Doylestown Tennis Club

Realization of a dream.
By Brenda Lange

At an age when many are settling into the routine that will carry them through the end of their working years, Ed Mullaney, owner of Doylestown Tennis Club, decided to say goodbye to his career in sales and take a bold step into his future.

That was 37 years ago, and the realization of his dream is still going strong.

Mullaney was new to Bucks County, moving from Schenectady, NY, in 1970. He sang in the folk music group at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Doylestown, where future partner Duane Murner played guitar. The two hit it off, and soon discovered they shared a dream of owning their own business.

Starting innocently enough over a chat on the porch, Mullaney and Murner raised and discarded a variety of business possibilities: specialty food stores, greeting cards, the music business. Nothing “grabbed them” until they came up with the idea of opening an indoor tennis arena.

“This was 1972, when it was still a novelty to play tennis in the winter,” Mullaney remembered.

The two had never played the game, but they knew tennis had grown in popularity, and they felt the Doylestown area was “hot for it.”

The only problem was that neither man had any money to dedicate to the venture.

Their original estimate of $100,000 to $150,000 proved way off. The final tally was about six times that, but they didn’t know that going in, and they simply plowed ahead.

“We had agreed that we were going to give this our all, and wouldn’t settle for anything that wasn’t of the highest quality,” said Mullaney.

The pair started by visiting regional tennis clubs and searching for the right parcel of land in the Doylestown area. They found a five-acre tract at the current intersection of Route 313 and Pine Run Road, and began meetings with banks and potential investors.

The time commitment became too great to continue part-time, so the partners decided Mullaney would leave his job with Scott Paper, where he had been a sales manager for nine years. He borrowed $5,000 to live on for a while, until the business got off the ground, and could support him as its manager. Murner stayed with the insurance company he worked for, but managed much of the paperwork and bookkeeping.

Gradually all the details came together. One after another, bankers and private investors alike turned them down. On the 22nd try, they finally were approved for a $500,000 loan from a Philadelphia bank. Then they were backed by a group of physicians for an additional $100,000 and the final $50,000 came from another private investor, originally from Mullaney’s hometown of Scranton. Then they bought the land and found a contractor.

Originally named the Doylestown Racquet Club, it opened its doors on September 13, 1973, about 18 months after inception. Nearly 1,000 visitors showed up the first weekend!

The building is huge—at 354 feet by 120 feet—and houses eight courts, located on both sides of the lobby, where large windows offer views of the players. A kitchen, offices and a pro shop are adjacent to the lobby; a locker room is downstairs. Four courts and a parking lot are outside.

Today the club is managed by Mullaney and his wife Karen, along with a staff of 25, who Mullaney is quick to praise, calling them “people people,” including four full-time pro instructors. About 1,800 members play socially and competitively with leagues for women, men, juniors and mixed doubles.

“Excellence starts at the top,” says Karen Mullaney. “Ed has promoted a feeling of camaraderie and family and we’ve been blessed with the best employees possible.”

“We put money back into the club, upgrading every year,” adds Ed Mullaney. “We also chose to remain as a pure tennis club, and a USTA (United States Tennis Association) representative has told us we are one of the most active clubs in the tri-state area, and the best run.”

One upgrade made years ago, was the addition of full-spectrum lighting in the clubhouse and locker rooms, which simulates daylight and is healthier. Another innovation is the voice-over video training center. One of only six in the country, it provides personalized videos for players.

To further explain their success, Karen Mullaney quotes from a note from the father of one of their junior players: “Your facilities were up-to-date, clean and player and visitor friendly. Your staff was well organized, polite and helpful, and handled the event with respect for USTA rules, courtesy and good old common sense.”

“We worked through blood, sweat and tears to take a shot at the brass ring,” Mullaney recalls of the early days with Murner, “and we succeeded beyond our wildest dreams.”

For more information, contact the club at (215) 345-7897 or online at www.doylestowntennis.com.

Brenda Lange is a Doylestown-based writer (www.brendalange.com).