As part of its Davis Cup coverage the Winston-Salem Journal revealed that Don Flow, the local businessman who spearheaded the effort to bring the Cup to Winston-Salem, is also pursuing the US Men’s Clay Court Championships.  From the article:

Flow is trying to
acquire the rights to the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships, which
will be held in Houston for the final time next week and is now up for
bid. If successful, Flow would bring professional tennis back to
Winston-Salem on an annual basis, with a week-long tournament that he
hopes would become a springtime celebration involving various factions
of the community.

The U.S. Men’s Clay
Court Championships is a sanctioned ATP International Series tournament
and has been operated by a private group in Houston for the past seven
years. But it is actually owned by the United States Tennis Association.

So Flow has been making his pitch to USTA executives this week while they are here for the Davis Cup.

It’s an innovative
pitch, too, not just a promise to write a check for the USTA’s $250,000
rights fee. It involves the creation of a non-profit organization to
run and oversee the tournament, with the profits going to local
charities. It involves a commitment to build a tennis complex on the
Dixie Classic Fairgrounds next to Joel Coliseum, with a stadium that
could be used year-round for other community activities ranging from
outdoor concerts in the summer to other non-sporting gatherings.

As a lifelong tennis fan/player and someone who’s spent a large part of his career in the non-profit sector I can tell you that this would be a dream gig.  Mr. Flow, if you’re looking for help I’m here to tell you that I’m throwing my hat in the ring for consideration.  You can find my contact info here.