Seabright Invitational Tournament

The Seabright Invitational Tournament[1] was a men's and women's grass court tennis tournament staged annually at the Seabright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club, Rumson, New Jersey, United States from 1884 to 1950.[2]

Seabright Invitational Tournament
Defunct tennis tournament
TourILTF Circuit (1927–1949)
Founded1884 (1884)
Abolished1950 (1950)
LocationRumson, New Jersey, United States
VenueSeabright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club
SurfaceGrass

History

The Seabright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club is a historic private sports club in Rumson, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States.[2] It was founded in 1877 and incorporated officially in 1886.[2] In 1884, the club held its first Seabright Invitational Tournament,[3][4] the men's singles was won Joseph Sill Clark Sr..[2] The tournament continued to be staged annually until 1889 when it was discontinued.[2]

In 1894 the tournament was reestablished, and in 1920 a women's event was finally added to the schedule.[5] The event was suspended from 1943 to 1945 because of World War II.[2] It resumed in 1946 and continued to be held until 1949.[2] In 1950, the organizing committee of Seabright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club voted to discontinue the event,[2] due to ongoing cost of the maintenance of the grass courts, and the budget needed to build new permanent spectator seating made it untenable.[2] Contrary to official sources the other reason the tournament was ended was not because of funding, but because the members grew tired of the fuss of organizing the event.[6]

References
  1. Gems, Gerald R.; Borish, Linda J.; Pfister, Gertrud (April 10, 2017). Sports in American History: From Colonization to Globalization. Champaign, Illinois, United States.: Human Kinetics. p. 273. ISBN 978-1-4925-8614-2.
  2. National Historic Landmark Nomination: Seabright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club, National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior. pp. 16, 19–21.
  3. Gems, Borish and Pfister. (2017) p.173.
  4. "INVITATION TENNIS TOURNAMENT Well-known Players Competing SEABRIGHT (New Jersey), July 21. Many well-known lawn tennis Players figure in the 54th invitation tournament". Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore). Lahore, Pakistan: British Newspaper Archive. July 23, 1941. p. 14. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  5. Gems, Borish and Pfister. (2017) p.173.
  6. "Sport: Too Much Fuss", Time, August 14, 1950. Accessed March 12, 2023.
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