It did not take long for Limestone County residents to begin taking advantage of the new tennis courts and sand volleyball courts at the newly-opened Athens Recreation Center located at 21821 Sportsplex Loop.

Friends Cline Jones and Ricky Green, both of Limestone County, said they have been waiting eagerly for the new tennis courts to open. Both men have been playing tennis for about 40 years, and Jones said oftentimes they can be found playing a morning match.

Jones and Green took to the new rec center courts Thursday for the first time.

“We are very excited,” Jones said. “We have been dying to get on these courts since they got the surface down in March. Finally, they opened the courts up with the rec center this week, and we have been really anticipating doing this. We’re thrilled to play on this court.”

Green called the new courts “state-of-the-art,” while Jones said they “played really well.”

“They’re a little bit gritty — your feet stick a little bit, and it gives the ball a bit of a different bounce,” Jones said. “We usually play down at the Duck Pond, and those courts are pretty worn out. These are very refreshing.”

“I really do like them,” Green said. “It’s something that we’ve needed for a while. Now they’re open, and they’re playing well. The surface is good, and we enjoy being down here.”

Jones said his daughter is a member of the Athens High School tennis team, and he would prefer the school teams play at the rec center courts given their high quality.

“This is a state-of-the-art facility we could use to show off Athens and showcase what a wonderful facility we have,” he said. “We have a young, burgeoning tennis team there, and we would like to see them grow up on these courts. These are the type courts they play on everywhere else. The city has gone to great expense, and I would like to have visiting teams come here and see what Athens has.”

Both Jones and Green also spoke of how easy they figured it would be to host a school event or tournament at the new facility given the six available courts.

While memberships are available for the amenities inside the new Athens Recreation Center, visitors wishing to use the tennis courts or sand volleyball courts do not have to have a membership to play.