Hollywood and Vine—circa 1920.
In 1920, Vine Street down from Hollywood Boulevard was little more than a passable roadway lined with pepper trees. Melrose Avenue was an unpaved "cowpath," according to the Los Angeles Tennis Club's official history. Nevertheless, by the time a group of tennis enthusiasts decided Los Angeles should have a club devoted to the sport they loved, Southern California had long been known for tennis. (Click Here for part 1 on the golden age of the club.)
There was May Sutton, a child phenom who as a 12-year-old in 1908, beat the 1899 U.S. women's singles champion. Then as a 16-year-old, May won the U.S. singles title. At 17 won shethe first of two Wimbledon singles titles. She and three of her four sisters—all formidable players—formed the core of a Southern Cal tennis dynasty that continuedwell into the new century.
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