PENN TWP — A lifetime of entertainment and exercise, merely five minutes away.

That’s how the Swift family views the Butler Country Club tennis program. The family lives in a home right behind the country club.

Allie Swift, 16, has been a BCC tennis club member since she was 5. Her brother, Mark Jr., is 13 and has been a member since he was 8. Their older sister, Elizabeth, came through the BCC youth tennis program and now plays on the Franciscan University of Steubenville team.

“Our kids grew up on those courts,” their mother, Christine Swift, said. “We got this house 10 years ago with this country club in mind. It’s been a great experience for them.

“They’re probably over here playing five days a week.”

Allie and Mark both played Sunday in the 23rd annual BCC Pro-Am at the country club courts. Elizabeth played on the winning team in that event one year. Allie and Mark played in it this year for the first time.

“It means a lot because my sister played,” Allie said about the pro-am. “She did it, so I wanted to do it.”

“It’s becoming a family legacy to us,” their mother said.

Allie is a junior at Aquinas Academy and plays No. 2 singles on the tennis team there. Mark is an eighth-grader and a three-sport athlete at Aquinas, participating in soccer, track and baseball. He plays golf and tennis at BCC during the summer.

“Tennis is my favorite because I can do that with family,” Mark said.

Christine took up the sport a couple of years ago “because my kids were playing, enjoying it, and I wanted to join them.”

The pro-am features eight three-person teams, each consisting of one tennis pro and two BCC tennis club members. The pro plays seven doubles matches with both of his teammates, 14 matches in all. A point is awarded for each victory in the round-robin format.

The trio of Sewickley pro Hayden Moyer — a former BCC assistant pro — Arav Amin and Joanna Fisher won the tournament with 15 points.

“It’s an honor for club members to be selected to play in this event,” BCC tennis pro Whitney Snyder said. “This is like our all-star team. It’s an opportunity for these tennis pros to come together, enjoy a fun day of tennis and celebrate the game.

“I appreciate Butler Country Club allowing us to host an event like this.”

BCC tennis assistants, along with pros from Sewickley, North Hills, Churchill, Oxford Athletic Club in Wexford, and Mt. Lebanon participated in the event, which had a family flavor to it.

Butler assistant Braiden Smalley, the No. 1 singles player at Geneva College, was one of the pros who competed Sunday. His father, Dennis Smalley, is a club member and played on another team. Another Butler assistant, Severin Harmon, was a pro while his brother, Johan Harmon, is a club member who played on another team.

Their father, club member Doug Harmon, replaced Churchill pro Dave Bender for much of the day after the latter suffered a hamstring injury.

“Dave was forced to retire, and Doug stepped in as an emergency replacement,” Snyder said. “He did a great job.”

Following the four-hour pro-am, former BCC tennis pro Mike Kopp put on a two-hour clinic known as “California Live Ball,” where 20 players get on the court and do physical movements as directed by Kopp. The program is designed to improve one’s tennis skills.

Kopp was a BCC tennis pro in 1983-84 and now teaches the sport in Naples, Fla.

“He and I were a pro doubles team playing in Australia back in the day,” Snyder said. “We’re the best of friends. He was in town for the weekend and wanted to do this. Even after playing hours of tennis, people participated in this clinic, and there was no break taken during that two-hour period.”

“All of the families involved in the (pro-am) stayed,” Christine said. “That’s how this sport is. We do it together.”

Butler Country Club Pro-Am Standings

(pro listed first)

1: 15 points - Hayden Moyer, Arav Amin, Joanna Fisher

2: 13 - Dan Craig, Johan Harmon, Annie Tigano

3: 10 - Logan Cutts, Stefan Carlsson, Sari Morgus

4T: 9 - Kumar Sims, Emily Ivory, Allie Swiift

4T: 9 - Severin Harmon, Dennis Smalley, Tim Curci

6: 6 - Dave Bender and Doug Harmon, Will Bojalad, Dana Greenblatt

7: 5 - John Rutkowski, Matt Allen, Priscilla Bromley

8: 2 - Braiden Smalley, Mark Swift Jr., Caroline Kyne