Humana's co-founder built Louisville's only public squash court. And now it's closing

When Humana co-founder David Jones Sr. died in September, he left behind a little-known part of his sports legacy.

Now, that legacy may soon disappear.

Several times a week in the ’80s and ’90s, the Louisville native would leave his corner office in the Humana Tower and head to the basement.

There, he'd play the fast-paced racket sport popular with Ivy League grads like Jones — squash.

"We built multiple racquetball courts and one squash court,” Jones recalled in a 2018 email to The Courier Journal. "Mike (Smith, a human resources employee) tried to teach me the racquetball game but I stuck to squash, and we ultimately had about 30 to 40 regular squash players. I played several times each week when in town."

The sport has enjoyed a resurgence of interest in Louisville of late, thanks in part to those basement courts, which have been accessible to the public for a small fee. A monthly membership for non-Humana employees is now $45, up from $25 previously.

The only other courts in town are inside the exclusive Pendennis Club and Louisville Boat Club, where memberships can reach several hundred dollars a month.

But next month, Humana, which opened its new "Wel" fitness center on Main Street in June 2018, is closing the old athletic facilities where the courts still stand.

"Changes are coming this year to the Fifth Street Building that houses the Recreational Area in the lower levels of the building," according to a statement provided by Humana spokeswoman Kate Marx. "To help facilitate construction plans for the building, the entire building including the Recreational Area (that includes the squash and racquetball courts), will close on Feb. 28."

Marx declined to elaborate on the nature of the construction or when the facilities might reopen.

"We hate to see any courts closing because it limits opportunities for people to play the game,” said Henry Kelsey, president of the Kentucky Squash Racquets Association, an organization that works to promote the sport in the state.

That Jones used to play on the Humana court — his name still hangs on an outdated ranking plaque — only adds to the facility’s allure, says Collin English, a regular there.

He estimates that as many as 10 squash players and 30 racquetball players will be looking for a new home.  

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A former high school baseball player, English, 33, says he's been playing at Humana ever since he "caught the squash bug" five years ago, traveling as far away as Denver and Atlanta to compete in tournaments.

"I just love everything about the game," said English, who compared the racket sport to chess. "You’ve got to outthink your opponent."

He’s not alone.

Some 489,000 people played squash eight or more times in 2018, up 9% from the year before, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, a trade group. 

But casual participation in the sport, which the SFIA defines as playing the sport fewer than eight times in the year, was down 24% last year.

Still, Kelsey says there are more young people playing squash in Louisville than he has seen in his nearly 14 years in the sport.

Louisville Boat Club squash pro Lee Scott agreed. He moved to Louisville in 2017.

"When I first arrived in Louisville there was a total of five juniors playing squash in the whole of the city," Scott said.

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Scott says a newly created School Squash League now boasts 84 players and eight schools: Collegiate, duPont Manual, Holy Trinity, Kentucky Country Day, Meyzeek, Sacred Heart, Saint Xavier and Walden.

In April, the city will host some of the top 100 players in the world for a $10,000 tournament.

Reach reporter Alfred Miller at amiller@gannett.com or 502-582-7142. Follow him on Twitter @AlfredFMiller. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscribe.