Rules for Use of Courts

1. Playing Season – The Courts will open for the regular season on the second Saturday of October and will remain open until the last Sunday in April. The exception are Thanksgiving and Christmas Days when the club will be closed. Further closings, such as COVID-19, are at the discretion of the Board of Trustees.

2. Court Hours – The courts are open from 7 AM to 10 PM on Mondays – Thursdays, from 7 AM to 8 PM on Fridays, and from 8 AM to 8 PM on Saturdays and Sundays. They are available to be reserved for periods of one hour or an hour and a half. The Board of Trustees may reserve certain periods for tournament, exhibition or family play.

3. Application Process – Candidates are required to complete an online application and include letters of recommendation from two existing members, who are in good standing and have been a member for a period of at least a year. Applications should be submitted by September 15th and December 1st. Please contact the club manager prior to submitting your application to find out if the club is under any member capacity limitations.

4. Membership Categories – Individual, Couples, Family and Juniors both Active and Inactive – Individual membership: an individual who is 21 years of age or older. Couples membership: two individuals, 21 years or older, living in the same household. Family membership: at least one member over 21 and at least one member under 21 living in the same household. Junior membership: an individual who is between 12 and 21 years of age that are not part of a family membership. Active Members from any category have paid the current year membership fees and have full access to the courts. Inactive Members from any category are those members who, prior to the season, on September 1st, select to put their membership on hold for that season. They may use Club facilities once a month. They cannot vote. They may reactivate their membership only on September 1 or before without paying the Initiation Fee again. After September 1, 2021, inactive membership status can only be for two years. After two years of inactive membership, your membership from the club will terminate unless you return to active status.

5. Payment of Dues, Charges & Suspension – The annual dues, for the category of membership selected, are payable on or before October 1st. If the dues remain unpaid by October 30th, the member is in default and will be suspended. Any change in membership (active, inactive or a category change) must be put in writing and sent to the manager of the club before the club opens for the season on September 1st. For all other charges, other than for annual dues, members will be billed monthly. Charges must be paid within 30 days of notification of the statement. If, after a second statement invoice is sent, the indebtedness is not paid within 30 days, the member shall be suspended. A member suspended for any cause may not use the club facilities under any circumstances until the suspension is removed. After the end of the fiscal year, the trustees may declare the membership of the suspended member forfeited.

6. Reservations – Court reservations can be made through our online booking software, Tennis Director, and can be made 3 days in advance of play. See below for limitations of play. Go to www.longwoodcoveredcourts.com and click on “Book Online” then “Register” to start the process (you must be registered to use the online booking system). Members who do not appear within 15 minutes after the reserved hour will lose their rights if others are waiting, unless the attendant has been previously notified. Unless a reservation is cancelled by notice to the attendant at least 72 hours in advance, or unless the court time is resold, the signed-up members will be charged for the court time at the normal rate. Contract time cannot be cancelled, and if not used will be charged at the normal rate to the contracted members.

7. Limitations of Play – No member may reserve a court for more than one and one-half hours in a single day, or for more than a total of three sessions in any seven-day period with the following exceptions:

a. A member may always book a court within 24 hours if there are unused courts and that session may exceed the three times per week of allowed play per member.

b. A member may always play if no one is using or waiting for a court.

c. A member, after finishing play, may continue if requested to fill in for doubles in a succeeding hour.

d. At the discretion of the attendant, if court time remains plentiful.

8. Family Play – The hours of 3-6 PM on Saturdays are reserved for Family Play. This is the period when members under 12 years of age may play, when accompanied by their parent or grandparent who must be a member. If families do not reserve by Wednesday evening, the time of 3-6 PM on Saturday will be open to active members to reserve.

9. Guests – A member may invite a guest to play with them at the Club. No guest may play more than once in a month. The member will be charged the guest fee.

10. Lessons – All members can book lessons by contacting the club or the club pros directly, three days in advance of their lesson. Members will be charged the appropriate court fee. Members should pay the pros directly.

a. If a reservation is cancelled, a one-hour minimum fee will be charged.

b. Court fees will be assessed as part of member monthly billing.

11. Contract Time – Members may apply for Contract Times which are commitments for the entire season. The Board of Trustees has established criteria to promote the fair allocation of scheduled times. In general, at least 50% of the courts are available to be reserved by any member in any given day. Contract time participants may only be signed up for one contract time period in any given week.

12. Team Tennis Play – Team practices shall have a 1.5 hour limit per week and on match days teams will have a total of not more than 4 hours allocated to them.

a. The club pro will manage and coordinate the teams. The club pro will provide management oversight for the teams. The teams are allowed to hire their own coaches.

13. Club Pros – The club pros are Magnus Nicklasson and Tim Smith. Other non-club pros are not allowed to give lessons.

14. Summer Play – The Courts normally remain closed during the summer but may be opened for special events by the Board of Trustees.

15. Annual Meeting – The annual meeting of the voting members is normally held in November. Inactive members may not vote. All active members will receive notice in advance.

16. Court Courtesy & Sportsmanship

a. Sportsmanship above all else. Respect your opponent.

b. Always give your opponent the benefit of the doubt on line calls. If you are not sure of a call, you must give the point to your opponent. If you make a wrong call on a ball, you must immediately reverse the call and give the point to your opponent. If you and your partner disagree on a call, you must give the point to your opponent.

c. Keep distractions to an absolute minimum. Do not talk loudly from the opposite ends of the court and try to make as little impact on courts in your vicinity as possible.

d. Know and respect the Club rules.

e. If the Tennis Host is on duty, make sure to check with him or her prior to going on a court.

f. If your ball goes on another court, make sure the point is over on that court before you request or retrieve your ball. If a ball comes onto a court, call a let, but wait until the point is over on the other court before returning the ball. Never enter a court while play is in progress.

g. If it is necessary to cross a court, wait until the end of a game, or a distinct stop in the player’s action before crossing.

h. On changeovers or water breaks, make as little disruption to the next court as possible.

i. When you are not on court, but in the vicinity of the courts, keep any noise and conversations as low as possible.

j. Know the USTA Rules of Tennis and the “Code of Tennis: The Players’ Guide to Unofficiated Matches.”

k. The best advice for determining how to properly handle any tennis etiquette situation that may arise is to use common sense and always let the ideals of good sportsmanship guide you in determining the proper course to take.

l. No smoking on the courts, in the clubhouse, or on premises will be permitted at any time.

m. Practicing by batting balls against the walls is prohibited.

n. The club parking space is for use of members and their guests only while using the facilities of the club. The Manager or the Board of Trustees may allow some non-use parking under special circumstances. Others parking on the Club’s lot may be towed at the owner’s expense.

o. Please be sure to take all of your belongings with you and throw away your trash.

Have fun on the courts!