2001 Tournament Winners with the Mayor and Mayoress of Prestatyn (Cllr. & Mrs. John Morris) and the local Manager of the sponsoring company HSBC (Mr. Alun Jones)

The 27th Annual HSBC North Wales Open Tennis Tournament

The 2005 tournament, sponsored by HSBC, will be held from Thursday 7th July to Sunday 10th July, and application forms can be obtained from Alan Goodall, 68 Pendre Avenue, Prestatyn, LL19 9SL; Tel.: (01745) 857010; Fax (01745) 853735. Alternatively contact Ian Preston on (01745) 856069. The closing date for applications is Tuesday 28th June.

The first North Wales Open Tennis Tournament in Prestatyn was held in 1979, and it has been held here each year since. The Tournament is played over one week. For the first ten years, the format was a completely Open event, but in recent years, the Singles events have been incorporated into the Lawn Tennis Assocation Ratings system, whilst the Doubles have remained Open with a conventional draw, and the leading players 'seeded'.

Past winners of the titles have come from as far as New Zealand, Canada and Florida, as well as various parts of England and Wales.

The Winners of the 2001 Singles Titles
Men	Michael Ingham (Heywood)
Women	Georgia Smith (Heswall)

The Tournament remains one of the highlights of the North Wales Tennis calendar, and the buffet on Finals Day, prepared by the Prestatyn Ladies, has been enjoyed by players from far and wide, as well as North Wales, and by local dignitaries.

Prestatyn Tennis Club Ladies with the Buffet that they had prepared for the 2001 Finals Day

Visit the Events Page for information on other annual events taking place in Prestatyn.

Tennis has been a major sport in Prestatyn since 1905 and has in fact been played on the Gronant Road site since 1906. The present Club was formed as a result of a Public Meeting called by Mr. Jack Patterson, Clerk to Prestatyn Urban District Council. Subsequently a Committee was formed and a lease obtained from the Prestatyn UDC for the Gronant Road site.

For many years, the playing surface at Gronant Road was of red shale. It had always been maintained to a very high standard, resulting in many representative matches being played on the courts - including both County and International matches. The Club's Committee had however, for several years, been aware that whereas the normal life expectancy for red shale courts was approximately 20 years, the courts had been laid and used for more than 40 years. Although well-maintained and prepared for each season, the inevitable wear and tear had caused drainage problems. Consequently, steps were taken to endeavour to re-surface the courts.

Fund raising events had been held amongst members and supporters for several years, but the very high cost of re-surfacing seemed to put such a project out of reach. Rhuddlan Borough Council was approached and one suggestion was that a new site could be found for the Tennis Club. The Borough could have then regained possession of the Gronant Road land. This would have enabled the land to be used for development, and the Club to be provided with new courts and a club house at a different venue. The scheme proved to be impracticable however, as an alternative suitable site could not be found. The only open spaces in Prestatyn appeared to be towards the coast, and would have been far too exposed for the playing of tennis.

The Committee were beginning to despair of ever finding a solution to their problem, when in June 1993 they were offered a grant from the Foundation for Sport and the Arts. This offer enabled the Club to put into action a chain of events which resulted in quotations being obtained for new courts, negotiations with the County Council to bring forward the road widening scheme on Gronant Road, and also negotiations with the Club's landlords, Rhuddlan Borough Council.

In order to disrupt the playing season as little as possible, satisfactory arrangements were made and work commenced on the provision of five new cushioned acrylic courts in September of 1993. These courts were being laid to the top Lawn Tennis Assocation recommmended specifications. Floodlights were installed on one court, and later, in 1999, the floodlighting system was extended to the bottom three courts, allowing Club Nights to be held throughout the winter months. Work was also undertaken on the Club House, and the car park was extended.

The Club wishes to place on record its thanks to the main contractors, Platt Construction of Hawarden, A.P. Davies Builders, who undertook the Club House reconstruction work, the former Clwyd County Council for their assistance with the road widening, the Club's then landlords, the former Rhuddlan Borough Council for their cooperation, and also Prestatyn Town Council for their financial assistance by way of a loan.

These various organisations, together with the Club Committee and hard-working members, have all enabled the dream of a new tennis stadium in Prestatyn to be achieved. This development should enable Prestatyn members to enjoy top class playing facilities for many years to come.

Prestatyn's first Tennis Club was formed almost a hundred years ago in June 1905. The first two courts were laid out in Sandy Lane on land lent by Mr. Thomas Jones JP. Eventually, it was hoped to move nearer the foreshore when the Council acquired the necessary land from the owner, Mrs. McLaren.

When the courts in Sandy Lane opened on June 22nd 1905, forty members were enrolled at the ground. Subscriptions were gentlemen 5/- and ladies 3/6d. The landowner, Mr. Thomas Jones, was elected President.

Later in 1905, Mrs. McLaren agreed to the general terms offered by Prestatyn Council for a lease of the foreshore and tennis grounds. Her terms for the tennis grounds were three pounds a year. She also offered to erect a shelter there if the Council agreed to pay something towards the cost.

By March 1906, tennis had become increasingly popular in Prestatyn, and a Committee was formed to purchase ground for the coming season in Gronant Road. It was intended to have the ground properly laid out with 'every prospect of a nice pavilion being provided for the players'.

This new Club in Gronant Road opened on May 12th 1907. Its first secretary was Mr. Herbert Partington of Deva Lodge, Gronant Road. Many of its players were members of the original Club that started in Sandy Lane.

The previous year in May 1906, it was said: 'Prestatyn now has two Tennis Clubs, one starting up in Gronant Road and the other, the Municipal Courts, near the foreshore. The Municipal Courts are being looked at by the Surveyor, who hopes to have them in playing condition at an early date. The ground of the local Club in Gronant Road is in a more advanced state. Later it is expected to erect a pavilion here; we also have a Golf Club and a Cricket Club'.

Gronant Road Tennis Club continued to grow, and in July 1910 they were advertising in the local press, 'Prestatyn Lawn Tennis Club, Gronant Road, open to residents and visitors. Terms Season - Gents 10/6d, Ladies 7/6d. Visitors - Monthly 5/-, Fortnightly 3/6d, Weekly 2/6d, Daily 1/-. Three courts, balls provided. Groundsman in attendance. Hon. Sec. E.N. Partington, Deva Lodge, Gronant Road'.

In 1913, new tennis courts were opened early in May by the Club's President, Mr. Frank Mortimer of Golden Grove, Llanasa; however the report does not give the location of these courts. It was said, 'There are now six courts on the site, four grass and two of rubble, the latter are the only ones of their kind in North Wales. Mr. R.H. Jewell is Secretary and the annual subscription is 25/- for Gents and £1 for Ladies. The Summer subscription is 17/6d and 12/6d'.

Tennis near the foreshore and in Gronant Road continued to prosper over the years. Courts also existed for a time in the Coronation Gardens in Station Road. Today the Gronant Road Club is still in existence and can claim to be the oldest Tennis Club in Prestatyn.

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