Brookdale_tennis_1 Regulars at the Brookdale Park tennis courts tell us they’re not liking the change in management that took place several months ago, when Tom Bologna of Tennis Resources, who had the franchise for 8 years, was quietly replaced with Elite Tennis. The biggest complaint seems to be that Elite keeps the bathrooms locked and players often show up before management comes to unlock them. But Bologna says that Elite is living up to its name and treating the county facility like a private country club: “They won’t even let a kid and a dad go on the court with a ballhopper.” Bologna has relocated to the Mountainside courts across from the Iris Gardens in Upper Montclair. Elite didn’t return our call.

7 replies on “Under New Management”

  1. Boy, do I miss Tom. He used to hold drop-in clinics on most mornings of the week; you’d show up, do some tennis, and pay him afterwards for the session. Elite’s policy is a Catch-22: they want you to pay for 8 or 10 weeks in advance for clinics, but they won’t start one until enough people sign up. Last I asked, they were just waiting.
    Incidentally, I heard that Plofker had put in the fix with the town in years past to get Tom the gig, but that this year for some reason he couldn’t (or wouldn’t) pull the strings. I prefer to believe this is true because it allows me to hate Plofker for getting his way (Marlboro Inn) and hate him for not getting his way.

  4. I don’t play but my husband does and I am very familiar with the courts. I know “Tom” but my daughter has taken lessons from “Pat” since she was seven. If I could locate the brochure from Elite which I’d requested, I’d quote the exorbitant fees they charge for “camp”.
    Since my daughter will be a Freshman at BHS in Sept and’ll play for the team, I’m wondering what this changeover will do (if anything) to Brookdale being BHS’s home courts.

  5. last summer my son and his friends starting going to the courts to play tennis just for the fun of it. tom was great, always friendly but professional. the rates were cheap and tom was just a nice helpful presence. i am so sorry that he is not there. my son wouldn’t have gone if it felt at all exclusive. the pleasant, low key atmosphere made it welcoming to him.

  7. It looks to me like Tom was on the wrong side of a political deal that Elite cut with the county. Tom is upstanding and gives great lessons…he hasn’t disappeared, only moved across town.

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