Imagine… owning an 850-acre farm in Iowa and building a grass tennis court on portion of the property that had once been a cattle feed lot.
Imagine… it was in Charles City, a town with a mere 7,228 residents in the “Middle of Nowhere…”
Imagine… naming the one court location the “All Iowa Lawn Tennis Club”.
Imagine… surrounding the court with a white picket fence and featuring the purple and green color scheme found at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
It has been three years since I wrote about my friend Mark Kuhn…and as I explained in “The Championships…And The All Iowa Lawn Tennis Club”, posted on this site July 3, 2021, he did more than “Imagine…”
In the feature I discussed his introduction to The Championships, as a nine-year-old, listening to a 1960 BBC broadcast hosted by tennis legend Jack Kramer on his grandfather’s short-wave radio. I touched on September 2003 when his court opened and how he became a volunteer member of the ground staff at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in 2012 and again in 2015. I talked about the experience being not only enchanting but more important rewarding because of the insight he gained about grass court maintenance. I also brought up the forever grief that he and his wife Denise carry following Alex J. Kuhn, their 34-year-old son, taking his life in July 2016… And I mentioned the 12 & Under team competition between youngsters from Iowa and Minnesota (which are Missouri Valley and Northern USTA sections) that takes place annually on the Alex J. Kuhn “Court of Dreams.”
(Following his son’s death Mark, in a telling poem wrote, in part, “… There won’t be any bullies to burden your way. No words that cut like a knife at the end of the day…”)
Charles City, along with the neighboring towns Nashua, Ionia, Marble Rock, Rudd and Greene, is barely an Iowa map worthy location. Des Moines, which is larger and better known, is 147 miles and two and a half drive from the All Iowa Lawn Tennis Club.
Geography pays homage to the setting’s uniqueness… the nearest Midwest grass court is located at the Grand Valley Golf Resort in Nekoosa, Wisconsin (and there are 15) which is 233 miles and almost a four-hour drive away. Tower Grove Park in St. Louis, Missouri is the next closest. The three-court facility is 385 miles and a six and a half hours drive from Charles City.
Tom O’Neal, founder of the St. Louis Tennis Hall of Fame, explained, “They were put there years ago by Earl Buchholz Sr., Butch’s dad, to allow St. Louis players to play on grass before the grass court season began at Wimbledon and Forest Hills. Years later, Jimmy Connors practiced on them and donated to help the upkeep…”
If you Google Charles City, Iowa the History section says it is known for the role it played in the development of the American tractor. Notable People is further down the list and there you will find…Mark Kuhn… politician and Iowa State Representative from the 14th District.
Based on our career of All Iowa Lawn Tennis Club chats and email exchanges, I had no idea he was a state-level politician… True I was aware he had been active as a County Supervisor and was a long-time supporter of windmills for creating electricity… But “Politician” … he is too personable, too principled and too big picture thoughtful to be mucking about in politics, which no matter the level can become a bruising, brass knuckle setting.
Thinking about his involvement in the political arena caused me to remember the wonderful old Southern saying “It makes no never mind…” which reflects on government authority not who he is…
In early November, I visited with Kuhn who said that other than dandelions, which are a constant scourge, the court looked great. Moving to the big picture, he explained his major concern, “I spend about half my days and nights at the farm, but I am looking for someone to take care of the court. I want to find an individual, who could live in the house behind the court, and sustain it… That’s my goal.”
He continued, “Generally, people think that grass court tennis is played on the East Coast and not in the Midwest. I am trying to change that attitude, and I also want the court to remain Alex’s legacy.”
To see this happens he wants to have the All Iowa Lawn Tennis Club earn an Iowa Great Places designation. Communities, neighborhoods, districts, and regions that preserve their local character and authenticity are eligible to receive the recognition. The program’s goal is to create more livable communities and vibrant public places through “Creative placemaking…”
Fortunately, Missouri Valley, one of the USTA’s 17 sections, will help Kuhn qualify for Great Place status. In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers a variety of programs and services in Iowa, along with matching grants, that could be used to further establish the location’s historical importance.
Eight years after he last attended The Championships, Kuhn returned in 2023. This time it was different… and there was more to the trip than not working with the ground staff… The visit was auspicious because he was accompanied by his grandson Rylan, who would be receiving his SW19 baptism.
Photo: Mark Kuhn collection
Kuhn remembered, “…during the first week of The Championships, I joined the Queue at Wimbledon Park. I have always immensely enjoyed the Queue, although I have never Queued overnight or in the rain. It has a festive vibe where fans from all over the world meet one another with a common goal. I’ve Queued twice on the Fourth of July and always had an American flag to start a conversation.”
He added, “Rylan was 17 years old, a chip off the block of his father Alex, except he has the best ever top spin forehand in the Kuhn family. I was hoping to make his first trip to Wimbledon something he would remember and be inspired by for the rest of his life….”
Which was the reason he contacted his friend Mark Laurence, saying in an email, “… I got to thinking…if you still host those exhibition matches on the Saturday night before Wimbledon could Rylan and I stop by for a look/see? If that doesn’t work, we’d love to meet you some other time and maybe hit a few on your grass.”
Lawrence responded, “…I had the great honor bestowed upon me of becoming a member of AELTC last year and now almost live at the Club! It is such a wonderful place, and one never ceases to be awe-inspired when coming through the gates.
“… unfortunately, we will not be hosting the Exhibition Matches this year.
Photo: Mark Kuhn collection.
“BUT the silver lining is that the Club hosts a members, family and friends’ day on the Saturday before Wimbledon which gives everyone the chance to wander around the Club without the crowds and watch all the competitors practicing. Have you been before? I’m sure I could organize for you and your grandson to be added to the guest list…
“If Rylan would like to play some grass court tennis, then we should head to The Hurlingham Club for a hit.”
Kuhn continued, “Mark had seen the “Court of Dreams” story Wimbledon posted in 2022, and was very gracious to Rylan and me during our stay providing us many once in a lifetime opportunities including: An invitation to Members and Guests Day on the Saturday before the start of The Championships, and a hit on Sunday with he and his son Maxie at The Hurlingham Club where Mark is also a member.”
The Hurlingham Club has a significant but rarely remembered place in the game’s history. In the old days, players were not allowed to practice at the All England Lawn Tennis Club on the Sunday before the tournament began. Those looking for a final warm up often headed to the club located near the AELTC in Fulham.
When it comes to describing Gardnar Mulloy, the storied International Tennis Hall of Famer, words don’t carry the day, but the tale he told me about The Hurlingham Club’s “Garden Party” on June 19, 1949, does…
With a chuckle, he revealed, “I was looking for someone to hit with, so I asked Gussy. There were photographers following her everywhere and she was not happy about it. So, I walked over and told them, ‘Gussy will give you 10 minutes, then you have to leave her alone.’ They agreed… then while we were hitting, I put up a lob. She jumped and hit an overhead…and… ‘there were the lace panties…’ I guess I’m responsible for making her famous…”
Of course, “Gussy” was Gertrude Moran, the Ladies’ Singles No. 4 seed at The Championships in 1949… but she was listed in the draws as “Gussie Moran”. As Jack Kramer noted in his “My 40 Years In Tennis”, with Frank Deford, “everybody always spells Gertrude Moran’s nickname Gussie with an ‘ie’ except Gussy herself.”
Moran caused a major commotion when the Ted Tinling designed outfit she wore was accessorized, according to the Associated Press, by “a pair of white silk jersey panties trimmed with two inches of open lace…”
Wearing them in her three-set first round victory over Great Britain’s Bea Walter, given the importance of propriety at SW19, would have been scandalous but she wore them on Centre Court and overnight became “Gorgeous Gussy…”
(There was more to the Santa Monica, California resident than her sharp mind and striking looks… She could play. Seeded No. 2 in the Ladies’ Doubles, she and Pat Todd were finalists to Louise Brough and Margaret duPont, the top seeds. Rounding out the results, Mulloy, who was Moran’s treasured friend, lost in the first round, in five sets, to Gentlemen’s Singles winner Ted Schroeder. Seeded No. 1 in the Gentlemen’s Doubles, they were finalists to Richard “Pancho” Gonzalez and Frank Parker, the No. 3 seeds.)
Kuhn’s Hurlingham Club visit wasn’t as “eye opening…” as the revelation 74 years earlier, but it was meaningful… “The part about the 2023 trip I didn’t mention initially was being there with my ‘Wimbledon soulmate’ Rachael Wright,” he explained. “She got a job as the ‘shooter’ (photographer) for the tourney at Hurlingham prior to The Championships. She also got to meet Tim Henman, her Wimbledon hero/countryman. She once told me, ‘Wimbledon saved my life.’ It’s an amazing personal account of the summer of 1998. Rachael touched on it in her NY Times essay “Tending to grass and grief…”
“Our dear friend, Club Secretary Martin Guntrip also made two seats possible immediately adjacent to the Royal Box and we saw Andy Murray play his final Wimbledon singles match against Stefanos Tsitsipas.
“What a thrill!!”
Rylan and Mark Kuhn in their Centre Court seats. Photo: Mark Kuhn collection
After reminiscing about London, Kuhn talked about the competition honoring his son, saying, “We still host the Alex J. Kuhn Memorial Invitational tournament every year that pits boys and girls from Iowa against those from Minnesota. What was originally a 12 & Under tourney has grown to a junior boys’ and girls’ event as Rylan and friends and competitors from across Iowa play against some of the best juniors from Minnesota.
“Believe me, it’s not hard to recruit kids to play here. The Invitational, or as David Kramer (the oldest of Jack Kramer’s five sons) calls it, ‘The Alex’, is about having fun and good sportsmanship. Coaches from Iowa and Minnesota award one deserving player with the Sportsmanship Award, which was endowed many years ago by a gift from our friend Sterling Lord. Just getting to know Sterling was an amazing experience. He wrote the Foreword for my Wimbledon book (“Wimbledon 2015: Dreams Fulfilled & Mission Accomplished”).
“The 2023 event pitted the reigning Iowa boys state champion against the 2022 Minnesota boys high school state champ and included a very good field of top boys and girls aged 17-18. This year’s event was much the same.”
Looking ahead Kuhn said, “I last spoke with Rachael (Wright) on the November 1st when I told her about my plans to create a special plaque or marker or something in the southwest corner of the All Iowa Lawn Tennis Club “Court of Dreams” noting our special relationship. I also told her about the special patch of grass they have at Halle (the Terra Wortmann Open) that is on a stand and so fans can enjoy touching what is being played on. I haven’t sorted it out yet, but doing something similar is high on the project list for 2025.”
The goal has been to make it “Wimbledon in the Midwest” so people can experience what it’s like to play at The Championships.
As John Lennon lyricized in “Imagine”…
“…You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us…”