Story of a Sport

The history of St. George’s is the story of tennis, a game that arrived from England in the 1870s sparking a tennis boom across North America. St. George’s Lawn Tennis Club is one of the oldest clubs in Canada, founded on St. George’s Day in 1885, not long after the invention of the sport of tennis.

For the first fifteen years, St. George’s consisted of three grass courts just down the road, on Canal Street. By 1900, the club re-located to Mott’s Lane—our current home—which was eventually renamed St. George’s Lane.

Almost everything you see on-site follows the original 1900 grounds layout, with a row of five courts plus the main clubhouse. The court surfaces have changed over the years, from grass to red clay to asphalt to plexi-pave—and finally to what we have today, a form of clay called Har-Tru. Three progressively larger and more elaborate clubhouses were built on this site, with the current two-story structure opening in 1964. 

St. George’s has always been inclusive, welcoming people of all ages and abilities. This approach fosters a strong sense of community and profound loyalty. Several current members have a family connection to the club that extends back several generations. 

The club has weathered many challenges, including two world wars, major economic upheaval in the 1930s depression—plus many changes to the great game of tennis. Through it all, St. George’s has remained a mainstay of recreation and competition for tennis players in Dartmouth.