Chesapeake buys tennis club for $1.8 million
by Kevan Goff-Parker
The Journal Record
8/9/2006

OKLAHOMA CITY – Members are still hitting serves and volleys, but the future of a long-standing Oklahoma City tennis club is up in the air.

Santa Fe Club LP sold the Santa Fe Club, at 6300 N. Santa Fe Ave., to Chesapeake Land Co. LLC for $1.8 million on July 31.

Tom Price, senior vice president of investor relations for Chesapeake Energy Corp., confirmed Chesapeake’s purchase and that Chesapeake has had discussions with the Knights of Columbus, which has assets near the Chesapeake Energy Corp. campus, about a possible real estate swap.

“Nothing has been completed yet,” Price said.

Colin Robertson, current manager and former co-owner of Santa Fe Club, said he and his partner, attorney Kent F. Frates, have leased back the indoor tennis club at least until the end of September. The club is fully operational.

The interim lease will allow the facility to operate as the club’s future is negotiated. Built in 1974, Republic Bank sold the property then known as The Courts to Santa Fe Club LP in 1988. The 40,818-square-foot facility has six indoor and six outdoor courts, aerobic and weight training rooms, three squash courts and an outdoor volleyball area.