Coolhurst Lawn Tennis and Squash Rackets Club
A Very Short History
Coolhurst was founded as a Tennis Club in 1903 by members of the Crouch End and District YMCA, and originally had a maximum permitted membership limited to twenty four. ‘Fairfield Tennis Club’ as it was first known, moved to its present site below Avenue Road in 1904 when it took over four courts previously occupied by the Avenue Tennis Club. Also in 1904, the name of the Club was changed to The Coolhurst Lawn Tennis Club.
In 1907, the Club severed its formal link with the YMCA and reformed itself as a fully independent club. Over the years there followed a series of amalgamations and increases to the number of permitted members with Coolhurst now occupying 11 Tennis Courts and having well over five hundred active Tennis members, including over one hundred juniors. Sadly, the original annual subscription rates “Ladies 10/- & Gentlemen 15/- “ have also increased.
The Squash Section was formed in the late 1930’s with the building of Squash Courts 1 and 2; and following the admission of the first Squash members there came a request to apply for a licence to serve alcoholic beverages that spelt the end of tea being the dominant drink at the Club. Two further Squash courts were built in the early 1970’s to accommodate a current Squash membership of over three hundred, including the Junior section.
Although there has been club house and bar for many years, the old pavilion, which still stands and provides space for a small gym and a studio that is used for aerobics, yoga etc. was replaced by a much larger and more attractive Club House in the mid 1980’s.
In the late 1960’s Coolhurst purchased an inflatable balloon that was erected over one of the Tennis courts each winter to provide one of the first indoor courts in London. This balloon continued in service until a decision was taken in 2004 to replace it with a modern, much improved style double balloon that can cover two courts each winter.
The Club has changed enormously form its humble beginning with its 24 members and will no doubt continue to change in future; indeed the Club Committee is already thinking what can be done beyond this last improvement of a double balloon.
A few milestones in Coolhurst's history