between finals.
Open 6 a.m. – 10 p.m. · Lights on 8 courts
Har-Tru Clay
8
Nos. 1 – 8, gently crowned, rolled twice weekly
Hard Court
3
Nos. 9 – 11, Plexipave cushion, resurfaced 2024
Grass (Demonstration)
1
Court 12, rye and fescue, played on Finals Day only
The Coaches
Five pros. One rhythm.
Margaret Ansell
Former WTA No. 188
Coached 15 years
“Teach the recovery step first. The forehand can wait a week.”
Margaret.
Teodoro Vieri
ITF Senior No. 12
Coached 19 years
“Clay is an argument, not a surface. You learn to keep talking.”
Teodoro.
Sylvie Henault
Former WTA Doubles No. 96
Coached 11 years
“Doubles is the polite cousin of chess. Play it as such.”
Sylvie.
Ronan McAlister
ITF Futures Finalist
Coached 8 years
“Preparation is the only form of courage you can practice.”
Ronan.
Results · Academy Team
Spring record.
Season: 17 W · 6 L · 1 T
Greenleaf Racquet Club
W · 5–2
Henley, M. — 6-3, 6-4
Oakmont Lawn & Tennis
W · 4–3
Chen, L. — 7-6, 6-2
Harborside CC
L · 3–4
Ansel, J. — 6-1, 6-0
Ridgeway Academy
W · 6–1
Pareja, D. — 6-4, 6-3
The Beacon Club
W · 5–2
Whitford, K. — 6-2, 7-5
St. James Country Club
T · 3–3
Henley, M. — 4-6, 7-6, 5-4 susp.
The Draw
The junior bracket.
(1)
Henley, M.(2)
Okafor, D.(3)
Liu, A.(4)
Whitford, K.(5)
Pareja, D.(6)
Ansel, J.(7)
Chen, L.(8)
Arnaud, S.Henley, M.
Whitford, K.
Pareja, D.
Chen, L.
Henley, M.
Chen, L.
Henley, M.
Member Etiquette
The quiet rules.
None are new. All are kept. New members receive a printed copy, pressed into the jacket pocket of a Baseline club tie.
Cream whites preferred
Colored trim is welcomed on Fridays. Logos remain discreet.
No phones courtside
A cubby is provided near the starter's bench. Ringing is, of course, unthinkable.
Call your own lines
Give the benefit of the doubt. In doubt, the ball is in.
Change on odd games
Sixty seconds. Water, towel, a word with your partner. That is all.
Shake with the handle
Racquet in the left. Right hand for the handshake. Eyes for the net.
Leave the court as found
Smooth the clay, sweep the lines, return the drag. The court is a borrowed page.
Membership
Four tiers. One door.
Social
$1,400 / yr
- Veranda & dining
- Four guest passes / yr
- Invitations to members' events
For those who love the club but leave the tennis to others.
Playing
$3,200 / yr
- Full court access
- Two clinic spots / wk
- Twelve guest passes / yr
- Ladder eligibility
Our most chosen tier. A full and honest playing membership.
Family
$4,800 / yr
- Two adults, up to four juniors
- Junior Academy priority
- Family locker suite
- Twenty guest passes / yr
For households that arrive together and leave at different hours.
Corporate
$7,200 / yr
- Two principal seats
- Tournament hosting rights
- Branded tournament plate
- Private box at finals
Eight seats held for our corporate patrons. Current holders please inquire.
Enquiries
What is usually asked.
Written plainly. Anything not covered here is answered, at a table on the veranda, in person.
For daily play, yes. The academy welcomes non-members into all junior and adult programs — court access outside of program hours, however, is reserved for members. A program enrollment does not convey membership, but many enrolees convert within a season.
We do. Our Tournament Track includes a modest travel stipend for players ranked inside the sectional top 50, and we cover entry fees for national events upon coach recommendation. A committee reviews nominations twice a year.
Predominantly white. Colored trim, logos, and hats are fine. Denim, slogans, and cargo shorts are not. The grass court requires traditional whites without exception — it is a courtesy to the turf more than to us.
Yes — each membership tier includes a number of guest passes, and additional day passes are available at the pro shop. A guest plays at the invitation of a member and is reminded, kindly, of the same etiquette we all keep.
At present, our Playing tier has a modest waitlist — typically four to six months. Social and Family tiers are generally open. Corporate seats open only on resignation, and we keep an interest list.
To anyone considering the club,
People ask what makes Baseline different. I have thought about it for twenty-two years and can only manage this: we are not a busy place. We are, if anything, a careful one. Lessons begin on time. Courts are rolled between matches. The head pro knows every junior by the colour of their grip tape.
We take the long view. A junior who joins us at eight will, more often than not, be with us at eighteen. Adults who come for a single clinic sometimes stay for a decade. The game itself asks this of us — patience, footwork, a quiet eye — and we try to honour the ask.
If any of this sounds like something you could bring yourself to enjoy, please write. We are very glad to meet you.
Henrí St. Croix
Come by for a set.
Stay for the evening.
Tours Monday through Friday at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. A cup of something warm, a walk past the courts, and a meeting with the head pro. No pressure, no application forms. Just a conversation.