Grand Strand Tennis

The Carolina Trust Federal Credit Union has signed on as the sponsor for our 2012 program. This marks their eigth  year as a corporate community sponsor. The CTFCU logo and website link  appear on the grandstrandtennis.net home page.  Through this sponsorship, Carolina Trust Federal Credit Union recognizes the valueable contribution that recreational tennis plays in promoting a healthy, family-oriented lifestyle for residents of all ages throughout the Grand Strand. We should all be sure to thank them for their support.

The South Carolina “Play Tennis!” License Plate is here!

South Carolina finally has a license plate for tennis players and fans! The $30 fee to purchase the Play Tennis! license plate goes to the South Carolina Tennis Patrons Foundation, a charity organization providing grants to kids-at-risk programs, need-based grants to junior players, and academic scholarships. The Foundation also administers the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame, located in Belton SC.

The easiest way to obtain the plate is to do it online. Go to www.scdmvonline.com and click on “Order License Plates Online” that appears just above the displayed license plate. On the next page, in the box on the right under “Vehicle Services”, click on “Exchange a Plate for a New Plate Design”. With your current registration card in front of you, fill out the required information. Note: the vehicle number requested is not your VIN number! The number required is the one that appears at the top right on your registration card. You will be asked what plate you are applying for. Choose the Play Tennis! plate that appears in the gallery of specialty plates. Fees that are owed will be shown. Pay with a credit card. That should do it! An alternative path is to find the plate in the DMV’s gallery of specialty plates and click where it says “buy this plate”.

The old-fashioned way to obtain the plate is to download the DMV form MV-95 from the DMV website, fill it out and send it in. The Play Tennis! plate is not yet listed on this form, but the fee for the plate is $30 in addition to any registration fees that may be due.

The DMV will mail you the plate with a new registration and stickers. If you have any problems or questions, the DMV encourages you to call their help line at 803-896-5000.    

James Adelbert “Del” Merchant, Jr.
January 9, 1946 – January 19, 2013
Myrtle Beach
James Adelbert (Del) Merchant lost his long battle with cancer on January 19, 2013, at the Tidelands Community Hospice in Georgetown. He was born on January 9, 1946, in Greenville, the son of the Reverend James A. and Ruth J. Merchant. As the son of a Methodist minister, he lived in Greenville, Hickory Grove, Seneca, Dillon, Orangeburg and Greenwood. He was the grandson of Reverend James Ernest Merchant who was pastor of First United Methodist Church in Myrtle Beach in the 1950s. He was a graduate of Dillon High School and of Wofford College where he was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.
Following his graduation from college he lived for several years in Washington, DC, where he worked on the staff of Senator Strom Thurmond and then for W. R. Grace & Company before returning to South Carolina. He lived in Myrtle Beach from 1981 until the time of his death. He worked as a tennis professional at various tennis clubs and was the manager of the Ocean Creek Tennis Club until 2009. He loved tennis, golf and the University of South Carolina Gamecocks. Three safaris in Africa also inspired a passionate belief in the need to preserve wildlife.
He is survived by his sister, Carol R. Merchant of 8923 Wesley Place, Knoxville, Tennessee. In lieu of flowers, it is requested that memorials be made to Tidelands Community Hospice, 2591 N. Fraser St., Georgetown, SC 29440 or to the World Wildlife Fund at worldwildlife.org.
Services will be held at the chapel of First United Methodist Church, 901 N. Kings Hwy., Myrtle Beach, SC on Thursday, January 24, at 1:30 PM. Following the service, a reception will be held at the home of longtime friends Randy and Susan Battle, 160 Cabana Rd., Myrtle Beach, SC.
Sign a guest book at www.mayerfuneralhome.com
The Georgetown Chapel of Mayer Funeral Home is assisting the family.

The Grand Strand Tennis Foundation recognizes that diversity and inclusion are essential to achieving our mission “to promote and develop the growth of tennis”. We welcome all people who play, watch, support or enjoy the game of tennis into our events, programs, and leadership and will not discriminate against any person on the basis of age, sex, race, ethnicity, creed, sexual orientation, color, physical condition or national origin. We believe that the growth of tennis hinges on effective outreach to groups that have not traditionally been heavily involved in tennis and we will actively solicit and support the participation of such groups.

2013 South Carolina League Championship Dates

Adult 40 & Over      Hilton Head Island, SC    May 17-20, 2013

Adult 18 & Over      Aiken, SC                                May 23/24 – 27, 2013

Mixed 18/40 &  Over      Florence, SC                 Sept. 14-16, 2013

Mixed 55 & Over                 Aiken, SC                    Oct. 11-13, 2013

Mixed 65 & Over                  Aiken, SC                    Oct. 11-13, 2013

Combo Doubles (All)         HHI, SC                      Oct. 17-21, 2013

Adult 55 & Over         Isle of Palms, SC              Oct. 2-Nov 3, 2013

Adult 65 & Over         Isle of Palms, SC              Oct. 28-Nov 3, 2013

Adult 75 & Over         Isle of Palms, SC              Oct. 28-Nov 3, 2013

Singles 18/40 & Over  Isle of Palms, SC          Nov. 16-18, 2013