CITY PARK TENNIS CLUB: A BRIEF HISTORY

Tennis has grown in City Park from a curious “attraction” in 1901 to a major enterprise.  In 1922 the Park provided the public with seventeen courts- which had proven not to be sufficient for those who wanted to “play.”

The Park took an important step to booster tennis in the late twenties by encouraging the formation of the first club in 1928.  Thirteen tennis enthusiasts organized the City Park Tennis Club on March 9, 1928, and elected as officers:  Tennis Pro William Macassin, Frank R. Wood, Claude Viglia and Charles McCutcheon.  By 1931 a charter membership of twenty-four increased to sixty.

Sometime in the thirties the Club made an offer to the Park to guarantee the amount of $1,000.00 for the annual rental of six courts plus rental for three additional courts if the City Park Board would build more courts.  The Board agreed to the offer and the nine courts were built at the cost of $9,000.00, six being assigned to the Tennis Club.

Today the City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center, officially opened March 24, 2011, is the largest tennis facility in the New Orleans Metropolitan Area with a 3700 sq. ft. Club House, 15 hard courts, 10 clay courts and 4 pickleball courts.

While the City Park Tennis Club is no longer directly affiliated with the City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center, we still call it our home and our mission has expanded to promote, advance, and encourage the sport of tennis in the Greater New Orleans area.

Taken in part from past President, Buddy Broussard’s interview on the club’s history.