History and Sense of Home Found in Private Club in the Hills

Buried behind chlorine and other pool supplies in a pool pump room, a treasure trove of history in a simple, three-ring blue binder waited patiently to be re-discovered.

It seems serendipitous that this binder, a chronicle of the life of , would be uncovered in an anniversary year—its 40th.

“In the pump room, we found a box with an old binder,” says Veronica Lentfer, a 15-year Cupertino resident. "One of the founders of the club must have left it. There are clippings from the Cupertino Courier and photos. It shows the whole process of thinking about building a club.”

The clippings and photos illustrate the layout of the land marked by the Valley of Heart’s Delight signature prune trees and hills. They also depict a time of family outings, bicycle parades, Easter hunts and a valued sense of community.

From the road, the club at 22090 Rae Lane is identifiable only by a plain-wood sign painted with its name.

“Most people in Cupertino don’t even know it’s there,” Lentfer says.

It’s indicative of the nature of the club and its members, which is somewhat contradictory to the concept of the word "club."

Launched at the end of 1970, the club was formed by “just a group of families who wanted local recreation,” Lentfer says.

“They thought it would be better to be member owned. It’s certainly not a country club. We have a lot of volunteers who do a lot of work around there.” 

What little is seen from Rae Lane belies what is found up the hill on the club’s grounds. Overlooking and beyond, the club offers stunning views from its six tennis courts, two pools, patios and recreation center.

Buying into the club is not cheap; Lentfer and her husband paid upward of $9,000 six years ago, and they estimate that with the willowed economy, they now would get about half that if they were to sell. The club is set up to maintain 250 members, each owning 1/250th of the 3-plus-acre facility.

If the buy-in seems high, the quarterly dues of $225 are respectively low for what the facility offers, both in terms of recreation and small-town-neighborhood appeal.

There is one full-time employee, Rommy Zapp, the general manager, who has been there for eight years. The work Zapp does not do is performed by members—something that both amazes Zapp and gives her pride.

For example, recently a group of members poured sweat equity—and their own money—into installing new pavers on a patio and the steps leading to it. Members regularly jump in to help upgrade and maintain the facility and grounds, Zapp says.

It’s a place of local school end-of-year parties, star swimmers in its competitive swim club, amateur “stage” shows, and even a polling precinct.

“It’s about the human connection,” Zapp says.

It’s also open this weekend to curious would-be members for “Bring a Guest Family Day” from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Those interested in exploring the club are invited to contact Zapp at cuphill@gmail.com, or call 408-253-3483.

Watch Cupertino Patch for more photos of Cupertino Hills Swim and Racquet Club. Click here to view the club’s scrapbook.