Oakwood—Tennis Club Incorporates Dayton History into a modern tennis facility

Virginia Hollinger is a name revered by those who play tennis in the Miami Valley and thanks to an Oakwood tennis club her memory is kept alive. The Virginia Hollinger Memorial Tennis Club, 201 Shafor Blvd in Oakwood, is a 65-year-old nonprofit group that incorporates history from the local area with a functioning club to meet the needs of members in the 21st century. Known for its well-tended clay courts, the seasonal club features low fees and a no-reservation policy that allows members to play whenever a court is available.

“Families make up a large percentage of our members,” said Jerry Sanders, the club manager. “We have the best cared for courts in the area and we have a very active group of ladies here too. We’re even sponsoring an American Heart Association Go Red For Tennis Mixer on August 17. A lot of our members belong to clubs with indoor courts also, so they can play during the winter, but they like to come here during the warmer months.”

The club is named after Oakwood tennis champion, Virginia Hollinger, who achieved fame on the courts at the age of 16 winning a singles title and a national indoor junior tennis title. Her married name was McLeod and at the time of her untimely death from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at the age of 28 in 1946, she left behind a husband and young daughter.

“She was the first national champion from around here and we’re really proud of her,” said Tom Creager, of Oakwood, whose father, Paul Creager, was in construction and helped build the tennis club that officially opened in 1950. “Virginia Hollinger was inducted into the Oakwood High School Athletic Hall of Fame last year and her daughter came for the ceremony. I was a kid when they built the club. The members came in and actually built the club and courts themselves.”

The facility consists of seven clay outdoor courts, outdoor entertainment areas for social gatherings and a club house that features a tennis shop, entertainment room and men’s and women’s shower areas.

“The land was bought by the Oakwood Board of Education with plans to build an elementary school, but the depression hit and they sold it to Wally Weston, who donated the land for a community tennis club,” said Creamer, one of the only original members of the club. “The reason the clay courts are so good, is that there is a natural layer of gravel underneath that promotes drainage. We got permission from her father, William Hollinger, to name the club after her. He spent a lot of time coaching her. We’re just a non-profit trying to give people the best tennis they can get for the least amount of money.”

For more information, contact the Virginia Hollinger Memorial Tennis Club at (937) 299-2961, or visit their website at www.hollingertennis.com.

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