Update from the Huis ter Kleef Foundation
Our goal, as you know, is to bring back Real Tennis to the Netherlands by restoring Huis ter Kleef to its original glory and purpose: that of a Real Tennis court. This beautiful monumental house is located in the city centre of Haarlem and used to be part of the Castle Ter Kleef that was destroyed in 1573 during the Spanish occupation. We're lucky that the building with its proud little tower was spared by the Spaniards, because in the 16th century it was built as a kaatsbaan, a real tennis court.
Unfortunately there aren't any Real Tennis courts remaining in the Netherlands, except for Huis ter Kleef. If we restore this court to its original glory, we have something very special on our hands. Not only because it's the only court in the Netherlands, but also because it's one of the oldest (indoor) tennis courts in the world.
To accomplish this project a foundation, 'Stichting Huis ter Kleef', was established by a group of dedicated aficionados: Patrick Reuser (president), Niek van Wijk (secretary), Steven Chapman (now in an advisory role) and Arnoud Bernelot Moens (treasurer).
Their goal is to restore Huis ter Kleef to its original condition and function, as a real tennis court. To give this beautiful sport a life in the Netherlands. Therefore we need a lot of money, something you can help us with!
For more information about this project you can visit our site: www.huisterkleef.nl. We are also active on social media with the name Huis ter Kleef, we keep these pages up to date with pictures and facts.
