The Cranford Clay Courts Club

Tennis anyone?

It’s great exercise, it’s a lot of fun, and we’ve got the perfect venue for it right here in Cranford at the Cranford Clay Courts on Springfield Avenue.

I’ll bet you didn’t know that the Cranford Clay Courts were originally a part of The Cranford Canoe Club!  The Canoe Club was actually one of several canoeing clubs popular from the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s. During that period, Cranford was rapidly growing from a small town into a much more populated one, with the population almost doubling.  With its beautiful parks, and the inviting river, Cranford became a favorite summer spot for people visiting, especially from New York.  Many of them were building summer homes here, establishing a need for activities such as swimming, canoeing, and tennis for residents looking for summer fun.  And so appeared the Cranford Canoe Club, and the wonderful Cranford Clay Courts.  

The clay courts have attracted many well known players, including the legendary Bill Tilden, the first American to win Wimbledon in 1920,  and then again in 1921 and 1930.  Tilden, who played on these very courts,  was named outstanding athlete for the first half of the 20th century.

After being run by the town for several decades, locals were given the opportunity to lease the courts and create a private club back in 1992.  Thus was born the Cranford Clay Courts Club that we have today. Open April through November, the Cranford Clay Courts Club boasts members from Cranford and a number of surrounding towns. It is one of the few “soft” court clubs with a lighting system available for night play, which is a big plus. It is also meticulously maintained.

The Cranford Clay Courts Club hosts one Spring and one Summer team in the Northern Jersey Tennis League. Teams are open to the entire membership, in both male and female categories. Membership to the Cranford Clay Courts Club is open to the general public on a first come, first served basis.  Regardless of skill levels, the club welcomes players of all ages.

The club has introduced a new program for 2014 called the Club Ambassador Program. With this program, a seasoned club member will partner with a new member to facilitate the new member’s entry into the club. The ambassador will also arrange for the new player to meet other members of a comparable skill level, and will help schedule games or practice sessions with existing members. Those interested in learning more about the Cranford Clay Courts, are also invited to schedule a practice session with a Club Trustee to tour the club’s facilities.

For more information, visit CranfordTennis.com.  Then break out those racquets and head over to the courts for some well-deserved recreation!