The 10 best towns for Masters tennis players

ATLANTA RECEIVED A PERFECT score from our judges as a town for Masters tennis players. The tennis-mad city earned 5 stars in each of four categories: climate, training facilities, events/leagues and the number of local tennis players. Two other towns came from the Southeast -- Hilton Head, S.C., and Boca Raton, Fla. -- but the entire country is represented. Texas had two cities on the list with Dallas and Houston. The West was represented by Palm Springs, Calif., and Scottsdale, Ariz. Chicago, New York and Newport, R.I., rounded out the list. Here is our list of top 10 tennis towns for Masters.

1. ATLANTA
Like music in New Orleans and politics in Washington, tennis is woven into the fabric of life in Atlanta. With a climate that allows for nearly uninterrupted year-round outdoor play, the racket-crazed community has more courts per capita than anywhere in the country. The glue that binds together the many segments of Atlanta's tennis scene is the Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association (ALTA). With more than 80,000 members, it's the world's largest recreational community tennis league. Locating a place to play gets easier every day. The city is constructing courts at the rate of 150 per year. For a friendly game of doubles, make your way to the Blackburn Tennis Center on weekday mornings. All are welcome for informal matches at the 18-court public complex.

Climate: 5.0 stars
Training facilities: 5.0 stars
Events/leagues: 5.0 stars
Local players: 5.0 stars
TOTAL: 20 Stars

2. HILTON HEAD, S.C.
This resort island off the South Carolina coast is a tennis nirvana with a mild climate, more than 300 courts in all three Grand Slam surfaces and miles of sandy beaches to kick back between matches. Much of the local action takes place on private courts located within the island's gated-residential communities. In addition, locals and visitors alike get their game on at a variety of racquet clubs and world-class resorts such as The Shipyard, Palmetto Dunes and The Sea Pines. Hilton Head is home to the highly acclaimed Smith Sterns Tennis Academy and the Van Der Meer Tennis Academy. Some of the island's teaching pros coach local teams that compete in leagues organized by the USTA-affiliated Tennis Association of Hilton Head.

Climate: 5.0 Stars
Training facilities: 5.0 Stars
Events/leagues: 4.5 Stars
Local players: 5.0 Stars
TOTAL: 19.5 Stars

3. BOCA RATON, FLA.
This upscale community, 40 miles from Miami, hits a winner with an envious match-up of first-class facilities and top-of-the-line learning opportunities. Public facilities include the Patch Reef Park Tennis Center, a U.S. Tennis Association Outstanding Facility, with 17 Plexicushion lighted courts, a hitting wall, ball machine, pro shop and locker rooms. Up the coast, the 2-year-old Delray Swim & Tennis Club features 24 clay courts available to the public. The Delray Beach Tennis Center has 14 clay courts, seven hard courts and an 8,200-seat stadium. The stadium hosts the annual Chris Evert Pro-Celebrity Tennis Tournament. Several hundred more courts are spread among the area's many private racquet clubs, country clubs and resorts. Few locations can equal the options for top-notch instruction available around Boca. The Evert Tennis Academy is located at the Boca Raton Resort & Club, while the Rick Macci Tennis Academy conducts adult programs at the Deer Creek Tennis Resort.

Climate: 4.5 Stars
Training facilities: 5 Stars
Events/leagues: 5 Stars
Local players: 4.5 Stars
TOTAL: 19 Stars

4. DALLAS
Dallas is known to do things in a big way and tennis is no exception. There are more than 250 public courts in the city and five full-service public tennis centers offering lessons, leagues, tournaments, clinics and pro shops. The largest of these is the Samuell Grand Tennis Center. The Center boasts 20 lighted courts and is located in one of Dallas' oldest city parks. The Dallas Tennis Association has a membership of more than 6,500 and offers programs for all ages. The group has been promoting the sport in Dallas since the 1930s. Tennis offerings proliferate in a host of private clubs. The T Bar M Tennis Club has 30 courts and two dozen teaching pros. The club hosts the annual AT&T Challenger of Dallas, the city's only professional tennis tournament. The Brookhaven Racquet Club offers its members 38 indoor and outdoor courts with a mix of hard and clay surfaces. The Four Seasons Resort & Club has been ranked among the top 50 tennis resorts in the country.

Climate: 4.5 Stars
Training facilities: 5 Stars
Events/leagues: 4.5 Stars
Local players: 4.5 Stars
TOTAL: 18.5 Stars

5. PALM SPRINGS, CALIF.
In this sun-splashed land of leisure, 120 miles east of Los Angeles, tennis is a popular activity, especially among the area's active retirees. Courts are liberally scattered throughout the parks, tennis clubs, resorts, country clubs, schools and hotels in Palm Springs and in other Coachella Valley communities such as Cathedral City, Palm Desert, La Quinta, Indio, Indian Wells, Desert Hot Springs and Rancho Mirage. Ruth Hardy Park, in Palm Springs, is a popular public venue with eight lighted courts and lessons for adults. The Plaza Racquet Club, in downtown Palm Springs, features nine courts and is the community's only full-service public tennis facility. The Indian Wells Tennis Garden, a short drive from Palm Springs, is a world-class facility featuring 20 hard courts and two Har-Tru clay courts available for club members and public use. The 80-acre site, which includes a 16,000-seat stadium, is host to the Pacific Life Open, the world's fifth largest professional tournament.

Climate: 5 Stars
Training facilities: 4.5 Stars
Events/leagues: 4 Stars
Local players: 4.5 Stars
TOTAL: 18 Stars

6. HOUSTON
In Texas' largest city, tennis is an important slice of life for much of the local populace. The city maintains 145 courts in 78 neighborhood parks with an additional 60 lighted courts in three staffed tennis centers. The Lee LeClear Tennis Center (26 courts), Memorial Park Tennis Center (18 courts) and the Homer Ford Tennis Center (16 courts) have locker and shower facilities as well as on-site pro shops. The Houston Tennis Association organizes leagues and tournaments and helps newcomers find hitting partners and tennis teams. Private clubs -- including Westside Tennis & Fitness, River Oaks Country Club, Houston Racquet Club and Downtown Club at the Met -- have active tennis programs and upscale amenities. A number of USTA tournaments are held in Houston, including the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship, the Senior Women's Clay Court Championships (ages 35-85) and the Senior Men's Indoor Championship (ages 70-75).

Climate: 4 Stars
Training facilities: 4.5 Stars
Events/leagues: 4.5 Stars
Local players: 4.5 Stars
TOTAL: 17.5 Stars

7. SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.
Abundant sunshine and an active lifestyle rank Scottsdale among the heavy hitters of tennis towns. The Scottsdale Ranch Park & Tennis Center has been rated among the country's outstanding public tennis facilities by the USTA. The Center has 12 lighted courts and recreation programs, including leagues, lessons, tournaments and drop-in doubles play. Several private clubs augment Scottsdale's thriving tennis scene. The Desert Highlands Racquet Club features 13 grass and hard surface courts. The Scottsdale Athletic Club has 11 lighted courts. In December, the club hosts the Fiesta Bowl Senior Open Tennis Tournament, the largest U.S. tournament exclusively for players 30 and above. The club also hosts April's USTA National Men's 35 Hardcourt Championships featuring male players 35 and older. Scottsdale is home to three top resorts for tennis fanatics; the Phoenician, Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain and the Boulders.

Climate: 4 Stars
Training facilities: 4.5 Stars
Events/leagues: 4 Stars
Local players: 4.5 Stars
TOTAL: 17 Stars

8. CHICAGO
With a vibrant tennis scene among its world-class urban offerings, the Windy City serves an ace for tennis-loving city dwellers. Several hundred public courts are distributed among dozens of parks located throughout the metropolis, and many of these courts line the lakefront. Opportunities for competitive league play abound through organizations such as World Team Tennis, Chicago Sport and Social Club, ChiTown Tennis, Second City Tennis and the Chicago Park District Tennis Association. Tennis on the Lake offers lessons for all skill levels at several locations. During the city's blustery winters, the game continues without a break at a variety of indoor facilities. The McFetridge Sports Center is a public facility with six indoor and four outdoor courts. Chicago's Midtown Tennis Club is the country's largest indoor tennis facility built specifically for tennis. With 18 courts and a membership of 2,500, the club offers group and private instruction from a staff of 40 teaching pros and the biggest cardio tennis program in the country.

Climate: 3 Stars
Training facilities: 4.5 Stars
Events/leagues: 4.5 Stars
Local players: 4.5 Stars
TOTAL: 16.5 Stars

9. NEW YORK
With more than 700 public courts dispersed among the city's five boroughs, New York has more public courts than any other city in the country. In Central Park -- where tennis has been played since the 1880s -- the Tennis Center features 26 clay and four asphalt courts. New York also boasts a wide selection of indoor clubs, most in Manhattan. Queens is the home of the country's best known courts. The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center -- the world's second largest public tennis facility -- has 22 courts with 11 more in the adjacent park. The Center is open to the public 11 months of the year. In late summer, The Center becomes the focus of the tennis world when it hosts the U.S. Open in the two-week period around Labor Day weekend.

Climate: 3.5 Stars
Training facilities: 4 Stars
Events/leagues: 4.5 Stars
Local players: 4 Stars
TOTAL: 16 Stars

10. NEWPORT, R.I.
Tennis in Newport dates more than 125 years, when the seaside community was the summer playground of America's richest families. Today, Newport is home to one of the country's most unique and storied tennis facilities. The Newport Casino hosted the first U.S. National Championships in 1881. The tournament eventually became the U.S. Open. The site now houses the International Tennis Hall of Fame. More than just a tribute to the game's legends, the ITHF is an active tennis center. The Casino's 13 grass courts, considered the best lawn courts in the country, are available for public use from May through September. Three indoor courts are open year-round. The facility offers club memberships, private and group lessons, clinics and camps for players of all ages and abilities. Two summer tournaments, the Campbell's Tournament in July, and The Hall of Fame Champions Cup in August, bring tennis' present and former greats to the famed Newport site.

Climate: 3.5 Stars
Training facilities: 4 Stars
Events/leagues: 4 Stars
Local players: 4 Stars
TOTAL: 15.5 Stars