 Parklands
Sports Club was founded in
1906 in Parklands area, in Nairobi by a group of eleven
white settlers with Mr. F. Watkins as its first President.
The founders wanted to create a place they could meet,
relax and play games and sports while patronizing. The
Club acquired its original 99-year land lease on 1st
June 1909. A wooden and iron sheet shack that acted
as the Clubhouse stood at the current parking Tennis
ground
It was later upgraded to a small corrugated iron hut
where most of the paperwork was done. It was during Mr. J. Flint
first stint as president from 1927-1932; the Club experienced
its first expansion. The increase in membership led
to construction of the Clubhouse. The decision to construct
a new Clubhouse was broached in an AGM in 1930. During
this time, Tennis had become the main sport followed
by Cricket in the Club. On September 1932 the Club entered
into an agreement with Nondescripts with the consequent
obligation on the part of the Club to provide the latter
with Rugby playing ground. On 17th December 1932 the
Clubhouse was officially opened at a ceremony attended
by Nairobi DC and Kenya's Governor, Sir Joseph Byrne
among the distinguished guests who attended the occasion.
To improve service delivery,
two rooms were added at the East End of the Club in
the year 1936, to allow two billiard tables. It was
during this time the Bar was moved to its existing location.
In the following year, an Entrance Hall, Library and
a Ladies Retiring Room were built. A bigger kitchen
was developed and the caterer at that time was Joseph
Sequeira, who eventually retired in 1976. It was also
in the late 1930s’ Cricket took root in the Club,
which had become popular sport in the colonial era.
The Test Matches
between Asians and Europeans started to be played at
the Club between 1938 –1939, as World War II began
its rumblings in Europe. These 3-day matches were played
annually up to the 1960s.
 In
1947, the Club front was extended and an upstairs room
added. The active social and entertainments committee
organized popular events like the Annual Hockey dance,
and weekly dances with a live band in attendance called
Len Wereham and Radio Revellers.
It was during 1950s’
the Squash sport came to the Club. The British Army,
which had been brought in to the country to contain
the unrest caused by Mau Mau fighters was responsible
for it’s introduction. The Club built two courts
and over the years, has provided national players in
the country
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