Our History:

In March 1979, a group of Orcas Island friends were enjoying a vacation on Maui, which included several tennis matches. They had so much fun that they decided to keep playing when they returned home, but they had one major problem: Orcas Island did not have any tennis courts! The three couples (John and Betty Burns, Ken and Grace Hendricks, and Hal and Carolyn Cook) enlisted friends Sue and Bill Sutton and Peg and Bill Lindesmith to join them as founders of the club.

They purchased a piece of land and created a cooperative membership model in which all members contribute time and energy to the maintenance of the club. John Burns became our first president, and Bob Gay, one of the first members along with his wife Ann, oversaw the building of the tennis courts. All members pitched in with whatever skills and resources they had, and the courts were completed in five weeks.

On July 17, 1979, a champagne toast was raised to the new Orcas Tennis Club, and play began!

The membership next focused on creating a clubhouse. Art Lindholm, assisted by all club members, built the clubhouse, which was completed in June of 1980. The clubhouse has hosted many good times since then, and the fun continues to this day.

In 2013 the club resurfaced both courts with the Premier Court surface, an all-weather, cushioned playing surface endorsed by tennis greats Billie Jean King and Jim Courier. It gives us the playability of asphalt combined with the kindness of clay. In addition, we have a ball machine for members to drill and improve their game.

By design our club is small, supported by 47 memberships. Our members each own a share of the club, and we focus on maintaining the spirit of camaraderie of our founders – we all participate in hosting monthly social activities, organizing tennis events and maintaining the club.

Interested in becoming a member? We would love to discuss opportunities with you!

Legends of Yore