history of our tournament

The Stanley Hamilton family came to the Landings in 1973 to make the initial investment as a resident on the vision of a sports community. They were a family who loved outdoor sports and life in the warm Florida climate as they continued to live and work in greater Kansas City. Today, Laurie Hamilton, founder of the Invitational, still lives in the family home in the Landings.

Sara Hamilton, the oldest daughter, showed a talent for tennis when she first held a racket at 10 years of age. There were no indoor courts in Kansas City available to her, and her early instruction came from her father and then Earl Buckholtz as he traveled from Saint Louis to Kansas City bimonthly. Her practice, beginning on an indoor basketball court with a stretched rope for the net, paid off in early USTA tournaments in the Missouri Valley Region. She won titles above her age bracket.

Tennis was not taught in public high schools and with the wintry snows in the Midwest, tennis was not a year-round sport for Sara. She often played alone at a backboard. Sara persevered and won regional tournaments for USTA in the Midwest and some national tournaments. She came to Florida to attend college at Rollins and then attended the University of Arizona to become ranked #1. After time on the Virginia Slims Futures Circuit, Sara became a USPTA instructor with a special love for instructing younger players.

In honor of Sara who no longer can play due to serious health conditions, her sister Laurie sought to initiate a tournament at the Landings for high school girl athletes to develop tennis in high school athletic programs. The mission remains the same: to develop and enhance Lee County girl tennis athletes.