Oundle Tennis Club has existed since the 1920’s. It primarily serves the town of Oundle (population 5,345 Census 2001) and neighbouring villages in North East Northamptonshire. Current total population is estimated at 13,000. The club is also able to attract players from further a field due to its active playing schedule and facilities. The club is affiliated to the LTA: NTP027.

 

 

Earliest records of the club date from 1928 when the name was the ”Congregational Tennis Club”, at the time they had 18 shillings and 9d in the bank. In 1929 the name changed to the Undelian Tennis Club when Sunday tennis was allowed for the first time, play commencing at 2 pm, income tax on the club that year was 3 shillings and 9d.  There were two grass courts located, we think, on the Glapthorne Road, the average number of members was 20 and lost balls were charged at 1 shilling each.  Things continued unchanged through the war years and by 1977 the annual subscription was £6.  However the grass courts by this time had deteriorated and members were looking for an alternative venue, in approximately 1984 arrangements were made to use some of the hard courts at Oundle School. 

 

The Club flourished and in 1986 changed the name again to Oundle Lawn Tennis Club, but pressure from the school on the use of courts and from an increasing population in Oundle and surrounding villages led members to decide that they needed their own premises and approached Oundle Town Council for the old Swimming Pool site – by that time out of use and almost derelict.  Fund raising took place in earnest and by the end of 1988 there was £14,000 in the bank. With the help of an LTA loan and the issue of debentures purchased by a number of founding members this enabled the conversion of the site and the construction of 3 full size tennis courts and a short tennis court at its current location in Occupation Road. Floodlights for two courts were installed in 1989 as funds became available and in 1993 additional floodlights were installed on Court 3.

 

A regular maintenance programme on the courts means that the playing surfaces have been regularly cleaned, repaired, and repainted since then. In 1998 the club appointed Justin Chacksfield as head coach under whose leadership the junior section and the coaching programme has grown significantly. The success of the junior section and the growth of the town led to two new courts being built in 2006 on neighbouring land leased from the Grocer’s Company (owners of the public school) again with the support of an LTA loan and a further change of name to Oundle Tennis Club.

 

Membership by Year

 

Year     Adults     Juniors

1989        54           77

1991       105          77

1995       135          61

2000       106          37

2001       131          63

2002       147          81

2003       154          79

2004       153          85

2005       149          87

2006       159          92

2007       169         112

2008       156         103

 

In 2005 the club became an official Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC 02655) and in 2008 the club received the Tennis Clubmark accreditation.

 

In 2010 floodlights were added to Courts 4 & 5 and upgrades to the existing lights were also made with the help of grants from the LTA and East Northants District Council.