ALERT:  Click HERE to find more information about our league seasons, including days and nights of play, regulations and playoff information for all seasons and levels.

ABOUT LCTA LEAGUE TENNIS:

USTA League Tennis in the Charleston area is growing every year.  The Lowcountry Tennis Association is one of the largest local tennis leagues in the country.  In the entire Southern Section of nine states, we are the second largest league in terms of both players and participation.  While numbers do not always equate to quality, we like to think that we have grown to this level because we have created an enjoyable atmosphere, and our size allows us to have a structure that smaller leagues cannot have.  The purpose of this page is to tell you a little more about LCTA league tennis, and how you can join us. 

The Charleston area is fortunate in that we can play tennis year round, with active leagues from the end of January to mid-December each year. 

From January until the end of April, we have our Spring season.  For adults, team matches consist of three doubles and two singles courts; for seniors it is three doubles courts.  The winners (and in most cases runners-up) of these leagues advance to the state championships to compete with league teams from around the state. 

From the first of May through July, our Mixed Doubles season occurs.  In mixed doubles, three courts of doubles are played in a team match for both adults and seniors.  The top teams in Mixed Doubles advance to a state championship as well. 

From the end of July until the end of September, we have our Combo Doubles season.  Combo is a doubles format where individual courts consist of players who use their combined ratings to play.  Teams also advance to the state playoffs in Combo. 

Finally, from October into early December, we have our Fall League, which follows the same format as the Spring season, but there is no State championship for the Fall teams. 

Along with our standard leagues, we have other programs during the year including: Super Seniors, for those 60 and over (in Fall, Mixed, and Combo), Super Duper Seniors for those over 70 in the Fall, Singles League just playing singles, and a Flex League in Spring and Fall.  In the Flex League you are your own team, playing either singles or doubles.

All players have access to TennisLink, the USTA’s online player registration system. TennisLink allows registered players to keep track of their records and stats, as well as scout their competition.

In order to play, you need three things: a facility to play out of, USTA membership, and a self or computer rating.  Charleston has some of the finest facilities in the Southeast.  If you are not already a member of one, go to our Facilities  page to learn a little more about places to play tennis in the Charleston area.  Included are contact numbers to find the best place for you.  

To join the USTA go to the membership page and you can follow instructions to join.  If you do not have a previous USTA rating, once you decide to join a team you will be asked to determine a self rating.  The main Tennislink page will walk you through your self rating.  Go to TennisLink / Leagues and at the top, select "NTRP Rating Help."   You will answer a questionnaire that will help you decide the level that you can play.  Basically, our levels range from 2.5 for beginners to 4.5 for advanced league players.  (5.0 and above players do not play a local league but advance directy to Sectional or National playoffs.)  By far, our largest levels are 3.0 and 3.5 with 4.0 being third.

These are the basics on who we are and how to become part of the LCTA.  Please look through our website to find out more about us.  Feel also free to contact anyone on our board if you have additional questions.  We hope you decide to try league tennis in the Lowcountry!