Both friend and foe alike have paid Stan Smith the ultimate compliment. They have referred to him as “the tennis player’s tennis player”, recognizing the display and dedication which have helped him attain a level of greatness that so many aspire to and so few achieve.
Stan Smith has played or coached tennis at the professional level for more than 40 years. He has won the most prestigious tournaments in both singles and doubles and has coached elite players and juniors. From 1988 to 1995 Smith served as a director of coaching for the USTA Player Development Program, and in 2000 he was the head coach of the men’s U.S. Olympic team at the Sydney Olympics.
Stan Smith dominated his peers in the 70’s – he was ranked #1 in ’69, ’71-’73 in the United States, and was the world’s #1 in ’71 and ’72. Smith has played 11 Grand Slam finals, was a member of 7 winning Davis Cup teams and won a remarkable 39 pro singles and 61 doubles titles. He won the US Open in ’71, and Wimbledon in ’72. He has a 12–1 Davis Cup doubles record, and he’s a four-time U.S. Open doubles winner. He and his frequent doubles partner, Bob Lutz, are the only team ever to have won the national championship on all four surfaces – grass, clay, hard court and indoors.
Smith has been a contributing editor of Tennis magazine since 1986, has had a syndicated tennis column with King Features since 1985, is the author of InsideTennis, is coauthor of ModernDoubles and wrote Winning Doubles. He still plays doubles in the Senior Grand Slam events, where he continues to enjoy competing against some very familiar rivals.He won the Wimbledon (1984 and 1985) and US Open (1984) singles 35 and over events as well as the Grand Champions Tour event in 1982, 1984, and 1986
Smith has been inducted into the University of Southern California Hall of Fame, the South Carolina Tennis and Southern Tennis Halls of Fame, and the Intercollegiate and the International Halls of Fame.
He has been the Touring Professional at Sea Pines Resort since 1971.He and his wife Margie have four children (Ramsey, Trevor, Logan, and Austin) born and raised on Hilton Head, SC.
Champion, Grand Prix Masters, 1970; finalist, 1972
Champion, WCT Finals, 1973; semifinalist, 1974
Member, the U.S. Davis Cup Team, 1968-'73, '75, 1977-'79, '81
Total of 25 U.S. national men's singles and doubles titles is second only to Bill Tilden
Grand Champions Tour, 35 And Over, 1982, ’84, ‘86
Winner of 39 career singles titles
Doubles Career Highlights
Champion, U.S. Open, 1968, '74, '78, '80; finalist, '71 ( w/ Erik van Dillen)
Finalist, Wimbledon, 1972 ( w/ van Dillen), '74, '80, '81
No. 1 ranked U.S. doubles player, 1971, '72; ( w/ van Dillen), '70, '75
Champion, WCT Finals, 1973; finalist, '76, '78
Champion, Australian Open, 1970
Finalist, French Open, 1971 ( w/ Tom Gorman), '74
Qualifier, Grand Prix Masters, 1977, '80, '81; finalist, '74
Winner of 61 career double titles
Smith and Lutz are the only doubles team in tennis history to win U.S. national titles on grass, clay, hard court and indoor surfaces
Two time champion, U.S. Open, 35 And Over, 1985
Champion, Wimbledon, 35 And Over, 1991, ’92 (w/ Fleming)
Job deBoer - Director of Tennis
Hometown: Ruinen, the Netherlands
The interesting and diverse route Job de Boer took to get to the United States is one of many reasons he may be the nations’ top tennis clinician. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina it wasn’t long before he moved to his parents’ native country, the Netherlands. In 1980, he left DelftUniversity in Holland, where he studied aeronautical engineering, to pursue a career as a commercial airline pilot.
After three years of flying, he decided to try teaching one of his favorite childhood sports, and he’s at the top of his game 27 years later. Though he’s lived on Hilton Head those 27 years, he has traveled and taught tennis all over the world, and he’s been at the helm of Sea Pines Racquet Club the last 10 years.
A USPTA Pro I, PTR ‘Professional’, and former South Carolina USPTA Pro of the Year, Job has a grasp of the game, teaching ability and sense of humor, that put him in the elite of tennis professionals. In addition to his role on the court, Job manages the staff of Sea Pines Teaching Professionals. Under Job’s influence and direction the Sea Pines Racquet Club is rated #7 in the country and #2 for ‘instruction’ by Tennis Magazine.
Job started as the Head Tennis Professional in 1991, and has been the Director of Tennis at the Sea Pines Resort since 1999. Job also is the head coach of the Hilton Head Prepatory School's girls tennis team. He and his wife Jolyn have three children (Justin, Jarryd, and Jaclyn), all born and raised on Hilton Head Island, SC.
Josh Myers
Hometown: Canton, Ohio
Sea Pines Teaching Staff Professional Josh Myers has been with the Racquet Club since 2002 after spending 6 months on staff with the Van der Meer Tennis Academy. Josh is in charge of the morning Junior Stroke and Drill programs during the Spring and Summer. In addition, Josh manages the day to day operations of the Racquet Club and pro shop and is the assistant coach of the Hilton Head Prepartory School's girls tennis team. His experience on the court started back in Ohio as the Assistant Head Professional at the Shady Hollow Country Club and Summer Staff Professional at the Hall of Fame Tennis and Fitness Center.
An Academic All-American at Baldwin-Wallace College, Josh graduated summa cum laude with a degree in business administration. He holds a PTR certification with a Professional rating.
Michael Singh
Hometown: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Michael has been a staff professional at The Sea Pines Racquet Club since 2001. He is USPTA certified Pro I and has a PTR ‘professional’ rating. Michael is an 8 time Canadian national player and received the Nick Bollettieri Most Improved Player Award, while attending the Bollettieri Academy. Michael is a graduate of Coastal Carolina University.
Mark Freitag
Hometown: Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Mark joined the Sea Pines Resort in February 2009. He has attained his PTR Certification with a Professional rating. Mark played collegiate tennis for the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA, and the University of Pennsylvania. Mark’s teaching history includes 7 years at the Julian Krinsky School of Tennis in Haverford, PA. His current NTRP rating is 5.0. Mark is also the stringer for the Sea Pines Racquet Club.
Andy Balfour
Hometown: London, England
Andy is a LTA level II and PTR Professional. He has been with the Sea Pines Racquet Club since 2006. He has been teaching tennis in his homeland England and the USA for over 28 years.
Andy, who is naturally left handed, can also play right handed up to a NTRP rating of 3.5
He is the Sea Pines Racquet Club's authority on Cardio Tennis, a new “heart pumping” fun group activity that pushes your fitness to a new level with high energy tennis workouts. Andy is also available for group and private lessons.