New-York tribune., 1921-02-11
Oldest Tennis Organiza-
ton in Country Out
grows Old Quarters
By Fred Hawthorne

1t is encouraging news that comes
from the Longwood Cricket Club, at
Chestnut Hill, near Boston, TO the
effect that the long-delayed start on
the building of the new clubhouse
will occur this spring. The club out
grew its cramped but historic quarters
on Longwood Avenue many years ago,
and it became necessary to expand
ard practically rebuild the organiza-
ton if the Longwood club hoped to
keep in the running.
Three or four years ago the club s
lares and penates were moved over to
the present grounds at Chestnut Hill,
and the work of putting the courts
into shape was started The small
clubhouse of the Chestnut Hill Club
was taken over, but, with a member
ship of over five hundred, it proved
utterly inadequate for the needs of
the club itself, and when it came to
holding natl onal tournaments, such as
the doubles, the Inconvenience was
great.
Added to this, the turf of the courts
was not sufficiently we'll seasoned to
withstand the ravages of a week Of
hard play, and the seating facilities
were badly arranged, so that only two
courts were visible from the stands.
| have sometimes wondered why the
Longwood Cricket Club did not follow
the plan of Our own West Side Tennis
Club and resod the new courts with
the splendid turf from the old grounds.
Perhaps this was not possible, but If
it had been done at the time of NOV
ing to Chestnut Hill the courts would
now be fit for any competition.
AS / understand it, the new club
house will be erected on the wooded
knoll facing the courts from the
Hammond Street side Of the grounds.
1t seems an ideal site for clubhouse,
with direct and charming outlook
over the courts and with little lands
cape gardening to do:
Standing as the oldest tennis club IN
the United States, having been founded
in 1877, it is only right that the
Longwood Cricket Club should hold a
position in American lawn tennis sec
ond to none, and |, for one, am graft
fed to note that move in that dlrec~
ton has now been made. Within the
next year or two the club will be
able to bid for some of the leading
tournament fixtures, and with its long
record of national tennis honors won
by members of the organization be-
hind it it should have no trouble in
landing what it seeks.
The fact that Gerald Patterson Of
Australia defeated William M. Johns
ton of California, in match played in
Australia last month was only brief
w commented upon by critics in this
city, but it only serves to show what
an astounding in and outer the "Hurri-
cane" is, and how difficult he is to
figure before a match.
Two or three days before meeting
Johnston, Patterson was defeated by
Watson M. Washburn, of New York,
and rather easily, yet he then turns
around and humbles Johnston, whose
playing in tk~ Davis Cup matches out
shone that o. Tilden, the worlds
champion.
Of course, it will be argued that
Johnston was not spurred on by the
great incentive that nerved his arm in
the Davis Cup encounters, and that
the inevitable let-down had its effect
in the latest match with Patterson.
There is probably considerable truth
in this contention, but notwithstand-
| ing, Patterson must have been closer
to the form he showed against John
ston in 1919, at Forest Hills when he
forced Little Bill'' in a furious five
set match in the national championship
| singles.
| All this talk about Brookes discarding
| Patterson from future international
teams because of his wretched show
| ing in the Davis Cup matches il