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FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | FEBRUARY 2018 53 Tennis Club As of this writing in early January, winter has not yet arrived at The Courts. For the most part, the weather has been spectacular in December and the first week of January, resulting in lots of tennis playing by club members and non-members alike. The only weather- related problems have been with the tempestuous winds and the dust- laden siroccos stirred up by the earth moving home-site preparation east of The Courts. Though causing brown-lung disease and gross sinus conditions, at least the dust and dirt on the courts made for more accurate line calls. One player said it was like playing on clay courts. We had clean calls and dirty balls. For those interested in world-class, professional tennis, the annual BNP Paribas Open Tennis Tournament will be held in Indian Wells March 5 - 18. Often referred to as the Fifth Major, this tournament brings many of the top-ranked men and women tennis players to the fabulous Indian Wells Tennis complex, a straight-shot drive east on Interstate 10. Admission to the qualifying rounds on March 5 (women) and March 6 (men and women) is free. Even the players seeking to qualify for the tournament are among the best players in the world. Contact Howard Lyon, as he likes to arrange for caravanning a group to watch the qualifying rounds. I repeat, admission is free! Tennis is generally a non-contact sport, but as reported in the The Week, maybe not so much. "A Florida man who hit a five-year-old boy with a tennis racket is claiming immunity under the state's 'Stand Your Ground' law. The law gives citizens wide latitude to use force to defend themselves, and tennis instructor Osmailer Torres, 30, claims the boy was waving his racket aggressively when Torres grabbed it and struck him. Authorities say Torres was not acting 'under the imminent threat of danger.'" For a more friendly approach to tennis, the Racquet Club will hold its monthly Play Day on the last Saturday of each month, beginning at 9 am. Also, Bernadette Martin will endeavor to arrange for Thursday evening play, when enough players contact her and commit to participate. Please save the date, March 10, because the club is planning to hold a special Play Day and hosted lunch event. ~ Steve Hovey