Sag Harbor Tennis opens community courts, lessons and summer camp at Mashashimuet Park

A village tennis answer with real court time

Sag Harbor Tennis is giving Mashashimuet Park something a lot of Hamptons players actually need: a straightforward way onto the courts. The setup is simple and unusually legible for this market, with 8 Har-Tru courts and 2 hard courts open from May through October, plus rentals, lessons, clinics, round robins, social events, tournaments and junior camp.

That mix matters because this is not being presented like a private-club maze. The courts are run by Rob Kresberg and Brandon Blankenbaker, and the message is built around access, not gatekeeping. For families, juniors and weekend players who just want to know whether they can play here and how, Sag Harbor Tennis is making the answer easier than it is at many other Hamptons venues.

Why Mashashimuet Park feels different

Mashashimuet Park is not just a tennis site with a convenient location. It is a village institution that began in 1908, when Mrs. Russell Sage started developing the park for the youth and families of Sag Harbor. William Wallace Tooker gave the park its name, Mashashimuet, from an Algonquin term meaning “Place of the Great Springs,” and the original grounds included tennis courts, a playground and an athletic field.

That history still shapes the place now. The park is privately run by the Parks and Recreation Association of Sag Harbor, a 501(c)(3) that says it does not receive funding from local, town, county or state municipalities. Its mission emphasizes the mental and physical development of children and young people, along with wholesome recreation, which is exactly why the tennis operation feels more community-facing than clubby.

There is also a useful operational detail for anyone trying to sort out who actually handles what. The park’s contact page names Park Manager Jeff Robinson as the contact for scheduling questions and park-board ideas. In a town where seasonal sports can get fragmented fast, that clarity is a real advantage.

A hands-on tennis model, not a velvet-rope one

The current tennis identity at Mashashimuet Park has been building for years. In 2018, Rob Kresberg said he had recently leased the courts and wanted to create “more of a club and community feel.” His plan was practical, not flashy: add benches and tables, then keep people around with round robins and tennis-themed events.

That approach still reads as the right one for this site. The point is not to turn the park into an exclusive enclave. It is to keep the courts active, social and usable across the long summer window, with enough programming to serve players who want a lesson, a hit, a match or a casual event.

The staffing history backs that up. Brandon Blankenbaker was already working with Kresberg in that 2018 reporting, and a later 27 East report said Sag Harbor Tennis would open in May with Kresberg at the helm and Blankenbaker as head teaching professional. That kind of continuity matters in Hamptons tennis, where seasonal changeovers can make a facility feel like a different place from one year to the next.

What players can actually do here

The practical draw is breadth. Sag Harbor Tennis is not just renting court time and calling it a day. It is offering lessons, clinics, round robins, social events, tournaments and junior camp, which means players can enter at almost any level and still find a format that fits.

For adults, that means the park works for more than one kind of tennis day. If you want a quiet hit, the court inventory gives you surface choice: Har-Tru if you want the softer clay feel, hard courts if you want something firmer and faster. If you want competition or company, the round robins and tournaments give the site a more social summer rhythm.

The community value here is in the mix. Sag Harbor Tennis is not trying to be a high-gloss luxury destination. It is trying to be the place where a village player can book a court, take a lesson, join a round robin and keep coming back.

The junior pipeline is where the park really distinguishes itself

The junior side is where Mashashimuet Park looks especially useful to families. The junior camp page lists 2026 camp dates from June 22 through August 28, with weekly sign-ups and weekday programming. The junior programs page also lists an “Aces” Tiny Tennis option for ages 5 to 7 starting June 15, 2026.

That is a real seasonal pathway, not just a token youth offering. It gives younger players an entry point before the main camp calendar even gets rolling, and it gives parents a way to map out the summer around a consistent park program.

The presence of separate tabs for junior tennis pros and memberships reinforces that this is being organized as a serious teaching operation, not a loose pickup scene. In practical terms, that is what makes a local tennis site stick. Families need structure, not just availability.

Why the redevelopment conversation matters

Mashashimuet Park is also in the middle of bigger civic attention. The park has been the subject of a proposed $13.5 million redevelopment plan, and local reporting in 2022 showed community members had chances to weigh in on the renovation. Some residents objected that artificial turf was not included in the initial plans, which tells you how closely people track what happens here.

That broader attention matters because it confirms the park’s role in village life. This is not just a place with courts. It is part of an ongoing conversation about recreation, youth programming and the future of community space in Sag Harbor.

So yes, you can actually play here, and the answer is refreshingly direct. Mashashimuet Park offers a seasonal, community-run tennis setup with a clear staff structure, a full junior path and court access that feels built for the village rather than hidden behind it.