Grass Court Trails · Perth, Western Australia
Perth’s Grass Belt
Five large grass court clubs between Menora, Kings Park and the Indian Ocean, four of them hosts of the 2027 ITF Masters World Championships
- Clubs
- 5
- Allow
- 2 to 3 days
- Route
- 14 km (8.7 miles)
- Best time
- October to April for the main grass season; late April to early May 2027 for the ITF Masters World Championships
Perth keeps an unusual amount of its club tennis on natural grass. The western suburbs and the inner north hold a run of member clubs with between roughly 15 and 27 grass courts each, several of which keep grass in play for most or all of the year. This trail links five of the largest: Alexander Park in Menora, Royal King's Park on the edge of the city, Nedlands and Dalkeith in the riverside suburbs, and Cottesloe a short walk from the beach.
The clubs share a history that runs back more than a century. Royal King's Park traces its origins to 1899 and laid its first grass courts in 1902; Cottesloe began in 1903; Alexander Park dates from 1932 and Dalkeith from 1938. Royal King's Park has staged Davis Cup ties and the 1971 Federation Cup, and Cottesloe hosted Australia against Uzbekistan in the Davis Cup in 2014. The next international moment is close: the ITF announced that Perth will host the 55, 60, 65 and 70 World Team and Individual Championships from 25 April to 8 May 2027, played on grass at Royal Kings Park, Cottesloe, Alexander Park and Dalkeith.
The trail suits travelling club players who want to sample several lawns in a few days, and spectators planning around the 2027 Masters. Access varies. Cottesloe and Nedlands publish clear arrangements for visitors at social sessions, and Cottesloe offers limited non-member grass court hire. Royal King's Park, Alexander Park and Dalkeith are member clubs where social tennis or a member's invitation is the usual way on court, so contact them before you travel.
Use the stops in the order given, which runs from the inner north through Kings Park and the western suburbs to the coast. Plan play around each club's weekend social sessions, check that grass courts are open (clubs rotate and rest their lawns), and keep afternoons in the hottest months flexible.
Distances are straight lines between clubs, as a guide to the shape of the trip; road distances are longer.
The stops
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Alexander Park Tennis Club
Established in 1932 in the garden suburb of Menora, Alexander Park is one of Perth's leading grass court clubs, with 19 grass courts, six floodlit hard courts and two small Hot Shots grass courts for beginners. It was named Most Outstanding Club at Tennis Australia's 2015 Newcombe Medal awards and is one of the four grass venues for the 2027 ITF Masters World Championships.
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4.0 km (2.5 miles) from the previous stop
Royal Kings Park Tennis Club
Founded in 1899 as the Mount Tennis Club, Royal King's Park describes itself as the home of tennis in Western Australia and one of the world's last great inner city grass court centres, with 22 grass courts, six hard courts and two synthetic courts less than a kilometre from the CBD. It has hosted Davis Cup ties and the 1971 Federation Cup, belongs to the Association of Centenary Tennis Clubs, and is a 2027 ITF Masters venue.
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5.6 km (3.4 miles) from the previous stop
Nedlands Tennis Club
Nedlands, on the corner of Bruce Street and Gallop Road, has 17 grass courts and nine lit hard courts. Its grass is in play from October to July, one of the longest published grass seasons on this trail.
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1.1 km (0.7 miles) from the previous stop
Dalkeith Tennis Club
Founded in 1938, Dalkeith is one of the largest clubs in the area, with about 24 courts across grass, clay and hard surfaces; in 2014 it opened the first Har-Tru clay courts in Western Australia. It is one of the four grass venues for the 2027 ITF Masters World Championships.
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3.4 km (2.1 miles) from the previous stop
Cottesloe Tennis Club
Founded in 1903 and on its present site since 1938, Cottesloe expanded in 2017 to 27 grass courts and 10 lit hard courts, within walking distance of Cottesloe Beach. It hosted the 2014 Davis Cup tie between Australia and Uzbekistan and is a 2027 ITF Masters venue.
More trails
- The London Circuit London
- Surrey to the South Coast Surrey and the south coast, England
- The East Anglian Coast East Anglia, England
- The Continental Grass Season Germany and Switzerland
- Adelaide’s Grass Courts Adelaide, South Australia
- The Murray River Grass Trail Victoria and the Murray River
- America’s Gilded Age Grass Massachusetts to Pennsylvania
