7600 Graham Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90001

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Here it is, the saddest tennis court I have visited during my quest to play every public tennis court in LA County. One court was wet on a sunny day; the net on the other court was sagging and destroyed. There are plenty of trees around these courts, but on the day I visited, there was also an unleashed and unfriendly dog keeping guard over a crouching, out-of-it guy.

Sigh.

The park staff was plenty friendly, though. I mentioned to them that the courts are in rough shape. They said they are aware of this, and it is sad. They keep putting up padlocks, but people keep breaking in and using the courts as bathrooms for their dogs and for themselves.

You could see they felt frustrated. How do you keep going, I asked. They said you have to keep trying to give the people of the neighborhood a park they can be proud of. The rest of the park looked okay to me — a senior center and a big baseball field. For tennis, try nearby Ted Watkins Park.