Ightham Tennis Club

The “Ightham Hard Courts Club” was formed on 31 January 1982, as an initiative started by a handful of local tennis enthusiasts and funded by a mix of loans from them, plus a loan from Kent Playing Fields Association and a grant from the National Sports Council.
Work began on the site in September and the Club opened a year later in September 1983.

The two tennis courts were initially marked out for other sports too, e.g. netball, this being a requirement of the public funding we received.

The Club quickly proved popular, with a new clubhouse inaugurated in 1987 and floodlighting added in 2000.

In 2007 the Club changed its name: the early conditional loans had been repaid and, as there had been little or no take-up of other sports on the courts, it made sense to rename the Club “Ightham Tennis Club” (ITC), reflecting the true use being made of the facility.

The Club currently has well over 200 active members. We field teams in some of the Kent leagues, and offer coaching to local youngsters as well as a range of tennis events and social activities for our members.

In 2022 we replaced the original hard courts with a new Tiger Turf surface, largely eliminating the problem of slipperiness during wet and frosty conditions and enabling our members to play outdoors now virtually all year round. We also have a ball machine, kindly donated by a member.

ITC continues to flourish, and we pride ourselves on being a friendly Club with an inclusive “vibe”. We are very much a village amenity, keen to foster close ties with Ightham School and the community in general.