It’s a rainy summer Saturday on the East Coast. Our world was made for fun in the sun – beach, tennis, family, and friends doing things together outside, right? So now, what do you do? It certainly depends on where you are. Jersey shore? No brainer. Head to the boardwalk, it’s raining, but who cares? Dart in and out of drenched, overcrowded, aged, arcades; eat cannolis, ice cream and hoagies for brunch, lunch or whatever; and then on into town for a late afternoon matinee movie. Hmm? Dad and the boys don’t want the Disney movie; so, we drive mom and Emma to the next town, 20 minutes there and back, to their feature show of choice. All in all, it sounds like the best you could make of the day and hang on to hopes for a sunny Sunday.
Same rainy day, but now you’re in East Hampton, Long Island, and happening upon a unique destination featuring year-round activities for families and adults that will stop you in your tracks. Welcome to The Club|House at East Hampton Indoor Tennis. Here you don’t have to worry about the weather or time of year.
Proudly, Scott Rubenstein, the owner of East Hampton Indoor Tennis, begins to tell the EHIT story, “Yes, it was raining the day we broke ground 27 years ago in 1995, and rightfully so, because one of the motivations to start the business in the first place was to be able to play our game, tennis, when it was raining or during the winter months.”
From six courts under an air-conditioned / heated bubble to 24 acres today — featuring a multi-sport, entertainment, and hospitality complex – creating and developing EHIT and The Club|House–Hamptons was a family affair. Scott, his wife Holly, sons Brian and Matt and daughter Rebecca, and niece and nephew Kelsi and Tom Thorsan all had jobs and responsibilities from the get-go, and all still carry on in operations, finance, branding, and staging events. Plus, all the while from the beginning, there was support for EHIT’s mission and critical financial backing provided by Scott, his business partners Jerry Cohen, Dick Tarlow, Barry Emanuel and John Geelan, as well as a bit of help from BankUnited.
“We have 20 outdoor and six indoor tennis courts, platform tennis, pickleball, and an 18-hole mini golf course. In more than 62,000 square feet of indoor space (that’s 13 NBA basketball courts, or more than an NFL football field) we have 10 bowling lanes, an arcade with 40+ games, The Clubhouse Restaurant / Bar and a stage that has hosted the likes of Bon Jovi, Sublime, and John Summit, among others.”
“The Club|House and East Hampton Indoor Tennis is a one-stop shop for families and adults,” said Scott. “Visit us once and you’ll figure it out. We’ll always be committed to delivering quality and wholesome entertainment to our community year-round. And I’m good if rain drops keep falling on my head.”
