Our facility and hilltop area has a tennis history that is steeped in tradition. The Highland Racquet and Riding Club was founded in 1966, located on the Hotchkiss mansion property adjacent to our facility. The original "Masters" tennis tournament was held here for four years and included such greats as Rod Laver, Pancho Gonzales, and Billy Jean King!

 

In 1983, the Binghamton Tennis Center was born after becoming independent from the other tennis clubs in the area. For almost 40 years, it was owned and managed by the Starke family when in 2022 it was sold to Binghamton University.

 

In 2023, the Binghamton Tennis Center was renamed the Lane – Starke Tennis Center honoring the valuable and longstanding contributors Michael Lane '89 and Michael Starke.  Michael Lane, and his wife, Lisa '91, both Binghamton alumni, have been generous contributors to the Binghamton University tennis programs. Michael Lane was a former member of Coach Starke’s first tennis team at Binghamton University and a four-year standout that captured back-to-back State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) titles and won at a 78 percent clip during his tenure. Michael Starke is a Hall of Fame member who coached the University tennis program for 20 years. He produced 10 All-Americans and his teams claimed five conference titles, advanced to the NCAAs seven times and won at a 67 percent clip.

 

As the Lane-Starke Tennis Center continues to evolve, we are raising the bar for college and community tennis in upstate New York.