Real tennis Real tennis Real tennis – one of several games sometimes called "the sport of kings" – is the original racquet sport from which the modern game of tennis (originally called "lawn tennis") is derived. It is also known as court tennis in the United States, formerly royal tennis in England and Australia, and courte-paume in France (a reference to the older, racquetless game of "jeu de paume", the ancestor of modern handball and racquet games; many French real tennis courts are at "jeu de paume" clubs). The term "real" was first used by journalists in the early 20th century as
Huis ter Kleef "Kaatsbaan" refers to the sport Jeu de paume, an indoor precursor of tennis or to "Kaatsen" (Frisian handball), which presumably was once played here, though in the 18th century this was probably "Kolven", a sport somewhat like golf. The St. Eloy's Hospice, an old guild hall in the center of Utrecht, similarly became a center for the Kolf sport after the guilds were disbanded. Stones from the central castle ruin can still be seen in surrounding buildings. The Kaatsbaan was used as a residence for former owners and is now also in use by the city gardens. Huis ter Kleef