Meet Our Tennis Pros
Stuart Marcus
Director of Racquet Sports
Stuart graduated from Jacksonville State University in Alabama, where he competed on the Division 1 Collegiate Men’s Tennis Team for five years. He is USPTR certified with the highest rating at the professional level. Originally from Brampton, Ontario, Canada, he served as Head Professional at the Belfountain Tennis Club for three years. Additionally, he spent five years as Assistant Tennis Professional at both the Brampton Tennis Club and Regency Racquets & Fitness. He achieved a career best men’s national ranking of 27 while in Canada. Stuart has lived in Georgia since 2001 and officially gained citizenship to the US in August 2023.
Stuart began his tenure with St Ives in 2001 as an Assistant Pro and quickly made a significant impact. His dedication and expertise led to his promotion in 2003 to Head Tennis Professional, where he has since played an instrumental role in shaping the Junior Tennis Program. Over the years, he has demonstrated exceptional leadership, dedication, and expertise, consistently elevating the program and shaping the future of our young tennis members. His deep understanding of the sport, along with his commitment to fostering talent, makes him the ideal choice for this pivotal position.
Davis Dawson
Adult Tennis Coordinator
Davis has been with St Ives Country Club since 2014. Before St Ives, Davis was a full time Assistant Professional at The Manor Golf and Country Club in Alpharetta, GA. Prior to The Manor he was at the Tennis Academy of the South where he started in 2009.
Davis was part of the men’s varsity tennis dynasty at Northview High School, four time 5A State Champions. He was a highly ranked junior player in Georgia achieving a #2 state ranking and a high of #15 southern ranking. In 2010 Davis achieved the #1 ranking in USTA Open Division in Georgia. While attending Georgia Perimeter College, Davis won the NAIA Nationals for college doubles and achieved first team All-American honors. Davis has also participated in ITF Futures Professional events. As a coach, Davis has experience coaching adult ALTA/USTA teams and numerous nationally ranked as well as novice junior players.
Zeljko Ribaric "Coach Z"
Head Pickleball Professional & Coordinator
Originally from Croatia, Coach Z brings to the club over 30 years of combined Tennis and Pickleball coaching experience, having coached at club, country club and high-performance academy level in Europe and the U.S. He holds both the USPTA Tennis Professional Certification as well as the USPTA Pickleball Professional Certification. His experience encompasses coaching high-performance competitive players, adult USTA/ALTA Teams as well as coaching adults and juniors of diverse age and skill level.