About the club
Set in a unique wooded clearing in the centre of Muswell Hill, this friendly club combines a good standard of general play with teams ranging in ability up to the Middlesex Premier League and extends a warm welcome to any tennis player.
The Muswell Hill Methodist Tennis Club was founded in 1919 by Guy Chester in the grounds of North Bank House. Although the Club was originally managed by the Methodist Church, it is no longer connected with the church in any way, though we retain the name for historical reasons, and because the Methodist estate continues to be our landlord. The original courts were traditional shale and moved to their current site in the mid 80s to allow the sheltered housing to be built. See more about the club's past by selecting the "Club history" tab at the top of the page.
The dedication of a small team of hard-working volunteers ensures that the Club maintains its position as one of the most successful London tennis clubs of the last decade.
The tranquil landscaped grounds continue to provide a wonderful setting for tennis in North London. Add to this, top quality LED floodlights, Tiger Turf artificial grass on our courts and you will see why we have been called the best little tennis club in North London. We stay true to our local roots whilst catering for all standards of player from beginners to premier league level.
See for yourself at Meadow Drive at the top of Colney Hatch Lane in Muswell Hill.
Coaching
Our coaching programme led by Joe Anan caters for beginners, juniors, returners, improvers or those aspiring to league standards, with a wide range of group or individual coaching options: see our coaching information here>>
Playing
We have four high quality, medium speed, Tiger Turf artificial grass courts which are floodlit with modern LED lights for play up to 9:30pm all year round. We have four club sessions every week (Saturday and Sunday afternoons, as well as Wednesday evenings (summer only) and Thursday mornings) at which we provide balls, and lighting when needed, at no charge. There is of course ample time for booking courts for play with other club members via an online booking system. We also offer an extensive and varied range of internal and external competitive tennis, with an annual Club Tournament as well as 3 mens and 3 ladies teams in the Middlesex leagues.
Club sessions
We consider Club sessions to be a vital part of a coherent and friendly club and are a indispensable way whereby new members can integrate into the club. These sessions enable us to keep our small friendly club feel whilst at the same time becoming a major force in Middlesex tennis. Club sessions are open to all club standard players: new members need to be assessed by our coach, Joe Anan, before attending.
Club session times are normally:
Saturday and Sunday afternoons: 2:30pm to 5:30pm
Wednesday evenings: 7:00pm to 9:30pm (two courts only)
Thursday mornings: 10:30am to 12:30pm
You do not have to book: just turn up and play, but for the Wednesday session we operate a WhatsApp group to give the organiser an idea of numbers attending. To encourage club play, new tennis balls are provided weekly and floodlighting is free during club session as and when necessary. Club sessions are played under rules designed to ensure that sets move on: we play with a single-point deuce and a limit of 12 games per set (or 7 games at very busy times).
Court booking
We are a very active club and court space in the evening is at a premium although there are usually times for all. If you have any difficulty, please speak to Joe: as a small club one of the advantages is that it is easier to resolve individual problems. Day time court space is much easier to find.
We operate an on-line court booking system: follow the link at the top of the page. The system allows members to book courts up to one week in advance. Members are allowed to book one court a day for a maximum of 1.5 hours.
To ensure that we maintain our excellent team standard of play, one or two courts are reserved for team practices on a number of weekday evenings, as shown on the booking system.
No play is allowed on Christmas Day or Good Friday as a condition of our lease with the Methodist Church.
Competitive tennis
The Club offers an extensive and varied range of internal and external competitive tennis: you can read about our teams here >>.
Club tournament
We operate a summer tournament and encourage all members to join in: you can read about the tournament here >>.
Will it rain?
Get an idea of the weather forecast from the Met Office here>>
Management and conduct
The Club is run entirely by volunteers: details of the committee members and team captains are listed in >Membership>Club officers> page.
The formal terms and conditions of membership, constitution and policies which govern the Club and its members, and the current club rules concerned with the everyday operation of the Club are listed under 'Club policies' and 'Club rules' in the menu of the >Membership section>