The public courts and tennis centers I actually send people to, from the historic St. Pete clay to the best free hard courts in town.
CW
Clayton WalkerFounder|December 8, 2025|9 min read
The short version
If you want the best public tennis in Tampa Bay: the HCC Tennis Center is the flagship, the historic St. Petersburg Tennis Center is the clay you have to play once, and Julian B. Lane and Lake Vista are the best free hard courts. Pay a few dollars for clay, or walk on for free at the neighborhood parks. Every court below is on the map.
People ask me all the time where the best place to play is around here, and the honest answer is that it depends on what you want. If you want a real tennis center with groomed clay and league play, we have some of the best public courts in the country. If you just want to walk on, hit for free, and watch the sun go down, we have that too. So here is my actual list, the public courts and centers I recommend across Tampa Bay, grouped by area, with what they cost, what they play like, and who they are for.
A quick way to think about it before the list. There are two kinds of public tennis here. The first is the staffed center: groomed Har-Tru clay, a pro shop, leagues, and a small daily fee or reservation. Clay is softer, slower, and easier on your body in the Florida heat, and it is worth a few dollars. The second is the free neighborhood park: hard courts, first-come, first-served, lights on until late. You bring a can of balls and you play. I love both, and the best week of tennis usually mixes them.
Tampa
HCC Tennis Center
Hard + Clay (Har-Tru) · 23 courts · Lit · Reserve
If I had to point a visitor at one place, it would be the HCC Tennis Center on the Hillsborough Community College campus. Twenty-three courts, a mix of cushioned hard and Har-Tru clay, all lit, kept in genuinely pristine shape after a major renovation. It has hosted touring pros and the national-champion HCC college team, and it won a USTA Outstanding Facility Award, but public fees are reasonable and the clinics and round-robins are excellent. Reserve ahead through the HCC Tennis Center, especially on weekends. Open weekdays until 9pm. See the HCC Tennis Center page, part of the Tampa directory.
The HCC Tennis Center, the bay's flagship public complex, with two dozen hard and clay courts around the clubhouse.
Sandra W. Freedman Tennis Complex (Davis Islands)
Clay (Har-Tru) · 8 courts · Lit · ~$5–6.45/player
Eight Har-Tru clay courts on Davis Islands, right on the Marjorie Park Yacht Basin. It is rare for a city park to have clay this nice, and the waterfront setting makes it my favorite place in Tampa for an evening match. The City of Tampa runs it, so it charges per player, roughly $5 to $6.45 depending on the time, with cheaper rates for juniors and players 55 and up. Lit until 9pm on weekdays, free parking, a practice wall on site. Call (813) 259-1664 to reserve. Details on the Freedman page, and it is also in my waterfront courts guide.
What is the best public tennis center in Tampa Bay?
For an all-around flagship, the HCC Tennis Center in Tampa is hard to beat, with 23 courts in hard and clay and an award-winning setup. For clay and history, the St. Petersburg Tennis Center at Bartlett Park is the one to play, and Payne Park in Sarasota is the famous clay center to the south.
Where can I play tennis for free in Tampa Bay?
Plenty of public parks have free, first-come hard courts. The best are Julian B. Lane in Tampa, Lake Vista, Crescent Lake, Azalea, North Shore and J.W. Cate in St. Petersburg, and Highlander Park in Dunedin. The staffed clay centers (St. Pete Tennis Center, McMullen, Payne Park, Freedman) charge a small per-day or per-player fee.
Where can I play on clay courts in Tampa Bay?
Public Har-Tru clay is at the St. Petersburg Tennis Center (20 courts), the Sandra W. Freedman complex in Tampa (8), McMullen in Clearwater (12 of its 19), Payne Park in Sarasota (12), and G.T. Bray in Bradenton (8).
Do I need a reservation to play?
Free neighborhood hard courts are first-come, first-served. The staffed clay centers (HCC, St. Pete Tennis Center, McMullen, Payne Park) take reservations and it is worth calling ahead, especially on weekends and weekday evenings.
Where can I see all of these courts at once?
Every court here has a page on the TB Let's Play court map, where you can check surface, lights, fees, parking, and directions and find others near you.
CW
Clayton Walker
Founder
Founder of TB Let's Play and lifelong tennis player. Building the community resource Tampa Bay deserves for finding courts, connecting with players, and making the most of our region's incredible tennis and pickleball scene.
Find these courts on the map
See locations, lights, surfaces, and amenities for every court in this guide.
TB Let's Play is free. Join to find players near you and keep up with local courts.
Tip
If you have never played on Har-Tru clay, do it on a hot afternoon. It is softer underfoot, the ball sits up, and the points last longer. The staffed centers like Freedman, the St. Petersburg Tennis Center, McMullen, and Payne Park are the easiest places to try it, and a day pass is only a few dollars. The clay also stays cooler than a baking hard court, which your knees will thank you for in July.
Cal Dickson Tennis Center
Hard · 8 courts · Lit
Eight lit hard courts in the heart of South Tampa, off Watrous near Hyde Park. Cal Dickson is the South Tampa player's hub: a lively, social scene where it is easy to drop in, find a hit, or join a USTA team. The hard courts are kept smooth and the nets and windscreens are in good shape, which is more than you can say for a lot of public courts. On-site instructors run popular clinics. See the Cal Dickson page.
Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park
Hard · 6 courts · Lit · Free
The best free hard courts in the city, and it is not close. Six lit courts directly on the Hillsborough River, looking across the water at the downtown skyline, all part of a park that was rebuilt from the ground up a few years back. The surface is true, the lights are good, and it is completely free and first-come. Open 7am to 10pm. See the Julian B. Lane page.
Temple Terrace Tennis Center
Hard · 6 courts · Lit · Free/nominal
Six lit hard courts in Temple Terrace, recently resurfaced and well kept. It is a quieter, residential option on the northeast side that locals rate highly for clean, consistent courts. A good free-to-nominal alternative if you are out that way. See the Temple Terrace page.
St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg Tennis Center (Bartlett Park)
Clay (Har-Tru) · 20 courts · Lit · ~$15/day
This is the one you have to play at least once. The St. Petersburg Tennis Center opened in 1919 and is one of the most historic public tennis facilities in the country. Chris Evert won her first pro title here, and Arthur Ashe, Billie Jean King, Rod Laver, and Martina Navratilova all played on these courts. There is a tennis museum on site. Today it is 20 Har-Tru clay courts, most of them lit, groomed and watered to handle the heat, with a friendly and seriously competitive community. It is city-owned and run by a non-profit foundation, with a modest daily walk-on fee of about $15 for non-members. Worth every cent. See the St. Petersburg Tennis Center page, in the St. Pete directory.
The historic St. Petersburg Tennis Center, where the Har-Tru clay has hosted champions since 1919.
Lake Vista Recreation Center
Hard · 8 courts · Lit · Free · Hitting wall
If you want free courts and you want to actually get on, Lake Vista is the answer. Eight lit hard courts in South St. Pete, one of the largest free public complexes in the area, and a regular host for league play. The thing I love here is the dedicated hitting wall, which is rare and exactly what you want for a solo session. Free, with free parking. See the Lake Vista page.
North Shore Park
Hard · 4 courts · Lit · Free
The prettiest free courts in St. Pete. Four lit hard courts on the downtown bayfront, a short walk from the Pier, with open water on one side. They are free, first-come, and busy in the evenings when the lights come on and the pickup games fill in. Just do not confuse the public park courts with the private Vinoy clay nearby. See the North Shore Park page, and my waterfront guide for more on it.
J.W. Cate Recreation Center
Hard · Lit · Free
Out in the Tyrone area on the west side, J.W. Cate has some of the cleanest, best-kept public hard courts in St. Pete. It is free, lit, with plenty of parking and restrooms. The courts share the park with a busy new set of pickleball courts, so it has a loud, social energy and you may wait for a court on a weekday evening. See the J.W. Cate page.
Crescent Lake Park
Hard · 4 courts · Lit · Free
Four lit hard courts wrapped around Crescent Lake in a beautiful old St. Pete neighborhood. Free, popular, and a genuinely nice place to spend an hour. Great for a morning hit before the heat. See the Crescent Lake page.
Crescent Lake Park's free courts, on the water in one of St. Pete's prettiest old neighborhoods.
Azalea Park
Hard · 4 courts · Lit · Free · Tennis-only
Four lit hard courts on the northwest side, tennis-only and free, which is increasingly rare as parks convert to pickleball. A solid, no-fuss neighborhood spot. See the Azalea Park page.
Clearwater's premier public center, and one of the best public facilities in the bay. Nineteen courts in all: twelve Har-Tru clay with sub-surface irrigation, six hard, and one pro court with stadium seating, all lit, set in a shaded 20-acre park. It plays like a private club at public-park prices, with a double-sided hitting wall, shaded benches, restrooms with showers, and a staffed office. It hosts Frenchy's Gumbo Tennis Classic, the largest recreational tournament in Florida. Check rates and reserve through Clearwater Parks & Rec. See the McMullen page, in the Clearwater directory.
McMullen's shaded clay and hard courts, Clearwater's premier public complex.
Highlander Park (Dunedin)
Hard · 8 courts · Lit · Free
Eight free lit hard courts inside Dunedin's 70-acre Highlander Park. Completely free and first-come, breezy, well-painted, and close to the Dunedin community center and pool. If you are up in north Pinellas, this is the free spot to know. See the Highlander Park page.
Morningside Recreation Complex
Cushioned hard · 4 courts · Lit · Free/nominal
A Clearwater rec staple with four lit cushioned courts, easy on the legs and well maintained. A good free-to-nominal option closer to the heart of Clearwater. See the Morningside page.
Sarasota and Bradenton
A little south of the bay, but worth the drive for two of the best clay centers in the state.
Payne Park Tennis Center (Sarasota)
Clay (Har-Tru) · 12 courts · Lit · ~$10/day
Arguably the most famous public tennis center on Florida's west coast. Twelve Har-Tru clay courts in downtown Sarasota, all lit, immaculately kept, with a vibrant set-and-social scene. The best part: a modest daily fee of about $10, no membership required, gets you onto clay this good, with canopy-shaded benches and a pro shop and bar for stringing, demos, and a drink after. See the Payne Park page, in the Sarasota directory.
G.T. Bray Recreation Center (Bradenton)
Clay (Har-Tru) · 8 courts · Drop-in
Bradenton's big public racquet complex, with eight Har-Tru clay courts and a huge slate of programs. Manatee County keeps it well, and it is a favorite for clay players on the south end of the region. See the G.T. Bray page.
The HCC Tennis Center, the bay's flagship public complex, with two dozen hard and clay courts around the clubhouse.
The historic St. Petersburg Tennis Center, where the Har-Tru clay has hosted champions since 1919.
Crescent Lake Park's free courts, on the water in one of St. Pete's prettiest old neighborhoods.
McMullen's shaded clay and hard courts, Clearwater's premier public complex.