History

The tennis courts at Ballantine Drive, Ayr were officially opened on Saturday 12th May 1894 as Bellevue Tennis Club. Later the club became Castlehill Tennis Club until the Second World War when play ceased. After the war members of the Ayr Fort Tennis club, who played on the municipal courts at Ayr Fort took over the lease of the courts at Ballantine drive and with much hard work relayed the courts and surrounds to reopen the courts as Carrick Lawn Tennis Club on 16th April 1949. The opening of the courts in 1894 was reported in the local press and the following is the part of an article in the Ayrshire post of 17th May 1894. (It may be of interest that the Ayr Advertiser of the same date also had a lengthy description of the opening with the next article stating –Telegraphic communication has been extended to the village of Fenwick, in North Ayrshire.)

A FILLIP TO TENNIS IN AYR.

The successful completion of the new tennis courts situated at the south end of Ballantine Drive was, on Saturday last, made the occasion of a most pleasing ceremony by the Bellevue Tennis Club, who are the sole promoters of the new venture. Upwards of 150 people responded to the invitation sent out by the committee. The players took up their respective places on the courts and began the more serious business of the afternoon. More than ordinary interest was centred in the opening match as the opposing club, Pollokshields, was known to be one of the strongest combinations in Scotland, while the reputation of our local club is confined solely to Ayrshire. The contest, though interested and spirited throughout was, needless to say, unequal; the games chronicled to the credit of the strangers being more than double those to the home team.

The ground, which was laid out by a Glasgow contractor who gives special attention to such work, measures 180 by 120 ft. and is surrounded by wire netting to a height of 12 ft. The courts being all ash, the players are to a certain extent independent of the weather, as in the case of rain the water will readily percolate through and leave the surface comparatively dry. On an elevated plain at the South end stands the club pavilion, a model of neatness. The windows which look out on the courts were artistically draped with art muslin of a shade to harmonise with the rich colours of the external painting, the whole a veritable picture of cosiness.