Barrhaven Tennis Club

Good afternoon,

We are pleased to announce that the Barrhaven Tennis Club will open the 2020 season officially on Saturday, May 23rd.

Because of the COVID-19 situation, the Club has had to change how it operates and what it offers.

The following reflects the guidelines the City of Ottawa provided the Club and other “best practices” that the Club believes are necessary to ensure your safety.

The City will continue to monitor tennis clubs through its “park ambassadors” program. If they observe that we are not adhering to the guidelines, the City could order the Club closed.  We therefore strongly encourage you to read the following very carefully and follow the guidelines when you are using the Club facilities.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but it is being done with your safety in mind.

General health precautions

You are not permitted to play if you are not feeling well or exhibiting flu-like symptoms, or any known COVID-19 symptoms (including fever, cough, difficulty breathing), or have been in contact with someone with COVID-19 and/or flu-like symptoms in the previous 14-days.

If you have been on the courts and you have tested positive for COVID-19, you must inform us at barrhaventennisclub@gmail.com.

You should clean and disinfect equipment prior to and after use.

Wash your hands frequently.

Refrain from touching your face with unclean hands.

Carry and use sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol content.

Wear a non-medical mask in public places to help limit the risk of spread to others if you will be within 2 meters of people other than members of your own household.

Facilities and Operations

The club house will be closed and there will be no access to the Larkin House washrooms (the Walter Baker Centre also remains close).

The water fountain outside Larkin House will not be operating.

There will be no court attendants and court bookings will be done online (more details to follow).

Members will be responsible to turn on the lights for evening play. They will turn off at 11pm. To turn the lights on, please proceed to the green box located just outside the clubhouse. There is a small door on the left of the green box. To activate the lights, press and hold for 2-3 seconds the big green button. You should hear a thud noise. If it starts raining, you can turn off the lights manually by pressing the red button.

You will not have access to the benches by the courts or to the picnic tables on the deck. You can bring your own folding chair.

There will not be garbage receptacles; you are to remove all garbage and bring it with you.

We will provide you with a new access code once you have purchased your membership.

You will be responsible for all sanitization. You should therefore bring sanitizer with you.

If the courts are wet and you want to play, we have rollers stored under the club house next to court 1. Make sure to wipe down the handles before and after you use them. Please return them to their storage area once you are done with them. They dry much faster. Do not forget: the rollers are meant to spread the water and speed up the drying process. Please do not press on the rollers.

Activities

You must be a member of the Club to play. Guests will not be permitted.

Until further notice, play will be limited to singles.

There will be no organized women’s groups, house league, junior socials, stroke of the week, etc.

Baskets of tennis balls will not be permitted, and neither will tennis lessons.

Access is restricted to players. There should be no spectators.

Courts 1-4 will be reserved from 7-9 in the morning for players over 65 and for more vulnerable players. Normal booking procedures will apply.

Before you play:

You must book your court time online. (A separate email will be coming shortly.) The intent is to prevent situations where people are mingling around while waiting for a court.

You should arrive about five minutes before you are to play.

You are not to enter the courts until the prescribed time.

Because there will be no staff on hand, the handle to the door will not be sanitized. You must sanitize it when you enter the courts. You should assume that all common areas have not been sanitized. You should sanitize your hands before entering the courts and upon leaving.

You must limit congregating with other people when going to and from common areas. If the two-metre distance cannot be maintained, we recommend wearing a mask.

During play

Maintain a two-metre separation.

You must not share equipment, including racquets, water bottles, and other personal items.

Leave your bag and other items at the back of your court against the fence.

If you bring a folding chair, leave it at your end of the court.

Bring your own tennis balls that are clearly marked. You should play with two sets and avoid touching the other player’s tennis balls with your hands. You can use your racquet and feet to pick up and pass the tennis balls that belong to the other player.

If you consider changing ends, rotate clockwise to avoid passing each other.

You should avoid touching any fixtures (nets, posts). If you touch them, you should disinfect.

After play

If you are the last player on your side of the courts, you must lock the door.

There should be no hand shaking or “high-fives”

Out of courtesy to other players, you should make sure to leave the court on time.

Make sure you remove all your gear and garbage.

Make sure to sanitize.

Memberships

Because the Club is opening late and we are unable to put forward many of our regular programs, the Club is offering a discount of 25 percent on all memberships. For those who have already registered, we will reimburse you for the difference between what you paid and our discounted fees.

As you know, the situation continues to change by the hour. We will continue to keep you posted by emails and on our web site (www.barrhaventennisclub.com ).

Thank you for your patience.

Your Barrhaven Tennis Club Executive