Increasing Competition

Matches against overseas teams have been a regular feature of the curriculum over past years and have included visits from neighbouring clubs in Jamaica, Costa Rica, Bahamas and Florida, as well as a team from the International Lawn Tennis Club of Great Britain, on which occasion the club acquitted itself very well by earning a draw.

However, the still small concentration of competitive players and full agenda of local organised events leave little time or available players to promote exchange competitions as well; the only exchanges during the past year were with the Liguanea Club of Jamaica and Eastern Airlines team from Florida. The club again organised a three-week Tennis Clinic in December, its second for both island residents and club members, instruction being given by Butch Staples, Chief Instructor at Grey Rocks, Quebec, and his assistants. Participants, many of whom took part in several programs, numbered 98 (over last year's 66).
At home club events this past year also included, for the first time a triathlon sponsored by Winston and innovated by the club's tournament director, Marlene Ames, adapted by her from curling competition, as a possible replacement for the unwieldy Handicap Tournament until now held annually. Briefly, all participants are guaranteed at least three matches, the results of their first and second matches determining whether they remain in category "A" or move down the ladder to either category "B" or "C", thus arriving at their fair level of competition.