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Men's Singles Championship- Open Division
David Crawford (Runner Up)- James Kim (Winner)
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Men's Singles Championship- 3.5 Upper Division Jeff Kline (Runner Up)- Keith Taylor (Winner)
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Men's Singles Championship- 3.5 Division Back Draw Cory Ravid (Winner)-Paul Felton (Runner Up)
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Men's Singles Championship- 3.5 Lower Division James Taylor (Winner)- Ekine Akuiyibo (Runner Up)
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Membership News: Kate Belding
First of all, I would like to thank the Membership Committee: Sheila Druskin, Nina Wang, Laura Hesselgren, and Steven Oliver. I appreciate all the support and advice from each of you throughout the past year.
In 2022, we said goodbye to the following members:
Alan Klein, Don & Sharon Bartels, Conrad & Shirley Mezzetta, Jean & David Scheible, Serena & Scott Conti, Beth Cody & Jim Michalko, Tim & Chrissy Luceno, Todd & Michele Friedman, Sharon Safrin, and Paul Richards.
We welcomed 12 new members in 2022: Paul Felton, Nellie Ling, Kristen Freethy Murphy, Ric Fenton, Sami Ahn, James Taylor, Eric Kim, Ashutosh Schroff, Jeff Kline, Alyssa McCoy, Katie Caponigro, and Charles Warden. We also offered an honorary membership to Guy and Eva Lau in recognition of their years of service and dedication to the club.
The current waitlist is very strong with 23 applicants waiting to join the club. I am sure 2023 will be another great year at PTC.
New member profiles:
Katie and Mike Caponigro
The Caponigros joined PTC in October 2022. Katie and Mike have 3 girls - Ava (10), Lucia (7) and Cappy (6) - who attend Washington Elementary. As a former high school player and member of San Francisco Tennis Club, Katie looks forward to joining the PTC team and getting out onto the courts regularly. Mike and the girls will be taking advantage of lessons to begin their journey into the PTC tennis ranks. Off the courts, the family enjoys all things travel, food and sports related and are excited to join the PTC community.
Charles and Christine Warden
The Wardens joined PTC in December 2022 and have lived in Hillsborough since 2008. A longtime squash player and occasional tennis player, Charles got the tennis bug in 2019 and hasn’t been on a squash court since! Depending on work and weather, he plays several times a week and is eager to integrate into the PTC scene. Chris is a beginner and has been taking weekly lessons for several months. They have a daughter in college and another going next year, freeing up their parents to spend even more time at PTC!
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New Members - Michael & Katie Caponigro with family
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New Members - Charles & Christine Warden
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House & Grounds News: Marty Funk
We've completed the major projects (planned and unplanned) we set out to do in 2022. The BBQ area is 100% ready to use, but the weather isn't cooperating! The court resurfacing was successful, but alas, there are new cracks starting to show. The board will continue to discuss in 2023 what, when, and if we should look at a complete re-build of the front courts. There are clearly issues with the groundwater and soil that are bigger than a patch job can fix.
As many of you know, I'll be taking over as the Club President next year and will be entrusting the House & Grounds to Doug Heffernan. I've loved the hands-on aspect of this role and the help I've had along the way. Lona has been there every step along the projects we've done, often a couple steps ahead of me. Kris Willig really took on some things with the BBQ that not only made my life easier but resulted in a much better finished product than I would have been able to design. I'll particularly miss the outgoing board members, whose input and feedback on everything we do are priceless. And welcome to the party Carey, Steve, and Steven!
Social News: Denee Berliner
I have had the pleasure of working with an amazing team of more than 25 members over the last two years, it takes a village to throw a PTC party! The PTC Social Committee was flexible, creative, hardworking, and we had a great time in spite of the ongoing health and gathering restrictions.
THANK YOU to the PTC SOCIAL COMMITTEE:
Val March, Lisa Rosenthal, Kerry Mahrer, Carey Welsh, Carolyn Dowling, Marissa Hauselt, Kim Kletter, Andrea Moore, Elizabeth Pratt, Elise Brand, Olive Ebert, Joanne Mahaffey, Audrey Tse, Jenn Ellison, Jeff Tateosian, Jeff Tsu, Chris Cook, Peter Stevenson, Steve Williams, Kristin Nisewaner, Steve Oliver, John Garner, Kate Belding, Chris McMurdo and Cris Mangar.
THANK YOU to the staff, we could not pull off events without you Lona, Tony, and Loel.
Holiday party 2022 update:
The holiday party this year took another turn due to the ever-changing environment we live in, and it was a hit! While the date stayed the same, the timing changed from 3-6pm, open house style. We had record reservations and attendance with over 150 advance reservations. Members and guests had the option to be outside or inside, it was a great setting for conversation and camaraderie.
As you entered the club, the festive holiday décor and lighting were designed by Val March and her team of Kim Kletter, Audrey Tse, Cris Mangar and Elizabeth Pratt. Members were greeted by singing carolers to kick off the good cheer. The catering by Stafford Park Catering was delicious and plentiful featuring crab cakes, day boat scallops with horseradish cream, beef sliders, chicken salad vol au vent, dates with bleu cheese and bacon, and more! Desserts were hand-crafted by our very own bakers Carolyn, Andrea, and Marissa. Mixologists were in rare form with Steve Williams, Peter Stevenson, and Jeff Tsu at the helm. Finally, our DJ entertainment led by Jeff Tateosian was followed by Magician Jay Alexander for exciting close-up magic. A huge thank you for Lona, Tony and Loel for the reservations, setup, and breakdown. Thanks to all who attended and helped with the event!
Tennis Pro: Pablo Alvarado
Hello PTC Family, we are welcoming 2023! After a very wet beginning of the season, we are now all ready to help you hit your tennis goals.
This is a great time to reserve a regular spot for private lessons or group clinics. We are also updating the calendar in the players’ portal so you can book a private lesson right from there or sign up for drop-in clinics. Along with better weather coming, we will be adding more playing opportunities in the calendar, so make sure to check often and don't hesitate to contact me if you need any help with the login or you have any special requests.
The Evolution kid’s program is up and running, and we offer youth clinics Monday through Saturday and practices and special events on Sundays. Let your kids learn and love tennis as much as we all do. You can contact me or Stephanie to set up an assessment and find the group that is the right fit for your child. Summer Camps are around the corner and we will be sending all the information with the early bird registration access by the end of the month.
I'm saving my last paragraph to just THANK Lona for all she has done for the club. I'm pretty sure that every Board Member has already said many great things about her and highlighted how professional and great a club manager she is, so I want to make this a bit more personal. Lona was the most welcoming person when I arrived at the club a few years ago. Always supporting, checking on how me and my family were doing and willing to help. I want to highlight her kindness (not just with the members) with all the club staff which says a lot about how wonderful she is.
Lona, it has been very easy and truly a pleasure to work side by side with you these years. I can't be happier to see you enjoy your growing family in this new chapter of life. Have fun, you deserve it!
Betty Cookson (1922-2022): Sheila Druskin
Elizabeth “Betty” McGee Cookson passed away peacefully on October 11, 2022; a few weeks shy of her 100th birthday.
Betty is survived by her brother, Bill McGee; her three sons: Bob (Colleen), Jim (Alison), and Richard (Deborah); nine grandchildren; thirteen great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. Donations in her memory may be made to the USTA Foundation.
Betty was instrumental in growing the game of tennis both in Northern California and throughout the United States. Before her passing, the United States Tennis Association Northern California (USTA NorCal) designated December 2022 as the inaugural Betty Cookson Month, honoring the life and legacy of one of NorCal’s tennis pioneers.
Born December 8, 1922, to Margaret Marchant and Ralph McGee, Betty was raised in the small Mother Lode town of Sutter Creek, CA, where her father was a Superior Court Judge. She was the second of four children raised in a home built by her great-grandfather in 1863. At age 11, Betty watched her brother take a clinic from the famed juniors coach Pop Fuller. She decided tennis was for her as well and asked her parents for a tennis racket as a birthday gift. She received a $5.95 racket, bought at the local drug store, and used the garage door as a practice partner. She joined the Sutter Creek High School girls’ tennis team, coached by her Latin teacher who had no tennis experience. Betty played all 4 years on the team, which eventually became the dominant team in the Mother Lode district, and Betty the district’s Girls Tennis Champion.
Betty put down her racquet after high school and attended the University of California at Berkeley, joining the Alpha Phi sorority. Amidst World War II, Betty assisted the war efforts by becoming a nurse’s aide before graduating with a degree in Economics. Following her time at Cal, Betty accepted a job with IBM as a systems service representative. She met her husband, Robert “Bob” Cookson, in 1946 and they married in 1947. Their first son Bob was born in 1948, followed by Jim in 1950 and Richard in 1952.
At age 40, while raising her sons in San Mateo Park, Betty picked up her racquet again and began competing in tennis tournaments. She and Bob joined PTC in 1962 and she became an active volunteer at the club, working on the National Junior Hardcourts Tournament. In those days, the tournament hosted boys and girls singles and doubles for the 12, 14, 16 and 18 year old divisions, and many PTC members housed the visiting junior players at their homes. Some of Betty’s fondest memories were of the kids who were experiencing a national tournament for the first time. “I think they’ll always remember that experience, because for many of them it was their first time away from home. It was also rewarding to watch them compete, especially in tough matches. You could see them develop character.” Betty met many junior players who went on to become national figures, including Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Zena Garrison and Billie Jean Moffitt King. Many photos from these tournaments are hanging in our clubhouse.
As the junior tournament attracted more players, the boys, and girls 12’s and 14’s were moved to other clubs. Rumors swirled that the USTA was going to move the Hardcourt Tournament away from PTC in the 1970s, so Bob and Betty went to the USTA national offices to plead the case for keeping it at PTC. Betty became the tournament director in 1976, holding that position until 1987 and elevating the tournament on a national scale.
Bob became president of USTA in 1991 and 1992. They traveled to all the Grand Slams and international tennis events and met many athletes and world personalities, including the Queen of England and Princess Diana. In 1992, Betty attended a banquet for the USTA and sat at a table with Andre Agassi. Steffi Graf was at the other end of table, and Andre was interested in getting to know Steffi, so Andre signed Betty’s program and then took it to Steffi for her to sign. Betty later had that program framed and kept it in her home.
Betty held leadership roles at every level of the USTA, as well as the International Tennis Federation. Serving on numerous National and Northern California committees as a member and Chair, Betty twice served on the USTA NorCal Board of Directors. Betty was awarded the USTA Barbara Williams Service Bowl in 1986, which recognized female volunteers with the most esteemed service and leadership levels within the USTA. For her contributions to the game as both a player and volunteer, Betty was inducted into the USTA NorCal Hall of Fame in 1997.
In the late 1990s, the Nike Junior Tour turned to Betty for help in developing the tour’s U.S. launch, wherein all proceeds were donated back to junior travel teams in the section. She was the Tournament Chair for 10 years. Betty was also Tournament Chair for the California State Senior Championships, held at PTC, from 2005-2012.
In 2008, Betty was presented the International Tennis Hall of Fame Samuel T. Hardy Award for her long and outstanding service and her personal unselfishness and devotion to tennis. At the awards luncheon, she said “I don’t know why everyone doesn’t want to volunteer.” She was awarded the USTA NorCal’s Presidents Award in 2012 and was named the 2014 Adult Tournament Volunteer of the Year. Also in 2014, USTA NorCal renamed its President’s Award as the Betty Cookson Lifetime Achievement Award, part of the Awards Celebrating Excellence in Service (ACES), which honor the section’s best organizations, volunteers and players for their outstanding achievements and service to the game of tennis.
Betty was again honored in 2014 by the USTA with the Barbara Williams Service Award, a merger of the Service Bowl and Leadership Award. The award recognizes a female volunteer who through her leadership and by her example has encouraged and inspired others to become volunteers and assume leadership roles at the community, sectional, and/or national levels of the USTA. This award is considered one of USTA NorCal’s highest honors.
Right here at PTC, Betty was given the club’s highest honor in both 1978 and 2003. The PTC Award recognizes outstanding achievement in the development of tennis at-large and for services to Peninsula Tennis Club.
Alongside all of this volunteerism, Betty managed to play a lot of tennis – a lot of really good tennis – and her success on court was incredible. Betty was ranked #1, 2 or 3 countless times throughout 1972-1989 in the Women’s 50-70s Doubles divisions and reached No. 1 in the nation in the Women’s 80 Doubles in 2003 and 2004. Betty’s frequent doubles partners were Arlene Barker, Rita Price and Dodo Cheney. Betty said the secret of being a good doubles player is to find a great partner – and to be a good partner too. She never competed in singles, saying “I just love the strategy and game of doubles.”
Betty won 18 national championships between 1978 and 2017, and 7 runner-up national championships from 2004 to 2015. In 1993, she won the ITF Championship Women’s Over 65 doubles. She won the Doubles Gold Slam Award in 2008, winning national tournaments on each of the four surfaces of grass, clay, indoor and hardcourt. Her partner and those who saw the matches attributed the wins to Betty's court movement, focus and doubles skill, as well as her drop shots, lobs and down the line forehands.
In 2016, Betty won her 16th National Tennis Championship, at age 94. In 2017, she won three 90’s Doubles crowns and took the bronze in the 85s Doubles, having to play “down” on clay since there were not enough competitors in her age bracket – all of which she did with a new knee, at age 95. By the time she retired from competitive play at age 96, she had won 23 Gold Balls (National Championships), numerous Silvers, and an ITF Championship.
In case there was any doubt, Betty proved time and again that tennis is a life-long sport. Starting to play again at age 40 and still going strong five decades later, she said “You stay with it. It’s your sport…I just like to play. And I feel so good after I do. It’s great to be able to play.”
As if all of this wasn’t enough to fill a lifetime, in addition to her dedication to tennis, Betty was devoted to her community. Adding politics to her volunteer resume, Betty was active in the Republican Party and was a Reagan delegate to both the 1976 and 1980 Republican Conventions. She was active in, and held leadership positions with, the Junior League of San Francisco, Boy Scouts, Volunteer Bureau, United Crusade, numerous PTAs, and the Peninsula YMCA. In recognition of her leadership and involvement, she was given the Rosalie Stern Award by Cal’s Alumni Association, which honors outstanding volunteer community service.
We are fortunate that Betty became a member of our club so many years ago. She served the tennis community at every level from PTC to the USTA to the ITF, she was an active volunteer in her larger community, and she was an impressive competitor on court. Enshrined by her legacy on and off the court, Betty Cookson will be remembered for her many achievements, not the least of which was being a good friend, a good mother, and a good person.
In 2017, Betty said, "This is my last year competing and it feels good to go out a winner. But to me, what is important, even more than the awards, are the many friends I have met through playing tennis and competing at the sectional, national and even international levels. It is the friends I will always remember, not the scores of the matches."
A beautiful quote from an inspirational role model to us all, as tennis players and community members. The annual Betty Cookson Doubles Championship at PTC will continue to honor her great legacy by promoting service, competitive women’s tennis, and long-lasting friendships.
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