By Gary Gomez, Editor: Budget Tucson
(June 2014) Who doesn’t like a BBQ? (I’m a believer that food that is BBQ’ed is smoked not grilled). Add a family atmosphere, swimming, a lawn to spread your blanket or set up your lawn chairs, good food, a full bar and a restaurant and LIVE Entertainment and you have the Tucson Racquet Club, definitely a Tucson Tradition. Friday nights from mid-March through mid-October makes this tradition very convenient. Parking can be a challenge, unless you arrive early (5pm to 5:30pm). However, a short walk to the fitness center and racquet club just makes sense. No whining.
Membership Not Required!
The Tucson Racquet Club’s Friday night BBQ is open to non-members. The price is right. $4.00 per person for adults over 17. Children 13 to17 for $2.00 and children 12 and under free. This includes the live entertainment and swimming in the pool. The outdoor BBQ is $6.00 for a burger, cheeseburger or a veggie burger. Also, a chicken breast sandwich or a bratwurst are also $6.00. All sides are $1.00; aka potato salad or coleslaw. I believe they also have beans. It’s $4.50 for a jumbo hot dog with chips. A kids hot dog is $3.00. 
I like the balcony by the bar (I don’t have kids) and I like to order my beer from a waitress. I also may get an appetizer. The thing about the burger is you have a topping bar to add lettuce, tomato and all the trimmings. They also have Ranch dressing to make a little salad. If you prefer you can sit inside in the air conditioning (if your not a true Tucsonan). The service can be a bit slow as it is usually packed but it’s always friendly and welcoming. If you’re upstairs (bar balcony), the bathrooms and locker rooms are on the ground floor. The lawn is wonderful because it’s closer to the entertainment and provides the opportunity for dancing. The music is always fun and there is always some impromptu dancing by kids and even some adults. Bring the family, meet friends or just go solo. I’ve done two of the three. I have also gone with a meetup group as well. If I miss this opportunity, I usually say to myself, why did I forget the Racquet Club last night?
The Perks of Membership
By the way, I love this place for working out. I’m lucky in being a Silver Sneaker member. It isn’t a meat market like many other clubs. There is quite enough variety of equipment from machines to free weights, from stair climbers to treadmills to bikes to ellipticals. They have classes as well, such as yoga. Of course you would surmise from the name it has a marvelous tennis facility, maybe Tucson’s best. They also have many handball courts. They have nice locker rooms, a large community hot tub, the outdoor pool, sand volleyball plus the health club. It’s like a country club without the golf course. Directions are simple, drive North to the end of Country Club. You can also ride your bike, walk or jog on the River Trail to get there.
Tucson Racquet Club
4001 N. Country Club Road
Tucson, AZ 85716
520.795.6960
