Holden Towers Worcester Tennis Club

A group playing tennis on the Clark University tennis courts called themselves “The Maywood Tennis Group.” When Clark decided to build the Dolan Field House in 1968 (named after HTTC members Tom and Joan Dolan), the Maywood Tennis Group was asked to find a new place to play. That is when they began to look for a new location. The Israel brothers, Leonard and Martin, were planning to build a house on a parcel of land at 38 Brattle Street in Holden. Instead, they sold the land for use as a tennis club, and that was the beginning of Holden Towers.

Holden Towers Tennis Club (HTTC) was formally started in 1969 in response to a lack of tennis resources in the Central Massachusetts area. The Worcester Tennis Club (WTC) had a waiting list and the Greendale YMCA had yet to build their new facility with indoor courts. Leonard and Martin Israel, were builders and tennis enthusiasts (and founding members) who owned the Holden parcel of land on Brattle Street suitable for a tennis facility. The two adjoining parcels with frontage on both Brattle Street and Shrewsbury Street were located under the Town of Holden water tower and the radio towers for WTAG – hence the name. Thirty-three founding members started the club and constructed three clay courts in 1969 with the help of a $25,000 bank loan and the payment of $400 bonds by the founding members. Membership was limited to 60 and the dues were $100 per year. The clubhouse was built in 1972 at a cost of $30,000; courts 4, 5 and 6 were added later. All of the courts are lighted. In 1981 the club sold the land that fronted on Shrewsbury Street.

In 2016 the club pursued a merger with the Worcester Tennis Club (WTC). WTC had decided to sell their Sever Street facility in Worcester and seek a new location. After reviewing numerous alternatives, the members of WTC voted to merge with HTTC. Using the proceeds from the sale of the WTC property to Becker College, HTTC built three additional courts for a total of nine courts. In addition, the deck that surrounded the clubhouse was expanded and rebuilt, and the locker room facilities were updated.

In 2018, HTTC grew to 250 members and membership is currently open to new members. Visit the Join Us page to sign up. Feel free to call during the season (508-829-6378) and speak with Director of Tennis, Lindsay Benoit or email httennis@httennis.net with any questions.