Est. ca. 1874 · Vettre, Asker
History
Norway's oldest existing tennis court — over 150 years of play on the same ground
Norway's Oldest Existing Court
A Court Built Before Wimbledon
The tennis club's court is Norway's oldest tennis court and is laid out according to the "Lawn Tennis" standard — as you can see in the photo above, the court is divided into zones with lines. The track was most likely a beaten track, not a grass court, and was built around 1874 by industrialist Halvor Schou, who bought the farm with over 1,000 acres in 1873 from the estate of Christian Motzfeldt.
Most likely, it was Schou's wife Anna Cecilie Crowe — daughter of the well-known Consul General Sir John Rice Crowe — who was the driving force behind the construction of the court. She had spent time in London and frequented the society there, where tennis had a big upswing in the 1870s, much due to English Major Wingfield's portable tennis court in a box.
Her father had also had a tennis court built at the director's residence in Kåfjord/Finnmark when Crowe was director of the copper works there from 1826 — Anna Cecilie probably played tennis on that court. Schou had the large storehouse (1874) built, which still stands at the end of the tennis court, along with the boys' room and barn (1878), the tenant's house (1885), and the recently restored summer house Esviken.
Older Than Wimbledon
The Lawn Tennis standard was introduced in 1877 for the first Wimbledon tournament. The court at Løkenes gård predates this standard — making it one of the earliest lawn tennis courts in all of Scandinavia.
Royal Connections
Royal History
Hoffsjef Fredrik (Fritz) Frantz Michael Wilhelm Rustad and his wife Marie Magdalene Schou became owners of the farm in 1914 after Anna Cecilie's death that same year.
Fritz Rustad was head of court first for King Oscar II in 1904, and then for King Haakon from 1905 to 1925. His wife Marie was lady-in-waiting to Queen Maud — and King Haakon and Queen Maud therefore visited the farm a number of times.
Carl Rustad's wife Bergliot's daughter, Bergliot "Bi" Rustad, was very good at tennis and won several championships in the 1930s, including the Norwegian championship.
Royal Players
King Olav Played Tennis
King Olav was a keen tennis player, member of Kristiania Lawn-Tennisklub.
The Swedish king was internationally known as tennis player "Mr. G."
King Olav was a member of "Kristiania Lawn-Tennisklub" (today Oslo Tennis Club) where he was a keen player — even though, according to his own statement, he never played a tournament. It is likely that he played on the court at Løkenes gård.
Fritz Rustad was also in close friendship with another tennis enthusiast — the Swedish King Gustav V, who was the then "Bjørn Borg" as an internationally known player under the pseudonym "Mr. G" — and who often visited Løkenes.
Early 20th Century
The Children at Løkenes Farm
Bergliot "Bi" Rustad, seen here as a child on the court she grew up on, went on to win several Norwegian tennis championships in the 1930s. The trophies — cups and dishes she acquired — are still owned by the Løkenes family Rustad, Michael and Margrete.
The Modern Chapter · 2015–Present
The Revival of the Court
The tennis court has been used to varying degrees over the years. Before the most recent revival it was used for dog agility training by "Asker Hundeklubb" (approx. 2005–2014), with the family of Frits and Ellen Julie Rustad taking care of court maintenance.
After the Oppegaard-Liu family moved into Forpakterboligen — just below the court — in the autumn of 2014, tennis aficionado Christian Oppegaard (tennis volunteer for several years at Oslo Tennisklubb) took the initiative to create new life on the court, with the kind permission of farm owner Michael Rustad.
The club "Konglungen Tennisklubb" was founded and got its board on 22 September 2015, with Chairman Christian Oppegaard, Deputy Chairman Jon Rustand, and board members Lina Liu, Reidar Lie and Benedicte Rustad.
Konglungen Tennisklubb
Founded 22 September 2015 · Løkenesveien 56, 1392 Vettre · Org.nr 916 226 187