Tunbridge Wells Lawn Tennis Club

With 1000 members and 21 courts, TWLTC organises various regular social and competitive tennis for all levels of players.

In summary, there is no shortage of organised tennis, and that’s before you’ve organised any of your own!

Social Tennis

Why not join us on a Tuesday (daytime and evening), Thursday evening, Friday daytime or Sunday afternoon for one of our social mix-ins? These mix-ins are free to members – just turn up and play on the clay courts during the winter and the grass courts (weather permitting) during the summer. Our café facilities are open for mix-ins and it is a great way to meet other members and organise further tennis activities.

We also host one-off events such as charity days, a Spanish mixed-doubles tournament, May Day competitions, a Christmas mix-in followed by Christmas dinner in the clubhouse and much more!

Drills Night

Every Monday at 8-9.30pm TWLTC hosts a theme-driven Drills Night with one of our coaches at the helm, helping members to progress their game and work on key tactical points to help build a more rounded toolkit for match play or general tennis enjoyment.

For the current Weekly Members’ Tennis Calendar, including Social Tennis and Coaching, please visit the Events Page.

Club Competition

TWLTC hosts various internal competitions which run throughout the year, including our Winter Slam doubles ladder for men and ladies in any combination, our very popular singles ladder, somewhat confusingly titled “the Snookerball” and our ladies’ doubles ladder.

In the summer, we also host our Club Championships which culminates in Finals’ Day in mid-July.

Teams & Tournaments

We enter several teams into the Kent League, Maidstone League and the LTA Team Tennis League.

TWLTC also hosts several open and schools’ tournaments each year including two Grade 3 Regional Tournaments, an ITF Seniors’ Tournament, the Kent Schools’ Finals and an American Doubles Tournament.

Please visit our Teams and Tournaments pages for full details.

Clay Court Care

With 9 clay courts now fully in action, it’s good to remember that all of our clay courts need proper care and maintenance. Regular dragging helps to redistribute the clay evenly, assists in prolonging the lifetime of the courts and ensures all players get maximum benefit from the surface. Please make sure you do your bit by dragging the courts after you play to leave them ready for the next players.

How to Drag

Starting around the perimeter of each half court area, players should drag the brush/net  behind them and move in ever decreasing circles, slightly overlapping with the last, moving in towards the centre of their end of the court. This will not only groom the surface to   remove foot and ball impressions, but also help to move the loose infill back towards the centre of the court. Any debris that accumulates on the drag net should be shaken off at the edge of the playing area. When completed, return the brush/net to its storage position.

Preparing the courts for the next players should only take a couple of minutes. If the courts are very wet, grooming will be less effective, but this should not be used as an excuse to get  out of the habit of court grooming when conditions are dry.

When not to drag

Wet – if dragging the courts is making more marks than it is removing then the surface is too  wet.

Light surface frost– no restrictions on play provided surface is not slippery, but it is recommended to drag the courts the night before so the infill is even, as dragging a frosty surface will not be effective.

Ice– avoid playing on a frozen surface in the interests of safety.