Renovations exceed expectations at Pierremont Oaks Tennis Club

Last summer, construction crews descended on the Pierremont Oaks Tennis Club and began a renovation of The Loser Buys, the bar and grill at the club. According to Grady Wilson, general manager of Pierremont Oaks and director of tennis for it and its sister facility at East Ridge Country Club, the idea was to improve the experience for their growing membership.

So far, he said, it’s working.

“[The members] love it, too, it’s a modern mix. We opened the beginning of November. The viewing for tennis is unbelievable. They love being able to sit right there and eat a burger and drink a beer and be right on top of the tennis. There’s nothing like this in the state of Louisiana, and we host a lot of tournaments.”

Wilson explained that East Ridge bought Pierremont Oaks several years ago and began a modernization effort. “East Ridge has a great board over there and great leadership,” Wilson said. “It’s a member owned club. Now we own this facility, and we own David Toms 265 Golf Academy. We’re three clubs under one umbrella.”

There’s always something to do between the three units for members because they are closed on different days. One of those things is to enjoy the amenities of The Loser Buys.

“This space will probably hold fifty people. Our claim to fame is our burger night. We do a two-for-one burger night on Tuesday. You come in here and you get a burger card. It’s got all the different types of buns, all the different types of meats, and cheeses there. You turn that in, and they bring your freshly cooked burger to your table. We have a buffet with salad, cookies, you name it. Chafing dishes with three different kinds of french fries, chili, grilled onions, bacon, whatever you can imagine putting on a hamburger. We’re completely packed in here, and the outdoor deck can hold as many more as we can fit in here.”

Wilson said the improved space exceeded their expectations since it opened at the beginning of November.

Patrons now enjoy tennis while dining.

“Our food is great here. We had one TV in the corner over there and maybe one over here. And it was dark green paint. We put in seven new TVs; we’ve got a sound system in here that we can pipe out to all the courts. It’s just really, really nice.”

The next big event scheduled for is the BOLD Tournament’s seventh iteration.

“There were two guys who were super involved with junior tennis in Shreveport,” Wilson explained. They were Bill Oliver and Lance Dryer.

“We have about 220 players play. We have a junior kids’ exhibition on Friday night and start playing right after that. It’s a community tennis association, it’s not private, anybody can enter. All the proceeds go toward the growth of junior tennis in northwest Louisiana. Last year, Lance Dryer died. He’s been a tennis pro in the area for 35 years. Bill Oliver and Lance Dryer’s initials are BOLD, so we changed the tournament’s name to BOLD. That was March 1.

“Another tournament we have in March is the National Football Tournament. So, we have two massive adult tournaments in March. And we have a national Junior tournament in March. Springtime from here on out we’re doing something every weekend.

“They’re out here playing tennis; they’re going to migrate up here and have a burger or a beer.”

If you’re interested in joining the Pierremont Oaks experience, or any other facilities, you can go to the umbrella website at www.eastridgecc.com for information. Wilson suggests you not procrastinate – there’s usually a waiting list.