After weeks of disappointing tennis players with the unwelcome news that the famous grass courts at the Newport Casino were closed because of rain or wet grounds, Bill Rompf has spent this week taking reservations and sending delighted members and guests out to play.

"People are happy. The courts are packed. We're very busy. I haven't been off the phone for three days," Rompf, vice president and director of tennis at the International Tennis Hall of Fame, said Wednesday.

Like skiers heading to the mountains after a snow drought, tennis players are flocking to grass and clay courts in Rhode Island now that sunny, dry weather –– dismissing for a moment the forecast for the next few days –– has replaced the unusually damp and dreary weather of spring and early summer.

Some of the best doubles teams in the nation will arrive in Rumford today for the opening round of the 60th annual Agawam Hunt Father-Son Grass Court Championship. The three-day tournament is a prelude to the USTA National Father-Son Grass Court Championships starting Monday at Longwood Cricket Club, in Brookline, Mass.

Junior matches were being played at Point Judith Country Club, in Narragansett, on Wednesday, and the annual Ladies Member-Guest is scheduled for Friday. League, drop-in and junior programs are flourishing at the Todd Morsilli Clay Court Tennis Center, at Roger Williams Park, Providence.

The 10 grass courts at Agawam are lush, lined and ready to host nationally ranked teams and one former Grand Slam champion. Fred McNair IV won the French Open championship in 1976 with fellow American Sherwood Stewart. They also won the German Open and the Masters that year and finished the season ranked No. 1 in doubles. McNair won 16 doubles titles and was runner-up 21 times during his pro career. He and Betty Stove were mixed-doubles runners-up at the 1981 French Open.

After retiring from the tour, McNair joined his family's estate planning and executive benefits business. He remained active in tennis and won the USTA 35-over and 40-over titles. He and his father, Frederick McNair III, won six national father-son championships and played the Agawam tournament several times.

Fred IV will turn 59 next week and is playing this tournament with his youngest son, Seth, 12.

Rick and R.D Furman of Stamford, Conn., are the defending champions and top seed. Tom and T.C. Lackey of London, Ky., are the second seed. Scott and Scott Estes of Chatham, N.J., are third, and Greg and Brandon Stacey of Georgia fourth. Jim and Drew Parker of St. Simon's Island, Ga., are the fifth seed; Britt and Evan Feldhausen of Tucson, Ariz., sixth; Arthur and William Ellison of Shaker Heights, Ohio, seventh; and Evan Ambrose of Providence and Paul Ambrose of Catskill, N.Y., eighth. Evan Ambrose is the assistant pro at Agawam and head pro at the Sakonnet Golf Club.

Two families will have three generations of players in the draw. Lauren Stacey of Florida is playing with his son Steve. His other son, Greg, is playing with his son and Lauren's grandson Brandon. Laddie Fehr of Little Falls, N.J., is playing with his son Robert. His other son, David, is playing with his son and Laddie's grandson Riley, who is 9 and the youngest player in the tournament.

Among the local teams entered are Jerrold and Jared Dorfman, Robert and Ben Fine and Paul and Nick Cantor, all of Providence.

Greg Boyer, tournament director, said the courts were in great shape. He mentioned that 14 high-school teams played a tournament there June 26-28 — South Kingstown defeated Bishop Hendricken in the final — and the courts "were fabulous. And two days earlier, we had so much rain on them they were almost underwater and unplayable. John Mellekas does a fabulous job taking care of the courts."

In Newport, Rompf moved some of his clients to hard courts that the Hall of Fame leases or to the Casino Indoor Racquet Club. Visitors who held out for a chance to play on the court that was the site of the first U.S. Championship in 1881 were often out of luck. The grass was playable for fewer than 20 days from their opening on May 15 to the start of the qualifying rounds of the Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championships on July 4.

The Casino courts are among the few grass courts in the nation open to the public. Rates start at $90 for an hour for two players.

"It was disappointing to us because people love to play on grass," Rompf said. Bookings through the Oct. 4 end of the season are normal, he added. Major tournaments include the USTA Mouther-Daughter National Grass Court Championships Aug. 13-16, Hall of Fame Champions Cup Aug. 20-23 and the USTA Open National Grass Court Championships Aug. 25-30. A Fantasy Camp is planned during the Champions Cup.

The 10 grass courts at Point Judith have held up well, head pro Brian Shanley said, and two new Har-tru (clay) courts "during the last three weeks saved us many days."

The Point Judith Junior Girls (July 23-24) and Boys (Aug. 13-14) tournaments are popular events and open to the public. The annual Allie Boss Memorial Tournament. A fundraiser for Lincoln School's tennis program, is scheduled for Aug. 24.

In Providence, the USTA has designated the Todd Morsilli Clay Court Tennis Center as one of the Top 50 Tennis Welcome Centers in the nation. Larry Sack, head pro and director of tennis, said the 10 courts were in their "best shape in 50 years . . . as nice as any in the world."

All the rain required Sack and his staff to wait for the "ponds and rivers" to subside, reclaim the clay that had washed off the courts and then spread, rake and roll the courts. Recovering from a storm could take a half-day.

"Every day we would have to do that. Usually we stop in April or May and we're ready for the season. Usually by May 15, we're on autopilot. This year it was the beginning of July," Sack said.

Players are responding to e-mail invitations, and Sack urged customers who want to hit early or late in the day to make a reservation. Popular programs include mixed doubles, cardio tennis and leagues. More than 100 matches take place on a weekend, Sack said, a reflection of the shift away from tournament and to programs, drop-in matches and instruction.

Serving Providence Organized Tennis is in the final year of its five-year contract with the Providence Parks Department. Sack says SPOT intends to exercise its option for another five years.

Where to play tennis on grass, clay

The Newport Casino Lawn Tennis Club operates under the auspices of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and is open to the public. The complex comprises 13 grass courts, 1 clay court and 3 indoor courts. For a description of the facility and rates, visit tennisfame.com or call (401) 846-0642.

The Todd Morsilli Clay Court Tennis Center at Roger Williams Park is operated by Serving Providence Organized Tennis (SPOT) under contract from the Providence Parks Department. It is the only municipal clay-court complex in Rhode Island. There are 10 courts. For information visit spotri.com or call Larry Sack at (401) 749-1072 or Marisa Salvadore at (401) 749-1071.

The Point Judith Country Club in Narragansett can be reached at 401-792-9777

Agawam Hunt in Rumford is private.

mszostak@projo.com