Surrey to the South Coast

This trail runs from the wooded Surrey suburbs south west of London down to the Sussex coast, linking five clubs that have kept grass courts while many of their neighbours replaced them with hard or artificial surfaces. It starts at St George's Hill, one of the largest private grass court clubs in the country, passes through Woking and Worthing, and finishes at two of the best known lawns in the south: the tournament courts of Devonshire Park in Eastbourne and the eight grass courts of Rye.

The clubs differ in size and style. St George's Hill and West Worthing are large multi-sport clubs with grass in the summer and other surfaces all year. Woking pairs tennis with championship croquet. Devonshire Park is a tournament venue first, with a members' club that plays there outside event weeks, and Rye is a small, members-run club where the grass is the centre of club life. What they share is a long history: every club on the route dates from before 1925, and several staged open grass tournaments for decades.

The trail suits players most. Rye publishes a clear visitor policy and takes bookings from non-members, and West Worthing members can bring guests. At the other clubs, contact the club in advance; a letter of introduction from your home club helps. Spectators should plan around late June, when the Lexus Eastbourne Open fills Devonshire Park in the week before Wimbledon, or early August, when Rye holds its annual invitation tournament.

Drive it from north to south over two or three days, with a night on the coast, or take the train and pick the stops close to a station. The grass is in play from roughly May to September, with the exact dates set by each club and the weather, so check before you travel and book courts ahead.