On Sunday, high atop Los Angeles at the Sheats-Goldstein residence, the MAK Center for Art and Architecture hosted its second-annual MAK Games tennis tournament. Built into the Benedict Canyon hillside by Frank Lloyd Wright disciple John Lautner, in 1963, the multi-level property is connected by a set of hillside stairs and outdoor pathways that wend visitors from an outdoor pool (that can be viewed from underneath through a downstairs bedroom window) to guest bedrooms, scenic sitting patios, an art installation by light artist James Turrell, and a concrete underground club, complete with commercial-size bar and banquettes lining the terrace.
Guests had the chance to tour the property, which famously served as the home of pornographer Jackie Treehorn in The Big Lebowski, during the afternoon event presented by Brooks Brothers with special sponsor Vanity Fair. Many relaxed alongside the Duncan Nicholson-designed tennis court—one of the latest additions to the property made by its owner of 42 years, Jimmy Goldstein.
“When I first bought [the house], people wouldn’t have wanted to look at it,” Goldstein told VF Daily between matches. Goldstein, a businessman and die-hard N.B.A. fan who is frequently seen sitting courtside in flamboyant designs, has spent the past four decades maintaining and updating the estate. “I’m really proud of the way I’ve made it into something special,” Goldstein said from the driveway, which had been converted into a shady cocktail area featuring a Baby Blues barbecue buffet and Selvarey rum cocktails, one of which was named for the home’s owner.
“I enjoy sharing the home and opening it up for tours all the time,” he said.
Especially for tennis, which Goldstein told us he has been playing all his life.
“I always wanted to have my own court, and we finally finished this about two years ago,” he said of the addition, which boasts a stunning panoramic view of the city. When Goldstein is not traveling to attend out-of-town N.B.A. games and fashion weeks, he says he plays tennis nearly every day.
On Sunday, though, he was happy to cede the court to the MAK Games tournament, which featured one mixed professional amateur match with Timothy Olyphant and pro Sam Querrey__playing against musician__Gavin Rossdale and pro Lester Cook. Rossdale and Cook ended up winning the game, not that the outcome really mattered. Playing to benefit the MAK Center for Art and Architecture, and against a view so stunning that it pulled focus from the actual match, Olyphant was quick to dismiss a ref who frequently ribbed him about falling behind in the game. After one reminder too many, Olyphant snapped, “No one cares what the score is!,” to laughs from his audience.