God's Love Open brings tennis, philanthropy to Maidstone Club

Maidstone Club's private grounds turned into a one-day charity stage on Thursday, May 14, as the third annual God's Love Open brought golf and tennis players together in East Hampton for a rainy but upbeat fundraiser. The event mixed club competition with a larger purpose: support for God's Love We Deliver, the New York nonprofit that prepares and delivers medically tailored meals for people living with serious illness.

The day was built like a full club event, not a quick hit-and-run. Golf registration started at 11:00 a.m., followed by golf lunch at noon and a 1:30 p.m. shotgun start. Tennis registration began at 1:00 p.m., tennis lunch was set for 1:30 p.m., and tennis play started at 3:00 p.m. Cocktails and awards closed the day at 6:00 p.m. Michael Anthony, Roberta Graves, Terence Meehan and Michael Sennott served as co-chairs, with committee support from James Palazza, Andrew Stone and Nancy Weber.

For tennis players, the setting mattered as much as the cause. Maidstone says its tennis facilities include 19 grass courts, two Har-Tru courts and two all-weather courts, giving the fundraiser a real East End feel instead of a generic charity-club backdrop. The club's traditional atmosphere showed in the event rules, too: cellular phones and other electronic communication devices were prohibited on club property except in designated phone areas. That kind of detail is part of what makes a day like this feel distinctly Hamptons, where court time, etiquette and access still carry weight.

God's Love We Deliver gave the event a clear practical edge. Founded in 1985 at the height of the AIDS pandemic, the organization says it has more than 35 years of experience delivering individualized meals to people affected by severe and chronic illnesses. Its service reaches throughout the five boroughs of New York City, with meals designed for people living with conditions including HIV/AIDS, cancer and Alzheimer's disease. The fundraiser also fits into the nonprofit's larger 40 FORWARD campaign, which is aimed at expansion to Liberty BKLYN in Sunset Park.

Maidstone's own history helped sharpen the contrast between the club's exclusivity and the event's public purpose. Its 9-hole and 18-hole courses were originally designed by Willie Park Jr., and the club remains one of the East End's most recognizable private settings. On a rainy May day, that made the God's Love Open stand out for what it really was: a rare moment when Hamptons tennis opened its gates and pointed the spotlight toward charity, not just scorelines.