The San Dieguito Tennis Club is celebrating 60 years on El Camino Real in Encinitas. The club traces its start to a handful of Cardiff players who shared a single public court.

In the mid-1960s, a group of tennis enthusiasts had access to just one court at Glen Park through the San Diego Parks and Recreation Department. Every competitive match meant traveling to an away facility. By 1965 the group had grown large enough to petition the County of San Diego for more courts.

The county said no.

So the players pooled their money, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported, citing a club news release. They bought 2.5 acres along El Camino Real for $12,000, formed a corporation, sold memberships at $300 apiece and set monthly dues at $10. Members cleared and graded the land themselves.

By 1966 the club opened with 44 owner-members, a modest clubhouse, locker rooms, four tennis courts and a swimming pool the club's own release called "somewhat controversial." The original courts are still in use as courts 1, 2, 5 and 6.

Over the next two decades the founders kept expanding, acquiring additional land in 1968, 1969 and 1972 for a combined $34,000 and adding courts, lights and a second story to the clubhouse. In 1985, land for courts 8 and 9 was secured by adding 33 new membership shares.

The club earned national recognition along the way. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) named it Tennis Club of the Year in 1998. The United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) gave it the same honor in 2011. On Aug. 28, 2016, the mayor of Encinitas proclaimed "San Dieguito Tennis Club Day" in the city.

The property has grown from those original 2.5 acres to a five-acre terraced hillside at 1414 Tennis Club Drive, according to the club's website. It now features nine courts, a large clubhouse, a pro shop, a dedicated pickleball court, a hitting wall and a heated swimming pool. The club remains a member-owned nonprofit.

Juan Garcia, the club's director of tennis since October 2018, oversees more than 12 teaching professionals and grounds staff, according to his LinkedIn profile. Garcia was named San Diego District Tennis Association Male Pro of the Year in 2019 and led the club's 5.0 men's team to a third-place finish at the 2023 National Championships.

Residents interested in the club can visit sandieguitotennis.com or call 760-942-9725.