East Hampton Tennis Club closes 2026 summer memberships, keeps tradition alive

East Hampton Tennis Club has already filled its 2026 Summer Memberships, but the club still leaves a few practical doors open for players who want court time on Montauk Highway. Prospective applicants are being told to check back next February for summer membership in 2027, a reminder that access here runs on a tight calendar.

The club’s appeal is still rooted in the old Hamptons formula: 15 outdoor Har-Tru courts, two year-round paddle tennis and pickleball courts, and a clubhouse at 178 Montauk Highway in East Hampton. It describes itself as a collegial private club that welcomes new members of all abilities, including individuals, couples and families, while keeping its all-white clothing and warm-up tradition in season.

Membership remains structured, but not closed off forever. After an introductory Summer Membership, prospective members may be invited to become full Bondholding Members the following year if they are recommended by other Bondholding Members and approved by the Membership Committee. The Membership Committee chair is also listed as the person who can guide applicants through the process, which keeps the club’s gatekeeping personal rather than purely transactional.

For players who are not members, the lessons page is the real access point. East Hampton Tennis Club says its staff of elite pros offers lessons and clinics for players of all levels, and non-members can join clinics or book a private lesson when space permits. The schedule includes adult open clinics, 105 clinics, beginner pickleball clinics, advanced-intermediate pickleball clinics, and junior clinics for kids ages 4 to 12.

The pricing structure makes the divide between members and non-members plain. Some clinics add $20 for non-members, and lesson rates are higher for non-members as well. The club also notes that clinic spots are limited and must be canceled within 24 hours, so a casual drop-in approach will not get far here. The upside is that the club is still using instruction as a bridge, not just a perk for members already inside the rope line.

That mix of selectivity and usable entry points has been part of the club’s identity for a long time. East Hampton Tennis Club, Inc. was filed as a New York domestic not-for-profit corporation on October 14, 1969, and the current operation still feels built around the same idea: preserve the private-club culture, but keep enough teaching, clinics and social play in motion that newer players can still find a way onto the courts.