by Madelyn Marconi
Life is like a game of tennis; the player who serves well seldom loses.
E
very Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, the front doors to the Palm Beach Gardens Tennis & Pickleball Center clubhouse are swarmed by a punctual group of gentlemen eager to get out on the courts. The quirky group, known as The Racqueteers, has gathered every week to play tennis for the past 21 years. Anyone who sits down with this group will be both entertained and uplifted as they each chime in on why they enjoy their weekly tennis matches. At 12
SIGNATURE CITY: City of Palm Beach Gardens
full strength, their group could fill five tennis courts with active play.
pleasant. The repartee that goes back and forth is just marvelous,” he says.
Walter Bone, the oldest member at 86 years old, is one of the last original group members and proclaimed leader. The weekly outings and friendly banter that is passed back and forth on the courts is what Walter, and the gentlemen, find most enjoyable. Marty Larkin, the second oldest member, cannot say enough about each member of the group.
Only a few of the men have been actively playing tennis throughout their lives. Some only began playing in the last six to seven years, while others joined without any previous knowledge of the game. All unanimously agree that they enjoy tennis over any other sport because it is faster-paced and requires higher physical demand to go after the ball. The environment on and off the courts is another big reason why tennis is their go-to game.
“There is never an argument. No foul language. Everyone is congenial and very
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