The women's team season at South Olive Tennis Center began the week of October 5 and runs through April 30. For now, the courts run the way South End players have long known them. Skip Jackson is still the director, and recreational play on the hard courts is still free.
A draft three-year contract would change that on May 1, 2027. Operations at South Olive would pass to Let's Play Tennis, a Palm Beach-based firm, and for the first time residents would pay to play. That fee is a direct result of the rebuild. The city put South Olive's operations out to bid only after the courts had been improved, so the renovation players welcomed last December is also what started the change.
The Courts Got Better First
For years the city built up tennis at South Olive and Howard parks by hiring pros to run the programs. Both directors took over courts that were in poor shape. Once West Palm Beach improved those courts with money from a $30 million parks bond, it put the operating contracts out to bid.
South Olive's share was a $2.5 million renovation that closed the center for about six months. Players came back in early December 2025 to new blue-and-green hard courts where the old surface had been cracked. Three courts were added, for a total of 12, which makes it less likely that recreational players get turned away while team practices or lessons are running.
The same bond-era push reached two other city centers. Howard Park Tennis Center was rebuilt. At Gaines Park, $14.8 million in improvements is meant to produce an expanded eight-court center, and that work was still underway when the renovated South Olive courts reopened. All three would go to a single operator under the pending contract.
How the Operator Changed Twice
The current arrangement took nearly a year of reversals to reach. The sequence explains why South Olive's handoff date is so far behind the other two centers:
- November 17, 2025. The city announced that city staff had chosen USTA Florida, the Orlando-based arm of the sport's national governing body, to run South Olive, Howard Park and Gaines.
- Early December 2025. The renovated South Olive courts reopened, with Jackson still in charge of the programs there.
- February 2, 2026. The city canceled the director's month-to-month agreement. The director and his team returned about a week later under a revised agreement.
- Early 2026. The City Commission voted 4-1 to overturn the USTA Florida award and pick Let's Play Tennis instead. The Palm Beach Post dates the vote to February 17. Stet News describes the award as coming in January.
- Mid-August 2026. The director dropped his lawsuit over the bidding process. Under the settlement, the director can stay at South Olive through the end of the women's team season. Contract negotiations with Let's Play Tennis began after that.
- September 18, 2026. The date printed on the draft contract the city released. It hands over Howard Park and Gaines when the agreement takes effect, and South Olive on May 1, 2027.
That gap is why South End players get one more season under the old arrangement than players at the other two centers. Howard Park and Gaines would change operators as soon as the contract is final. South Olive waits until the team season ends.
Who Takes Over in May
Let's Play Tennis is led by Cameron Lickle, a former tennis professional who stood out at the U.S. Naval Academy. His business partner is Gulf Stream resident Kevin Anderson, who was once ranked No. 5 in the world. Under the draft, the two would take over South Olive in May. Lickle has not commented on the negotiations or the timing. He cited the city's "cone of silence," the procurement rule that bars bidders from lobbying elected officials.
Whether the current staff stays after the handoff is an open question. Stet News reported that people close to the director consider it unlikely he would work for the new operator or receive an offer. No plans for him after April have been reported.
What the Draft Prices Look Like
Stet News reported on October 5 that the city has set a fee schedule to take effect once Let's Play Tennis takes over. As reported, it includes:
- South Olive, peak hours, city residents: $9 an hour
- Gaines Park, peak hours, city residents: $6 an hour
- Off-peak: lower rates in the middle of the day
- Nonresidents: nearly double the resident rate
- Annual permits: up to $1,380 for unlimited play at all three centers
The most useful comparison is with Howard Park, which has always charged. Its courts are clay, which costs more to maintain than hard courts. Under the draft, South Olive's hard courts would become paid courts too. A longtime Gaines Park clinic organizer told Stet that hard courts need little maintenance and that the city's centers should all charge the same rate. The city has not explained why South Olive's peak rate is higher than Gaines Park's.
The reporting leaves three things out. It gives no exact off-peak rates. It doesn't list the permit tiers below the $1,380 maximum. And it doesn't define peak hours beyond saying the off-peak window falls midday. A permit for all three centers is new for South End players either way. A single annual pass would cover South Olive's hard courts, Howard Park's clay and the expanded Gaines center.
What Stays the Same Until April 30
The fees described so far are prospective. They start only when the new operator takes over, so free recreational play at South Olive is expected to continue for the rest of Jackson's term. South Olive's own program website still lists Jackson as director and operator. It also posts a 2026 program waiver under Skip Jackson Tennis Inc.
The program menu continues through the season. It includes Triples clinics, adult leagues and ladders, mixers, and junior programs at the Foundation/Development and High Performance levels. The public schedule page doesn't list specific fall or winter session dates or prices. Court reservations for lessons, camps and tournaments go through West Palm Beach Parks and Recreation at (561) 804-4900.
The park around the courts keeps its own calendar. The South Olive community center holds adult open-gym pickleball on Tuesdays from 5:45 to 7:45 p.m., September through December, at $2 for residents and $3 for nonresidents. It meets in the gym, not on the tennis courts. The same city page lists Kids' Night In on November 13 and December 11.
What Is Still Unsettled
As of the October 5 report, the deal with Let's Play Tennis was still a proposed agreement, not a final one. The May 1 handoff and the $9 peak rate come from a draft. They could change before the commission signs off.
Gaines Park also affects the timing. The draft hands Gaines to the new operator right away, but the city's facility rentals page still labels the Gaines tennis center "Coming Soon!" The city's bond-project update lists 2026 as the estimated completion date, with no firmer reopening date.
For South End residents, the nearest public forum is close to home. The South End Neighborhood Association meets at the South Olive community center on November 12 and December 10. Both meetings fall before the contract's South Olive date and well inside the season that ends April 30.
If you'd like to talk through how park and amenity changes like South Olive's are shaping daily life south of Southern Boulevard, Elizabeth DeWoody follows these neighborhood decisions closely and is glad to share what she's watching. Work With Elizabeth.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
