By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
When Bob Starr became the new director of racquet sports at Alamance Country Club, one of the first things he noticed was the rising passion for pickleball.
He said he’s hoping to regenerate interest in tennis as well at the club.
Starr has been in his position since August following the retirement of Scott Schofer.
“I like helping the kids and the new players with tennis more than anything,” he said.
The rising interest in pickleball is also part of the scene at Alamance Country Club. There, two tennis courts were converted into four pickleball courts.
“Those things are full all the time,” Starr said. “There’s a lot of people very serious about it.”
Starr said he has become certified to teach pickleball, though his background is rooted in tennis.
There’s more pickleball interest at the Burlington club as tennis has dropped off in terms of participation.
“I’m hoping to change that,” he said, noting the passion evident from remaining tennis players. “They’re hungry for it.”
There are still three clay and three hard-surface courts for tennis at the club.
Starr, 55, spent 20 years as director of racquet sports at Hope Valley Country Club in Durham before a management restructuring and then a couple of years at Carolina Country Club in Raleigh.
Since graduating from Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania, he has made a career with the racquet sports, spending time working in Georgia before relocating to North Carolina.
“Once you’re in, you’re in,” Starr said of the line of work. “It worked out with the opening they had here.”
