The City of Atlanta Parks and Recreation Department operates 12 outdoor hard courts at Piedmont Park, all of them lit for night play (tel. 404/853-3461). No reservations are taken; it's first-come, first-served. There's free parking at the courts, and showers and lockers are available on the premises. Hours are weekdays 10am to 9pm, and Saturday and Sunday 10am to 6pm. Fees are $2 per person per hour during the day, $2.50 per person per hour when courts are lit.

The city also has 13 outdoor clay courts and 10 outdoor hard courts (16 are lit) at the Bitsy Grant Tennis Center, 2125 Northside Dr., between I-75N and Peachtree Battle Avenue (tel. 404/609-7193). Courts are available on a first-come, first-served basis. No reservations. There are showers and lockers available. The courts are open Monday to Thursday 8am to 9pm, Friday 8am to 8pm, and Saturday and Sunday 9am to 6pm. Hours from Labor Day to April are abbreviated; call ahead for details. Court fees are $2 to $3.50 per person per hour, depending on the type of court and the hour of play. There's a lot of team tennis played here; call ahead to check court availability. For information about other city courts, call the Bureau of Recreation (tel. 404/817-6766).

The Stone Mountain Tennis Center, 5525 Bermuda Rd., Stone Mountain, GA 30087 (tel. 770/469-0108), was built as the tennis venue for the Centennial Olympic Games and has some of the finest public courts in the state. There are 16 hard-surface courts, 15 of which are lit, located near Georgia's Stone Mountain Park, 18 miles east of downtown. Hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 9pm, and Saturday and Sunday 9am to 6pm. Cost is $3.50 per person per hour. Take U.S. 78 to Bermuda Road, one exit past the entrance of Stone Mountain Park.