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• Silent Auction
• Year End Fun Day

• Grass Court Classic
• Van. Is. Grass Court Championship
• Junior Grass Court Championship
•  Mixed Doubles TKO
• Past Years' Results
• Photos of Past Winners
• Link to Accomodations

Our History

The South Cowichan Lawn Tennis Club is now the only tennis club in Canada playing on lawn and is also one of the two or three oldest tennis clubs in Canada. It was founded in 1887, only thirteen years after the modern game of tennis was devised and only ten years after lawn tennis was introduced to British Columbia by Chief justice Sir Matthew Baillie Begbie in Victoria. At the club's 100th Anniversary celebration, Jim Cochrane, a member of Wimbledon visited the club to bring official greetings.

The original site was a short distance to the east, on the Pimbury farm. There being room for only two courts, G. T. Corfield, a member, offered the club the use of a portion of his farmland on which six courts were laid out and a pavilion built in 1906, with play commencing the following year. The courts were kept level and compact with a gigantic roller pulled by horses wearing enormous leather boots to minimize hoof prints. During the tournaments in later years, the roller was hand pulled, requiring at least six persons, like oxen to pull it, some of them defeated competitors doing a form of penance. The club now has seven grass courts and two hard surface courts.

When Corfield died, his will stipulated the club could use the property in perpetuity, on one condition - that lawn tennis be played, a unique arrangement that has ensured the continuance of the grass courts.

The club was for long the social life in the Cowichan Valley. A member at the turn of the century was destined to be the world-famous, Robert Service, the Bard of the Yukon. Although he played on the original site he would have been thoroughly familiar with the present site under the magnificent spreading maple trees surrounding the club.

Many outstanding players have come to "the Cowichan" as the club and its tournaments became affectionately known. Before the Great War, Ossie Ryall, probably Canada's greatest player, played here. Between the two world wars, two members, Frank Kingston and Norman Corfield, achieved national prominence. Following World War II many outstanding American players came here who achieved US national ranking; among them Bradshaw Harrison, Doris Popple, Tom Gorman, Dodo (Bundy) Cheney, Sam Lee and Emery Neale. Many top flight Canadians played the Cowichan such as Phil Person, Paul Willey, Jean Bardsley and Ron Sidaway.

In 1987 the Second Century Fund was established as an endowment, administered by the Royal Trust Company in Victoria, to assist maintenance of the lawn courts. Friends who value the tradition and pleasure of lawn tennis can help by making a donation to the Fund. Cheques payable to "2nd Century Fund" can be sent to the club:
P.O. Box 717, Duncan BC, Canada V9L 3Y1

Prepared by: David Ricardo Williams Q.C. Local Historian and Author

Flood of 2004