An enlarged field will compete in the 2011 USTA Southern Super Seniors Section Championships Dec. 2-4 in Hilton Head Island, S.C.

This is the second year in the championships’ history 70s women will play at the 4.0 level and the 4.0 70s men have a 10-team competition.

There are about 70 teams entered in 60s (60 years and older) and 40 teams in the 70s (70 years and older). The 60s teams will battle for the right to represent USTA Southern in the USTA League Super Seniors National Championships, 6.0 & 8.0: April, 20-22, 2012; Surprise, Ariz., 7.0 & 9.0: April 27-29, 2012; Surprise, Ariz.. There are no national championships for the 70s.

The teams are scheduled to play about 422 team matches consisting of 1,266 matches of doubles. Here are the levels that will be played: men’s and women’s 60s, levels 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5, men’s and women’s 70s, levels 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0. Eleven levels will be decided in a championship match set for Dec. 5. Five levels will be decided by round-robin competition.

This year’s event will draw the top teams from throughout the section’s nine states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The teams – which represent various clubs, parks, recreational departments and organizations – have finished at the top of their local leagues and advanced through state tournaments.

Matches will be played at four sites: Van Der Meer Shipyard Racquet Club (main site), Palmetto Dunes Racquet Club, Port Royal Racquet Club, Sea Pines Country Club, South Beach Racquet Club and Long Cove Club.

“Hilton Head Island is a fantastic resort destination and we look forward to a great tournament,” explained Tournament Director Chris "CJ" Walling. “The island provides great tennis facilities and hotels within 10 miles of each other, providing extraordinary convenience for our players. Additionally, there is a host of outstanding attractions for our hundreds of players.”

This year marks the 31th anniversary of the USTA League. Established in 1980, it has grown from 13,000 participants in a few parts of the country in its first year, to over 625,000 players across the nation today, making it the world’s largest recreational tennis program.