The Racquet Club Vacation
Mark Winters
In the 1930s, Palm Springs was a sanctuary for Hollywood stars such as Charlie Farrell and Ralph Bellamy. Farrell, who brought elegance to his roles, and Bellamy, ultimately the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winner, were not only good friends, they were also ardent tennis players as were fellow actors Peter Lorre and Gilbert Roland. They were the best-known of the movie industry luminaries who escaped to the desert, not because it was the perfect place to "winter" or because of its embryonic health resort notoriety, but to play tennis among other things.
Mark Winters has been a tennis journalist for 50 years. During that time, he has been a staff writer for Florida Tennis, Inside Tennis, Tennis Magazine, Tennis Life and Tennis Week. His freelance articles have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Daily News, and USA Today.
He has also contributed features to numerous other tennis and media outlets worldwide. Mark played on both the intercollegiate and professional levels. He coached college tennis and was a US Boys' Junior Davis Cup Team coach, working with Pete Sampras and Jim Courier among others.
|
