The Langford Tennis Club (LTC) has played on wooden courts, public land, military bases and borrowed turf over the past century – and on Aug. 9, it’ll celebrate 100 years of bouncing back.
One of Canada’s oldest tennis clubs, LTC is marking the milestone with a public celebration at its current home on the Royal Roads University West Campus in Colwood (2005 Sooke Rd.).
Pancakes, junior demos, mixed doubles and a ceremonial ribbon cutting are all on the schedule, as the club honours its roots dating back to 1925.
The public event runs Saturday, Aug. 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with about 100 people expected. A members-only gathering the night before will feature a barbecue and round-robin play with roughly 50 attendees.
“You don’t last 100 years without adapting,” said club president Natexa Verbrugge. “This club has survived through the support of volunteers, community support, and people who really care about keeping tennis alive in the West Shore.”
That adaptability has been key.
The club started in 1925 on wooden courts off Claude Road in Langford.
By the 1950s, those courts were sold, and LTC moved to Centennial Park, leasing land for $1 a year.
After several handovers between public agencies, the club was asked to relocate in 1993.
In 1998, it settled at Royal Roads – sharing courts built for the Canadian Armed Forces – where it’s been ever since.
Al Klampfer, 89, has seen half of that journey. The club’s longest-serving member, he remembers when tournaments had ball boys, line judges and an umpire’s chair.
“Everything had to be just so perfect,” he said, chuckling. “It’s a bit more relaxed now, and that’s a good thing – the sport has to evolve.”
Klampfer said volunteers have always been the club’s backbone.
“The deck here was built by members. Even the clubhouse was towed in from Metchosin when the cricket club didn’t need it anymore,” Klampfer said. "When I first moved to the city in 1975, I would've never imagined the community that I gained here."
Among the centennial highlights is a demonstration by wheelchair athlete Patrick Levis – currently ranked No. 5 in Canada. Levis trains at LTC and will showcase the club’s new automated ball machine on Aug. 9.
Today, the club has around 165 members – 120 adults and 45 juniors.
Annual membership is $105 and includes unlimited court time. Weekly play is organized for various skill levels – including beginner, intermediate, competitive and early-morning groups.
Still, the future is up in the air. The club was notified in 2023 that a long-term lease at Royal Roads may not be possible – prompting an ongoing search for a new home.
“There’s no running water, no proper infrastructure. We make it work, but we can’t invest too much if we might have to leave,” Verbrugge said.
She said the club is working with Langford, Colwood and West Shore Parks and Recreation to find a permanent site – something she says the growing region desperately needs.
“There’s a real need for more courts out here,” she said. “Tennis is for all ages and abilities. We just need a place to play.”
If the past 100 years are any sign, they’ll find one.
For more information about the centennial celebration and to RSVP by July 21, visit https://clubspark.ca/LangfordTennisClub.
