Tennis runs deep here. The Palos Verdes Peninsula produced a generation of junior players out of a single club founded by a Wimbledon champion, the beach cities keep free public courts inside their neighborhood parks, and Torrance has the one pay to play racquet center that serves the whole area. Here is how the South Bay tennis landscape is actually organized.
What are the tennis clubs in the South Bay?
The South Bay’s private tennis clubs sit almost entirely on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, led by the Jack Kramer Club in Rolling Hills Estates and the Peninsula Racquet Club in Rancho Palos Verdes. Manhattan Country Club is the beach cities equivalent. Public play centers on the South Bay Tennis and Pickleball Center in Torrance and on free city courts in every beach city.
| Club or facility | City | Access | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Kramer Club | Rolling Hills Estates | Membership | 11 Montecillo Drive. 13 courts, fitness center, 25 yard pool, clubhouse. Founded 1963 |
| Peninsula Racquet Club | Rancho Palos Verdes | Membership | 30850 Hawthorne Boulevard |
| Manhattan Country Club | Manhattan Beach | Membership | The beach cities racquet and fitness club |
| South Bay Tennis and Pickleball Center | Torrance | Pay to play | 25924 Rolling Hills Road. Lighted courts, the area’s main public racquet center |
| Live Oak Park | Manhattan Beach | Free city courts | 1901 North Valley Drive, on the greenbelt |
| Charles H. Wilson Park | Torrance | Free city courts | 2200 Crenshaw Boulevard, open 6 am to 10 pm |
| Alta Vista Park | Redondo Beach | Free city courts | Courts within the larger park complex |
| Ernie Howlett Park | Rolling Hills Estates | Free city courts | 25851 Hawthorne Boulevard, includes two hitting walls open any time |
What is the Jack Kramer Club?
The Jack Kramer Club at 11 Montecillo Drive in Rolling Hills Estates was founded in 1963 by Jack Kramer, the Wimbledon and US National champion who later drove the professional restructuring of the sport. He built it to develop young players, and it has operated on that premise ever since.
The club runs 13 tennis courts alongside a fitness center, a 25 yard swimming pool with diving boards, a clubhouse, a sport court and a playground, which is why Peninsula families tend to treat it as a membership that covers more than tennis. It remains the single most recognizable name in South Bay tennis and a significant part of why junior tennis on the Peninsula has the reputation it does.
Where can you play tennis without joining a club?
Every beach city and Torrance maintains free public courts inside neighborhood parks, and they are genuinely usable rather than an afterthought.
- Manhattan Beach. Live Oak Park at 1901 North Valley Drive sits directly on the greenbelt, with additional courts at Marine Avenue Park and Manhattan Heights.
- Torrance. Charles H. Wilson Park at 2200 Crenshaw Boulevard, open 6 am to 10 pm, is the largest public complex in the South Bay.
- Redondo Beach. Alta Vista Park carries the city’s main public courts, with others distributed through the neighborhood parks.
- Rolling Hills Estates. Ernie Howlett Park at 25851 Hawthorne Boulevard includes two hitting walls that are open at any hour, which is the closest thing the area has to a practice court you never need to book.
Several cities run reservation systems on their busier courts, particularly in the evenings and on weekend mornings. Check the parks and recreation page for the city you are playing in before you turn up expecting a walk on.
Is there a public tennis center in the South Bay?
Yes. The South Bay Tennis and Pickleball Center at 25924 Rolling Hills Road in Torrance is the area’s pay to play racquet facility, with lighted courts, instruction and organized play. It is where people go when they want court time they can count on without carrying a club membership, and it now shares its space with the largest concentration of pickleball play in the South Bay.
El Camino College in Torrance also opens court time to the public at points through the year, which is worth knowing when the center is booked out.
Where do juniors play?
Junior tennis in the South Bay runs through three channels: the private clubs, the USTA Southern California junior team tennis program that fields South Bay and Long Beach teams, and high school programs. The Peninsula clubs carry the longest development history, and the public courts and hitting walls carry everyone else. For current junior team tennis divisions and schedules, USTA Southern California publishes the South Bay and Long Beach listings.
Court counts, hours and reservation rules change, and several cities have converted tennis courts to shared or blended pickleball lines. Details were verified against club and city sources in September 2026. Confirm with the club or the city before you plan a match around a specific court.