Hamilton Lawn Tennis Club
Hamilton Lawn Tennis Club (HLTC) is a tennis club located at Blackswell Lane in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The club consists mainly of artificial grass courts, and is known as 'an affordable firm favourite for a wide range of ages and abilities'.
Formation
The actual formation of the club goes back a long way. On 26 March 1884, a meeting of gentlemen who were for the formation of the lawn tennis club was held in a Hamilton hotel. HLTC was the third lawn tennis club to be formed in Scotland, and was formed seven years after the world-famous All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon was formed.
Location of club
A sub-committee was elected in the year of HLTC's formation, before a site for the club was found. Various different fields and premises were explored by the sub-committee, who eventually decided to rent out fields in Auchincampbell. They were to play there for a year before moving again due to high rental costs.
HLTC re-located to a site in Hutton Bank, Hamilton, where two ash courts were created, the weather back then having a major influence on the change from lawn to ash. On 30 March 1885, the club were admitted into the West of Scotland Tennis Association. A year later, a clubhouse was built and two further courts were constructed. The Duke of Hamilton was known to be the president of the club in 1898.
Death and Re-birth
HLTC went into liquidation in 1902 as some of the premises were lost due to road construction, but immediately afterwards the club was reborn in premises at Blackswell Lane. A new company known as Ballantyne & Jackson constructed new courts for just £2, and paid extra for working order of the courts and nets. It is known that in 1922, the new courts were purchased by the Duke of Hamilton. During World War II, the courts were closed and covered over to give working war troops a dancefloor for leisure time.
The club today
As of 2012, the HLTC has 4 artificial grass courts, and a set of floodlights non-chargeable. The clubhouse has recently undergone a refurbishment, and there is car-parking space within the club. There is no joining fee for any new members of the club, and the club is always welcoming to new members regardless of age and ability. The club is based approximately 40 metres from the Regent Shopping Centre in the town centre.