Alan Fleming Sr. Open Clay Court Championship Accommodations

Alan Fleming Sr. Open Clay Court State Championship Tournament, October 6-10, 2010

 The 27th Alan Fleming Senior Open Clay Court State Championship, to be held at the Seabrook Island Racquet Club, was recently voted “South Carolina Adult Tournament of the Year”.  This is a South Carolina Level 1 State Championship event as well as a Southern 200 point tournament with 44 events including singles, doubles, and mixed doubles.Age categories for both men and women range from 40 years old to over 80 years. 

The event was originally established in 1981 under the leadership of Seabrook resident Alan Fleming, a resident of Seabrook Island along with his wife Sally. Before moving to Seabrook, Alan had been a nationally ranked tennis player whose resume included matches played at Forest Hills, the precursor to the US Open.  Alan was a NJ State champion and a National Father-Son champion with son Peter.  Alan was often ranked #1 in his age group in both New Jersey and South Carolina.  The tournament, originally called the Seabrook Island Senior Tennis Tournament, ran continuously until Hurricane Hugo forced a two year hiatus in 1989. After Alan’s death in 1997, the tournament was renamed in his honor.   His son, Peter, went on to become a tennis professional and in the early 80’s was the Seabrook Island Club’s touring pro. But, it was with his doubles partner, John McEnroe, that Peter made tennis history.  Together, Peter Fleming and John McEnroe won over 50 doubles titles including four at Wimbledon and three at the U.S. Open.

In 2001, the tournament added a fundraising component for Hospice of Charleston including the Hospice House, a 20+ bed facility opened in 2006.  Last year’s tournament donated over $30,000 to benefit Hospice.  In recognition of the nearly $150,000 donated over the last eight years, one of the rooms in the Hospice facility is named in honor of the Seabrook Island tennis community. Over the years, participation in the tournament has grown to over 250 players from all over the Southeast and beyond.  In 2007, the tournament received its current designation as a South Carolina Level 1 State Championship event and a Southern section 200 point tournament - one of only four events at this prestigious level in a nine state region.

The Alan Fleming Tournament is a great place to test your skills against some of the best players around.   We have great accommodations available for this awesome event.  Please call us at 843-768-0808 to reserve your home or villa for this event.  To register to play:  REGISTER FOR THE TOURNAMENT:  http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=84298 *******information reprinted from the Seabrook Island Club.***

Swim with the dolphins at Seabrook Island

Seabrook Island Dolphins Feeding

When you visit Seabrook Island you are almost guaranteed to see the adorable atlantic bottle nose dolphins that make their home in our local waters.  In the Atlantic Ocean, bottlenose dolphins are found from Nova Scotia to Patagonia and from Norway to the tip of South Africa. They are the most abundant dolphin species along the United States coast from Cape Cod through the Gulf of Mexico.  We enjoy a large, year round population of the ecotype known as coastal bottlenose dolphins.  In general, the coastal ecotype seems to be adapted for warm, shallow waters. Its smaller body and larger flippers offer increased maneuverability and help with heat dissipation. These dolphins are found in abundance traveling through our local creeks and along the shoreline.

In the early morning and evening the dolphins are most active as they search for food.  It's an amazing experience to watch them herd fish. They herd schools of fish against a sand bar or shoreline to trap them in shallow water where they are easy prey! Here is a picture taken by Sherri.  She is at North Beach on Seabrook Island watching the dolphins firm up their dinner plans.  The pelicans also benefit from the efforts of the dolphins.  Be sure to say hi to Flipper the next time you visit us at Seabrook Island.