Orange Lawn Tennis Club (OLTC) is founded at the intersection of Montrose and Berkeley Ave. in South Orange, where it remained for 36 years.
Our story
TENNIS TRADITION AT ITS BEST
Orange Lawn Tennis Club has been serving tennis and racquet sports enthusiasts for over 140 years — and we are proud of our heritage as America’s second-oldest tennis club and one of the last remaining grass court clubs in the nation.
Our history may go all the way back to 1880, but we’re a fully modern club ready to help our members continue to set records and reach personal bests!
OUR FOUNDING PRINCIPLES
Excellent
Play
A Culture of
Tradition
Friendships That
Last a Lifetime
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
1880
1881
Representatives of 19 tennis clubs, including OLTC, meet to standardize the rules of the game.
1885
OLTC holds the Middle States Championships (from 1885-1920).
1886
The first national championships is held at OLTC. At that time, Newport, Rhode Island held all of the national singles championship matches in the US, and Orange Lawn had the doubles championships.
Pictured: Holcomb Ward is considered one of OLTC's most illustrious members in our history, as both a player and as one of the game's premier administrators.
1897
OLTC has more nationally ranked players among its members than at any time in history, most notably William Larned, who was #2 and was national champion eight times.
1911
American tennis player William Larned in a match with Charles Percy Dixon from Great Britain at an International Lawn Tennis Challenge match.
1916
OLTC moves to what was known as “Hillside,” part of the Redmond Estate, in order to accommodate a more social, larger club.
1920
Middle States Championships was replaced by an Annual Invitational Tournament until 1940.
Tennis's biggest stars frequently played at Orange Lawn, including, from left, Bill Tilden, George Lott, Bruce Barnes, A. H. Charin Jr., Martin Plaa and Robert Ramillon.
1946
The Eastern Grass Court Championships are played at OLTC for the first time. This marked the beginning of the “glory years” of tennis at OLTC when all the world’s greatest players sought invitations to Orange – the second most prestigious tournament in the US (behind Nationals at Forest Hills).
Standing room-only crowds of up to 4,000 usually appeared for the semi-finals and finals.
1956
Althea Gibson wins her 18th tournament out of the last 21 she had entered.
An American tennis player, professional golfer, and one of the first Black athletes to cross the color line of international tennis. In 1956 she became the first African American to win a Grand Slam title and went on to win 11 Grand Slam tournaments during her career: five singles titles, five doubles titles, and one mixed doubles title.
1964
Billie Jean Moffit (King) takes the women’s singles crown.
By 1968, King had claimed the world’s No. 1 ranking in women’s tennis.
1969
Open Tennis, with $25,000 in prize money, comes to OLTC.
1970
The 1970 Tournament, named the Marlboro Open, attracts the likes of Rod Laver and Ken Rosewall.
1971
Chris Evert wins the Women’s Singles, Eastern Grass Court Championship at OLTC.
1977
Guillermo Vilas of Argentina wins the $85,000 Mutual Benefit Open at OLTC, defeating Roscoe Tanner. Tennis this week draws 40,000 fans to OLTC and was televised. The crowd was entertained by an exhibition match: Governor Brendan Byrne and George Plimpton playing against John McEnroe and Peter Fleming.
1979
John McEnroe, seeded number 1 at OLTC and number 3 in the world, wins both the singles and doubles title at the Mutual Benefit Open Championship.
Pictured: Former doubles partners John McEnroe and Peter Fleming. This duo won 57 doubles titles, including seven Grand Slams (four at Wimbledon and three at the US Open).
1980
With the move of the US Open to the USTA National Tennis Center and hard courts, the Mutual Benefit Open at OLTC ends, but legends continue to visit the club and play on our grass courts.
This also marks OLTC’s centennial celebration — 100 years of tennis tradition, outstanding sportsmanship, and excellence in instruction, coaching, and play.
2018
A new era begins at OLTC, as the club is purchased by a new ownership group. Multi-million dollar renovations commence. Our indoor tennis facility opens in the fall.
The New York Times: Serving Up the Past and the Future at Orange Lawn
2019-2020
OLTC completes a comprehensive interior renovation of our historic Clubhouse, featuring fully modern amenities while also preserving the rich history of the Club and our storied mural.
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2023
We continue our dedication to racquet and paddle sports of all kinds by unveiling four newly renovated pickleball courts.
2024 AND BEYOND
At OLTC the future belongs to our members!
No other club in the nation has our connection to tennis history, our full range of year-round racquet sports amenities and activities…and can offer members and guests equally great culinary and social experiences.
Be part of a membership experience that embraces the past, present & future with equal ease.
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