BILLY FREER , Director of Tennis, was born in Springs, South Africa in 1951. He has been playing tennis ever since he can remember and became No.1 ranked junior in the nation in 1968. He was selected as a member of the South African Davis Cup Squad and toured the world between 1969 and 1972, competing in the world?s major tennis tournaments, including the Italian Open, French Open, West German Open, British Hard Court Open and Wimbledon. In fact, it was at Wimbledon in 1972 that he fell during a match and broke his back. Successful surgery in November 1972 allowed him to return to tennis. In 1974, in South Africa, he achieved his top ranking as an adult, No.2, behind the South African tennis legend, Cliff Drysdale. He joined the WCT World of Tennis in Lakeway, Texas in 1974 and became the Director of Tennis in 1979. During his tenure there he played in professional tournaments around the country. He achieved a No. 1 open ranking in singles in Texas in 1982 and a No.1 ranking in doubles in Texas in 1977 and 1978. In 1988 he was solicited by a group of businessmen to return to South Africa as the Managing Director in the development of South Africa?s Premier Golf, Tennis and Leisure Resort. He spent five years there developing the resort and golf course which was designed by Gary Player. Due to the uncertainties in South Africa, he decided to return to the United States and was contacted by ClubCorp USA in regard to the position of Director of Tennis at Brookhaven. Billy joined Brookhaven in September of 1993. In his years at Brookhaven he has secured a highly qualified group of 15 full-time professionals and 7 part-timers, who together with an excellent administrative and activities staff were named the Top Racquet Club in ClubCorp for 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999. The Club has since secured three ClubCorp Teams of Excellence Awards and was named by Tennis Industry Magazine as the Top Country Club Tennis Program in the country. In 2003, Billy received the coveted ClubCorp "Star of Stars" award and the ultimate highlight was Brookhaven Racquet Club being named by United States Tennis Association as the 2003 National Tennis Organization of the Year. In 2005 Racquet Sports Industry Magazine named Brookhaven Racquet Club the "Top Private Tennis Facility in the nation" and also named the tennis pro shop "one of the best 10 tennis pro shops in the nation". Billy married Lori in 1982 and they have two sons, Jimmy and Eddie.
