History
The ground-breaking ceremony for the Cleveland Racquet Club took place on Friday, May 16, 1969. Invitations were sent to the 21 investing founders and to 272 optimistic members who had paid an initiation fee of $500 each without seeing a building.
In April 1970, the Cleveland Racquet Club finally opened its doors to its 353 members. Four squash courts and five indoor tennis courts were ready for play.
The locker rooms opened in May and the 12 outdoor courts and the indoor swimming pool opened later in the summer. The paddle tennis courts, located in front and east of the main building were moved to the west side to a more desirable location in the fall.
By October of 1970, the number of indoor courts was already being pronounced inadequate by the members. The trustees decided that adding five additional indoor courts was a priority to be studied during the first winter of play. It was also decided to increase the membership to 400 and to increase the monthly dues.
April 1972 saw the opening of five additional indoor courts to the delight of the membership.
The Club has added an outdoor swimming pool, expanded living room and dining room facilities, a fitness center, a fitness studio, and two hard surface outdoor tennis courts as well as five international squash courts.
The purpose established for The Cleveland Racquet Club was to promote a greater interest in racquet sports, to create new associations, to provide family enjoyment, and develop improved racquet skills and competitive play. It was also the goal of the trustees to offer the best facilities to the membership, and the best programming in each activity.
Updating With The Times
The Cleveland Racquet Club continues to evolve while staying true to its historic charm. In recent years, we’ve completed exciting renovations across the club — including updates to our outdoor pool, fitness center, fitness class studio, childcare center and paddle hut. Both the men’s and ladies’ locker rooms have been beautifully refreshed, and members now enjoy brand-new clay courts and resurfaced indoor courts. Each renovation was designed with care, blending modern comfort and functionality with the classic character that makes CRC feel like home.
