When it was first established in 1910, the Liguanea Club in Kingston was the place to be for the well-heeled set of Jamaican society. In its early years, prominent men and their fashionable wives sought refuge in its scenic Georgian-style halls; watching horses race around its extensive grounds was the diversion of the time.

But it has been a hundred years since its founding: thoroughbreds have long stopped racing along Knutsford, and an entire metropolis has erupted around this colonial-era relic. Even after all this time, though, the hub of the Liguanea Club is still intact, standing as a pastoral anomaly amidst the towers and lights of the New Kingston landscape.

The reason for being a member of the Liguanea Club remains intact as well: it offers a wonderful opportunity to network with some of the most distinguished members of Jamaican society.

“The camaraderie and networking opportunities you will get here are remarkable,” says Gordon Edwards, general manager of the Club. “We have a wide cross-section of influential Jamaicans – bankers, business owners, lawyers, members of parliament.”

It’s not hard to imagine what draws the elite here. The Greco-Roman inspired façade of the main building coupled with the estate charm of the open grounds is an ode to the mingling of wealth and casual elegance.

“There’s no other place like it,” says Edwards with pride. “It’s one of the oldest private members clubs in the entire Caribbean.”

As this is the Club’s centennial year, there are sparkling events planned to celebrate this milestone in its history. There are quarterly luncheons planned (the first of which was held in March). Tennis and squash tournaments are being arranged. And a host of other events are in the works, culminating in a week-long string of affairs in November, including cocktail parties and formal dinners.

But beyond the prospect of galas and glittering affairs, this milestone year affords the Liguanea Club the chance to reflect on its unique position throughout Jamaica’s recent history and to ponder its progress alongside the evolving social attitudes of younger generations.

Some members of the Club think much has already changed. In the wood-panelled walls of the Club’s Iguana Bar (think charming Irish pub), a long-time member points to two distant concrete tennis courts that have usurped the lush grass courts once definitive of the Club, a metaphor, perhaps, for the inevitable encroachment of Kingston’s fervid urbanisation.

The billiards and card game room no longer exists. And the open field where members once played golf is gone too. It’s now the site of the Pegasus Hotel.

The change most palpably felt, though, is the socialising aspect the Club once fostered. Before restaurants and hotels dotted the New Kingston scene; before Facebook became a social medium and before television infiltrated the Jamaican home, the private club was where the well-to-do went to fraternize. Out on the gazebo, where the old-estate feel is still redolent, it was common, these members say, to see parliamentarians sharing words or to see the prominent doctors and lawyers of the day milling about in the afternoon.

“It was still the colonial era,” says Ian Murphy, a former general manager of Liguanea Club and a member since the 1960s. “You socialised at [private] clubs.”

Despite the changes, though, the members keep coming back.

“The facilities are still great and the old-style buildings haven’t changed,” says Ronald Sasso, a Liguanea Club member for over 40 years. “Plus, we have bonds of friendships – relationships – that keep us here.”

And the changes have had their benefits, others point out.

“The rules have relaxed a bit,” says Christopher Roberts, another honorary club member, “more people are exposed to the facilities the Club offers, more people are introduced to tennis, especially more young people.”

This shift exposes the evolution the Liguanea Club has taken on over the years, one away from a clannish old boys’ club to a more inclusive racquet club (albeit a rather pricey one – there’s a $4,000 entrance fee and an annual subscription that’s over $45,000).

The property itself conveys this growing relationship. Walking along a grotto-like corridor, one suddenly comes across a lambent glass-backed squash court. Behind neoclassical-inspired window panes state-of-the-art gym equipment can be seen. Beyond an idyllic cottage lie the painted tennis hardcourts (all lit).

In recent times, the Liguanea Club has fostered a close working relationship with such organisations as the Jamaica Squash Association, Tennis Jamaica Ltd., and The Olympic Association of Jamaica. Winning squash and tennis trophies are mounted proudly in the Club’s main lobby.

“We are looking to become the premier racquet club in the country,” says Gordon Edwards. “To that end, we’re looking to expand our offerings.”

Those offerings include the introduction of a golf course, adding a spa to the list of facilities and building another restaurant to accommodate night-time dining.

The Club’s aim is to marry modern conveniences and leisure with the sense of history inspired by the grounds.

“We want to make it the only place you need to be when in Kingston,” says Edwards, “while offering a personal, relaxed feeling – an oasis in a concrete jungle.”

– Kedon Willis