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\nThe original wood courts which the club played on between 1925 and 1956. Photo courtesy of\u00a0Rod Bayles. <\/p>\n
Public invited to Aug. 9 celebration as one of Canada\u2019s oldest tennis clubs honours its history<\/p>\n
The Langford Tennis Club (LTC) has played on wooden courts, public land, military bases and borrowed turf over the past century \u2013 and on Aug. 9, it\u2019ll celebrate 100 years of bouncing back.<\/p>\n
One of Canada\u2019s oldest tennis clubs, LTC is marking the milestone with a public celebration at its current home on the Royal Roads University West Campus in Colwood (2005 Sooke Rd.).<\/p>\n
Pancakes, junior demos, mixed doubles and a ceremonial ribbon cutting are all on the schedule, as the club honours its roots dating back to 1925.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The public event runs Saturday, Aug. 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with about 100 people expected. A members-only gathering the night before will feature a barbecue and round-robin play with roughly 50 attendees.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t last 100 years without adapting,\u201d said club president Natexa Verbrugge. \u201cThis club has survived through the support of volunteers, community support, and people who really care about keeping tennis alive in the West Shore.\u201d<\/p>\n
That adaptability has been key.<\/p>\n
The club started in 1925 on wooden courts off Claude Road in Langford.<\/p>\n
\nThe original wood courts which the club played on between 1925 and 1956. Photo courtesy of\u00a0Rod Bayles.
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By the 1950s, those courts were sold, and LTC moved to Centennial Park, leasing land for $1 a year.<\/p>\n
After several handovers between public agencies, the club was asked to relocate in 1993.<\/p>\n
In 1998, it settled at Royal Roads \u2013 sharing courts built for the Canadian Armed Forces \u2013 where it\u2019s been ever since.<\/p>\n
Al Klampfer, 89, has seen half of that journey. The club\u2019s longest-serving member, he remembers when tournaments had ball boys, line judges and an umpire\u2019s chair.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything had to be just so perfect,\u201d he said, chuckling. \u201cIt\u2019s a bit more relaxed now, and that\u2019s a good thing \u2013 the sport has to evolve.\u201d<\/p>\n
Klampfer said volunteers have always been the club\u2019s backbone.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe deck here was built by members. Even the clubhouse was towed in from Metchosin when the cricket club didn\u2019t need it anymore,\u201d Klampfer said. “When I first moved to the city in 1975, I would’ve never imagined the community that I gained here.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\nNatexa Lebrugge\u00a0(left) and Al Klampfer stand in front of their home base in Colwood.\u00a0\u00a0Tony Trozzo\/Goldstream News Gazette
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Among the centennial highlights is a demonstration by wheelchair athlete Patrick Levis\u00a0\u2013 currently ranked No. 5 in Canada. Levis trains at LTC and will\u00a0showcase the club\u2019s new automated ball machine on Aug. 9.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Today, the club has around 165 members \u2013 120 adults and 45 juniors.<\/p>\n
Annual membership is $105 and includes unlimited court time. Weekly play is organized for various skill levels \u2013 including beginner, intermediate, competitive and early-morning groups.<\/p>\n
Still, the future is up in the air. The club was notified in 2023 that a long-term lease at Royal Roads may not be possible \u2013 prompting an ongoing search for a new home.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no running water, no proper infrastructure. We make it work, but we can\u2019t invest too much if we might have to leave,\u201d Verbrugge said.<\/p>\n
She said the club is working with Langford, Colwood and West Shore Parks and Recreation to find a permanent site \u2013 something she says the growing region desperately needs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a real need for more courts out here,\u201d she said. \u201cTennis is for all ages and abilities. We just need a place to play.\u201d<\/p>\n
If the past 100 years are any sign, they\u2019ll find one.<\/p>\n