Cromarty Tennis Club is a private tennis club situated in the community of Sydney, part of Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality. Cromarty Tennis Club is one of the oldest tennis clubs in Nova Scotia, established at its present location along Reservoir Brook (formerly Wentworth Creek or Sullivan's Brook), in Sydney in 1902.[1] The club's address is 65 Cromarty Street, Sydney. Cromarty Tennis Club is a member of Tennis Nova Scotia.[2]
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 The four hard surfaced courts. | |
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| Former names | Sydney Lawn Tennis Club, Sydney Tennis Association, Ltd., Cromarty Kiwannis Tennis Club |
|---|---|
| Address | 65 Cromarty Street |
| Location | Sydney, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Coordinates | 46°07′41″N 60°11′19″W / 46.12818°N 60.18862°W |
| Public transit | Transit Cape Breton Route 13 |
| Owner | Cape Breton Regional Municipality |
| Operator | Cromarty Tennis Club Society |
| Type | Tennis club |
| Acreage | 1.36 |
| Surface | Hard surfaced courts (synthetic/acrylic over asphalt) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1902 |
| Renovated | 1996 |
| Website | |
| Cromarty Tennis Club Facebook Page | |
Programs offered by the club include junior and senior (adult) lessons, team tennis, competitive ladder,[3] junior ladder, club mixers and socials as well as the Cape Breton Junior Regionals, Masters Championships, and the Cape Breton Open tournaments.[4] There are both organized and unorganized playing schedules with the club operating from mid-May to late November each year. The club has between 150 and 200 members, 100 of whom are children.[5] The club also offers up to three youth summer tennis camps each season.[4]
Facilities
edit
Courts
editThere are 4 hard surfaced courts (synthetic/acrylic over asphalt). All courts are lit for evening play. The courts were completely rebuilt and resurfaced in 1996, and resurfaced again in 2002, 2006 and 2011.[1]
Clubhouse
editThere is a Clubhouse with a lounge, washrooms, and an outdoor deck overlooking the courts.[6]
Cape Breton Open
editThe Cape Breton Open tennis championships was hosted by the Cromarty Tennis Club in 1936,[7] 1940,[8] 1941,[9][10] 1942,[11] and after pausing for the remainder of World War II, again in 1947,[12][13] and 1949,[14] as well as hosting the Nova Scotia Open (the Provincial tennis championship),[15] that same year. The Cape Breton Open has been held by Cromarty each year annually thereafter.
The Open attracts some of the top tennis players from across the province, drawing 50 to 75 players in open division (men' and women's open singles, open double, and mixed doubles), men's singles over-35, over-45, over-55, and over-65, women's singles over-35, and men's and women's doubles over-35 Masters divisions.[16][17][18][19]
History
edit
The Sydney Lawn Tennis Club was incorporated by an Act of the Nova Scotia Legislature on 28 April 1893.[20] The club was founded by five gentlemen.[a]
A few years later, the Sydney Lawn Tennis Club decided to purchase about an acre of land at Sherwood, part of the Dr. McLeod estate on Reservoir Brook in Sydney. They believed this would provide enough land to construct five tennis courts, a bowling green, handball courts, and quiet grounds. The price was to be about $2,500.[21] On the evening of 24 April 1902, a meeting of subscribers to the Tennis Association were held at the offices of Burchell & McIntyre in Sydney.[22] By June 1902 two courts had been completed and were in use every evening by the players. The remaining courts were to be completed as soon as the weather would permit.[23]
A formal opening of the Lawn Tennis grounds at Cromarty took place on Saturday afternoon, 19 July 1902 and was largely attended. [Sydney Daily Post, July 21, 1902][24] The Sydney Lawn Tennis Club's Annual Tournament, held on the club's new grounds at Cromarty Street, commenced on 5 August 1902.[25]
The following year, An Act to incorporate the Sydney Tennis Association, Limited was passed on the 11th day of April, A.D., 1903. Five members were named in the Act's introduction.[b][26][27] That same year the third annual Nova Scotia Lawn Tennis Association Annual Tournament was held on the grounds of the Sydney Tennis Club.[28]
The first club house was built by 1905. The association transferred title of the property to the Kinsmen in 1958. The ownership of the property was transferred to the City of Sydney (now the Cape Breton Regional Municipality - CBRM) on 1 January 1963, and the club has since that time been operated by the Cromarty Tennis Club Society (Incorporated 22 May 1980), and its predecessors. The CBRM gives the club a $5,000 annual operating grant.[29]
Notes
edit- ^ The gentlemen were Murray Dodd, Frederick C. Kimber, Edmund T. MacKeen, John A. Young, David A. Hearn
- ^ The members were Frederick C. Kimber, Frederick C. Kimber, Howard S Ross, Henry H. McDougall, Charles P. Fullerton and Charles J. Burchell
References
editCitations
edit- ^ a b Krause, Eric. "Cromarty Tennis Club - History". Cromarty Tennis Club. Sydney, NS: Cromarty Tennis Club Society. Archived from the original on 8 February 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Member Clubs". Tennis Nova Scotia. Halifax, NS. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
- ^ Krause, Eric. "Our Summer Programme". Cromarty Tennis Club. Sydney, NS: Cromarty Tennis Club society. Archived from the original on 22 August 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ a b Colello, T.J. (14 June 2018). "Cromarty Tennis Club to hold open house and registration on Saturday". Cape Breton Post. Syendy, NS: SaltWire Network. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
- ^ MacLennan, Nicole (9 March 2015). "Cape Breton tennis players call for indoor court". CBC News. CBC/Radio-Canada. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
- ^ "Cromarty Tennis Club". Global Tennis Network. Global Tennis Network, LLC. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
- ^ "Cape Breton Open tournament". Sydney Post-Record. Sydney, NS: 13. 18 June 1936. OCLC 1081091465.
Plans were made at the enthusiastic session for the annual Cape Breton Open tournament which this year will be sponsored by the Cromarty Club at Sydney ... will start on July 20th and invitations will be extended to a number of Provincial Tennis stars ...
- ^ "C.B.Open Tennis Meet Starts Today". Sydney Post-Record. Sydney, NS: 7. 5 August 1940. OCLC 1081091465.
Play in the Cape Breton open tennis tournament gets underway at 2.30 o'clock today on Sydney's Cromarty Club courts ...
- ^ "Dates Set for C.B. Open Tennis Meet". Sydney Post-Record. Sydney, NS: 21. 1 August 1941. OCLC 1081091465.
- ^ "Rain Washes Out Finals For Men's Doubles Crown". Sydney Post-Record. Sydney, NS: 14. 29 August 1941. OCLC 1081091465.
Rain Washes Out Finals For Men's Doubles Crown ... of the Cape Breton Open Tennis Championships ...
- ^ "Keen Competition In C.B. Tourney Promised". Sydney Post-Record. Sydney, NS: 10. 15 August 1942. OCLC 1081091465.
preparations are going forward for the Cape Breton County Open Tennis tournament which opens Monday afternoon at two o'clock at the Cromarty courts ...
- ^ "Entries for the 1947 Cape Breton Open". Sydney Post-Record. Sydney, NS: 20. 29 August 1947. OCLC 1081091465.
tournament directors feel that this year's championships, first such staging since 1942, hold much interest here as well as through the province.
- ^ "Tennis Tourney Opens Today". Sydney Post-Record. Sydney, NS: 20. 4 September 1947. OCLC 1081091465.
The 1947 Cape Breton Open will launch into its opening day of play at the Sydney Tennis Club's courts ...
- ^ "CROMARTY COURTS". Sydney Post-Record. Sydney, NS: 17. 16 August 1949. OCLC 1081091465.
the Sydney Tennis Club courts step back into the spotlight next week as the scene of the 1949 Cape Breton Open championship.
- ^ "Provincial Tennis Tourney opens here Today". Sydney Post-Record. Sydney, NS: 10. 9 August 1949. OCLC 1081091465.
This morning play started at the Sydney Tennis Club courts in the first Provincial Tennis tournament to be staged in Sydney since 1933 ...
- ^ "2019 Cape Breton Open and Junior". Tennis Canada Tournaments. Tennis Canada. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
- ^ Colello, T.J. (19 August 2016). "Making a Racket". Cape Breton Post. No. 195. Sydney, NS: Cape Breton Post (Transcontinental). Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- ^ MacVicar, Greg (31 July 2008). "Cromarty to host Cape Breton Open". Cape Breton Post. No. 180. Sydney, NS: Cape Breton Post (Transcontinental). Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- ^ Colello, T.J. (27 July 2011). "Double trouble". Cape Breton Post. No. 174. Sydney, NS: Cape Breton Post (Transcontinental). Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- ^ "212". The Statutes of Nova Scotia. Halifax, NS: Queen's Printer. 1983. p. 575. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
An Act to incorporate the Sydney Lawn Tennis Club.
- ^ "The Sydney Lawn Tennis Club". Sydney Daily Post. Sydney, NS. 9 April 1902. OCLC 719815355.
The Sydney Lawn Tennis Club has decided to purchase grounds at Sherwood. The grounds will be an acre in extent and near the brook. There will be ample room for five tennis courts, bowling green, hand ball courts and quiet grounds. The property is a part of the Dr. McLeod estate. The price is about $2,500.
- ^ "Tennis Association". Sydney Daily Post. Sydney, NS. 24 April 1902. OCLC 719815355.
A meeting of the subscribers of the Tennis Association will be held in office of Burchell & McIntyre this evening at 8 o'clock.
- ^ "Two courts have been completed". Sydney Daily Post. Sydney, NS. 28 June 1902. OCLC 719815355.
Two courts have been completed at the Sydney Tennis Club's beautiful grounds and are occupied every evening by the players. The remaining courts will be completed as soon as the weather permits.
- ^ "Lawn Tennis grounds at Sherwood". Sydney Daily Post. Sydney, NS. 21 July 1902. OCLC 719815355.
The formal opening of the Lawn Tennis grounds at Sherwood took place Saturday afternoon and was largely attended. A meeting of the association was held at which a number of names were secured for membership. Refreshments were served on the grounds and several informal games of tennis were played. The affair was very successful. These Tennis courts, of which there are four rank easily among the finest and best in the province.
- ^ "Sydney Tennis Club ... Annual Tournament Commences To-Day". Sydney Daily Post. Sydney, NS. 5 August 1902. OCLC 719815355.
The annual tennis tournament of the Sydney Tennis Club will commence to-day (5 August 1902). The several matches must be played as speedily as possible, the committee reserving the right to forfeit any matches not played in due time. The preliminary round must be completed in 10 days. All the matches will be for best two sets out of three except the finals which will be the best three out of five.
- ^ "Index to Local and Private Acts 1901 - 1923" (PDF). Consolidated Public Statutes. Halifax, NS: Nova Scotia Legislature. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
- ^ "An Act to incorporate the Sydney Tennis Association, Limited" (PDF). Halifax, NS: Nova Scotia Llegislature. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
- ^ Wright & Ditson Officially Adopted Lawn Tennis Guide. 1903. p. 161. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
- ^ "Cromarty tennis court lease renewed". Cape Breton Post. Sydney, NS: SaltWire Network. 22 November 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
Sources
edit- Krause, Eric. "Tennis Research". Krause House Info-Research Solutions. Sydney, NS. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
