The Calcutta South Club was founded in the year 1920 with a single grass court. Over the decades, the club made steady progress and now boasts six grass, six red clay and five hard (synthetic) courts. It is one of the few clubs in India to boast of all three playing surfaces. In order to limit the liability of its members and to secure additional benefits, the club was turned into a limited company in 1959.
Before 1920, tennis was confined to the privileged class not only in Bengal but also in India. An incident, though unpleasant, occurred in 1920 which virtually laid the foundation of this club. Mr Anadi Mukherjee and Mr Ganesh Dey were cycling along Woodburn Road one afternoon. They saw a large gathering inside the Woodburn Park. They stopped, inquired and learnt that a tennis club (Punjab Club) was entertaining a delegate from Punjab who had come to participate in the Indian National Congress. Being ambitious, they asked the secretary for membership. As the rules did not allow membership to other communities, their request was turned down. They immediately resolved to undo this state of affairs. They approached Mr. Chapman, the District Engineer of Calcutta Corporation, and succeeded in convincing him to grant a 1ease for one tennis court in the same park for use of all communities.
A club without a name was opened in June 1920 and the handsome amount of Rs.35 was collected from five members! Second hand gear was bought and play was started without screens. The Calcutta North Club at Beadon Square was then the home of Indian tennis. At the suggestion of Mr. Ananto Mookerjee, one of the members, this new baby at Woodburn Road was named “Calcutta South Club” with a vow to make it the new home of Indian tennis. In order to limit the liability of its members and to procure additional benefits of company law, the word “Limited” was added to the name on 30 January 1959 .
At the end of the first year, the club had 17 members including the world famous Japanese Shimdzu and Okamato who had earlier confined their play to their own club. the Nippon Club. Mr. R. Daglish and Mr. Anadi Mookerjee were the first President and Secretary.
An amusing anecdote about Shimdzu – Despite the fact that he was usually behind in his payments of club bills, he never liked playing with old balls! Owing to tight finances, the club could not afford to give new balls more than twice in a month. A deal was struck. He was to bring a dozen new balls whenever he came to play. After play, the balls were to be left in the club.
The club made steady progress. Four more courts were sanctioned in 1924 and five more in 1925. Approval was granted for a club house and the pavilion was built in 1926 with a member’s, Mr Sajjan Chowdhury, financial assistance. It was opened on 4 November 1926 by Mr M. Senda. With the help of the then Mayor of Calcutta Corporation, Mr.J M. Sengupta (club’s vice-president from 1926-1933), six more courts were sanctioned in this year. Since building of courts involved felling of several big palms, a vigorous press campaign was started for and against the proposal. While some called the new constructions “Vandalism In the Park”, The Statesman (24 August 1928) said: “After all, grownups too need some place in which to exercise themselves and as they can hardly run about in the maidan flying kites and chasing toy balloons, it is necessary that they should have grounds in which to play their more ordered and systematic games.” The battle was won when the Mayor said in his speech (recorded in The Statesman 3 September 1929) in the corporation discussions: “As far as playing tennis was concerned, the corporation would take pride in the fact that they had been instrumental in establishing the South Club in Woodburn Park, one of the finest lawn tennis clubs in Calcutta”.
At the end of the first year, the club had 17 members including the world famous Japanese Shimdzu and Okamato who had earlier confined their play to their own club. the Nippon Club. Mr. R. Daglish and Mr. Anadi Mookerjee were the first President and Secretary.
An amusing anecdote about Shimdzu – Despite the fact that he was usually behind in his payments of club bills, he never liked playing with old balls! Owing to tight finances, the club could not afford to give new balls more than twice in a month. A deal was struck. He was to bring a dozen new balls whenever he came to play. After play, the balls were to be left in the club.
The club made steady progress. Four more courts were sanctioned in 1924 and five more in 1925. Approval was granted for a club house and the pavilion was built in 1926 with a member’s, Mr Sajjan Chowdhury, financial assistance. It was opened on 4 November 1926 by Mr M. Senda. With the help of the then Mayor of Calcutta Corporation, Mr.J M. Sengupta (club’s vice-president from 1926-1933), six more courts were sanctioned in this year. Since building of courts involved felling of several big palms, a vigorous press campaign was started for and against the proposal. While some called the new constructions “Vandalism In the Park”, The Statesman (24 August 1928) said: “After all, grownups too need some place in which to exercise themselves and as they can hardly run about in the maidan flying kites and chasing toy balloons, it is necessary that they should have grounds in which to play their more ordered and systematic games.” The battle was won when the Mayor said in his speech (recorded in The Statesman 3 September 1929) in the corporation discussions: “As far as playing tennis was concerned, the corporation would take pride in the fact that they had been instrumental in establishing the South Club in Woodburn Park, one of the finest lawn tennis clubs in Calcutta”.
When the need was felt for yearlong continuous play, permission was sought and granted for six hard (brick) courts. These were built and the inauguration was done on 10 June 1934 by the Mayor, Mr S.K. Basu. The pavilion (the existing one) was extended and bar facilities were also started during that year. In 1937, the then Governor of Bengal, Hon. Sir John Anderson, an honorary member of the club, suggested that the club should have a golf course, 24 tennis courts, a skating rink. a swimming pool and a large club house. This scheme also had the blessing of Lord Brabourne and a site was nearly selected in the lake area. The unfortunate demise of the governor became the death knell of the plan. Keeping with the need of the time, four clay courts were lighted in 1985 and two asphalt based rubberized lighted hard courts with latest technology were built in 2004, perhaps the only club in the world with all the surfaces at one place.