Freshly built tennis court at the Satori Ocean House in St. Lucia. Photo courtesy of Rob and Lori Maaskant.
Owners of a luxurious private house in St. Lucia built a breathtaking tennis court for their guests to enjoy.
Rob and Lori Maaskant, owners of the Satori Ocean House, are two tennis enthusiasts who have always wanted to share their passion with others. After moving into their scenic, secluded property on the south east coast of the island in 2013, they decided that building a tennis court would draw more people into the sport. According to Lori, most tourists travel to the northern end of the island to play tennis, so they were destined to expand the sport in the south.
The pair have strong ties with the island. They started travelling to St. Lucia since 2003, and have been flying there from Canada three to four times per year since then. It wasn’t until 2008 when they purchased their property, which according to Rob, was time consuming because of a lengthy government application process.
“We purchased the land in 2008 and were able to start construction in 2011,” he said. “We found that it was important to work with people from the island who understood the process and had connections to local government officials.”
He also said that living in Canada also made it a challenging process, since materials were not readily made and had to be shipped to the island. It was an obstacle for them, but their dedication and love for tennis was too strong for them to lose sight of their goal.
After finishing that, they finally decided that they would build the court in 2018. They began building it in the fall, and it only took them three months to complete. The final product turned out to be a beautiful, freshly painted blue tennis court with a stunning view of the Atlantic Ocean.
“We built the court because we love tennis,” said Rob. “We are actually quite addicted to the game. We play as many days as we can in Canada, and when we go to St. Lucia, we do the same. Playing on the court in St. Lucia is very beautiful, as there are views up and down the coast from the court.”
Rob and Lori said that the tennis court is a great addition to what the house already has to offer. That being said, they are extremely satisfied with the final result, and believe that taking this project on was a rewarding experience.
“It is the purest of luxuries to throw your shoes on and step onto our court,” said Lori.
In addition to the tennis court, there are many different services and activities that guests can take advantage of at the house, from relaxing massages to vigorous hiking excursions. The house also includes a small, isolated beach that is walking distance from the rooms.
For more information about the Satori Ocean House, you can visit their website here. You can also follow their social media page here.
Three-month building process in chronological order
Photos taken by Rob and Lori Maaskant:
