Kew Gardens Tennis Club
Rules & Regulations
2020
(as of August 9, 
2020)

 

  1. COVID PHASE TWO CLUB OPERATIONS AND TENNIS PLAYING RULES -         EFF 16 JUL 2020
  2. GENERAL CLUB RULES
  3. ONLINE COURT BOOKING RULES
  4. MEMBER CODE OF CONDUCT

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1.    COVID PHASE TWO CLUB OPERATIONS AND TENNIS PLAYING RULES -         EFF 16 JUL 2020

**These COVID rules take precedence over existing Kew General Rules and Online Booking Rules.  Where a conflict exists with pre-existing rules, these COVID-19 Rules shall take precedence.  There will be zero tolerance for willful disregard of these rules and any / all direction provided by club monitors**

a.    Anyone who is exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 or has had close contact with a confirmed case cannot enter a community tennis club. 

  • Every member must do the self-assessment for COVID-19 on the Ontario Ministry of Health website before heading to Kew to play  
  • If you do not pass the assessment, you should not play nor book a court until you do not have signs and symptoms of COVID-19. If deemed necessary, members may want to get a COVID test - see locations here
  • All tennis players should be aware of signs and symptoms of COVID-19, including: 
    • Fever
    • Cough
    • Difficulty breathing
    • Muscle aches o Tiredness
    • Sore throat
    • Headache
    • Runny nose
    • New loss of taste or smell 
  • Your risk of severe disease may be higher if you have a weakened immune system. This may be the case for: 
    • Seniors
    • People with chronic disease such as diabetes, cancer, heart, renal or chronic lung disease 

The World Health Organization advises that symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 10 to 14 days after contracting COVID-19. Those who are infected with COVID-19 may have few or no symptoms. Hence, there is the possibility of asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic spread of COVID-19.

Under advisement of Chief Medical Officer of Health of the Province of Ontario all Clients 70+, are strongly encouraged to self-isolate

  • If a member tests positive for COVID-19, TPH will follow-up with close contacts who may include other club members or volunteers. Individuals who came in close contact with the infected member may also be required to self-isolate. 

b.    COMING TO PLAY AT KEW

  • Online bookings only - no drop ins nor walk ons
  • Upon arrival at the club:
    • All individuals must wear face coverings (nose and mouth covered) while entering and departing the club - when on court, individuals can remove their face coverings.
    • Show photo ID if you have not uploaded a clear profile photo to your Kew online account
    • Ensure you have your own marked tennis balls
  • Hard and clay courts will be staggered
    • Hard courts will be booked on the HALF HOUR (starting at 8:30am)
    • Clay courts will be booked on the HOUR (starting at 8am)
  • Members that have not checked in within 10 minutes after their reserved court time will be considered a “no show” and the court will be forfeited.  Rules as they pertain to booking cancellations / no-shows will be applied as they are defined in the relevant section below.
  • Only member play - No guests
  • Tennis players only, and any required staff. Spectators are not permitted.
  • Singles and Doubles now allowed 
  • Everyone at the club is expected to practice physical distancing - maintain a two metre (six feet) distance from others when at the club and use designated entrances & exits
  • The clubhouse and washrooms will be closed to members - park washrooms across the road at Pantry Park are now open
  • Bikes will need to be locked outside of the club for the time being.  We know many members ride down to the club but, given social distancing, we ask that you leave and lock them outside before coming in to play

Please arrive at the club no earlier than 15 minutes before your booked court time. The gate will be opened by the court monitor prior to the court changing and the court monitor will ensure that members remain socially distanced while waiting to go on court.   Please follow the court monitor’s instructions on where and when to go on court.  Avoid touching court gates, fences, net posts, the net tape, benches, etc..    

c. WHAT TO BRING

  • Your own tin of balls that are “marked” differently from your opponent’s (each player must bring and show the court monitor their own can of tennis balls)
  • Filled water bottle
  • Sanitizer (Kew will have sanitizer handy)
  • Kleenex
  • Face Covering

When leaving the court, please remove all items (used balls, drink containers, etc…) and dispose of them in the trash bins next to the clubhouse.

d.    WHILE PLAYING

  • Use and handle only the tennis balls that you have brought.  Do not touch any other member’s tennis balls or equipment (wristbands, grips, hats and towels) with your hands.
  • Avoid touching court gates, fences, net posts, the net tape, benches, etc.
  • Keep a 2 metre distance with other players
  • No handshakes
    • Stay on your side of the court
    • When retrieving balls for other players, refrain from touching them with your hands; instead, gently kick the ball back or tap the ball back using your racquet
  • Avoid touching your face as much as possible. 
  • When playing doubles, consider leaving your belongings at the back of the court

e.    AFTER PLAY

  • All bookings will be 55 min in length. A bell will be rung 5 minutes prior to the end of your playing time. If you have booked two hours of play, continue.  Otherwise, immediately stop playing, grab your gear and any garbage and head for the exits.
  • Leave the court and facilities immediately after you finish playing
  • Use hand sanitizer and wash your hands carefully with water and disinfectant soap when you have access

f.    COACHING & LESSONS

  • All lessons will be 55 minutes in length and will be booked online by the pro to ensure that Kew records all members playing at the Club
  • For group clinics, a ratio of 4 members with one coach will be used -  this applies to both Adult and Junior lessons.  
  • Coaches will practice social distancing and ensure that all individuals on court remain 6 feet from others.
  • The pros will be responsible for picking up balls - members should use their racquet or foot to push balls back, not use their hands
  • Serving practice is discouraged - however, if desired, the member can wear a clean (not used) glove on their ball toss hand to handle balls. Contact headpro@kewgardenstennis.ca for lesson bookings or any inquiries

2.    GENERAL CLUB RULES

a.  DRESS CODE

  • Kew Gardens Tennis Club has a dress code in effect during all club hours. All members and guests are expected to abide by the dress code at all times when on court.  Failure to follow the dress code will result in the loss of playing privileges.
  • Proper tennis shoes MUST be worn on the clay courts. The clay (Har-Tru) surface is sensitive to corrugations, deep ridges, etc..so athletic shoes with a heavy tread can damage the topping. If you are unsure, please speak to the Club Manager or the court monitors. Regular athletic or jogging shoes can be worn on the hard courts
  • Proper tennis attire includes athletic apparel such as:
    • Tops:   Shirts (collared or no collar), t-shirts, tank tops
    • Bottoms:  Skirts, skorts, shorts, pants, capris and legging
    • Other:  Dresses
  • Streetwear (Denim, Cut off shorts or tops, tank tops with large armholes), crop tops/sports bras baring midriff, and any attire with offensive wording or logos are NOT proper attire. 

b. COURT ETIQUETTE

All members and guests must conduct themselves in a courteous, respectful and polite manner when dealing with other members and Club staff and volunteers, both on the courts and in the clubhouse and on Club grounds.

  • Yelling, profanity and the throwing of racquets will NOT be tolerated.
  • Players must walk behind the courts and retrieve balls from other courts only during stoppages of play.
  • Out of courtesy to other players, cell phones, pagers, beepers and mp3 players should be turned off.
  • Players must remove any garbage, food, drinks, clothes, towels, cans and balls from the courts when they leave to ensure a safe and clean environment.
  • Players are asked to ensure that after playing on clay, they wipe off their shoes before entering the clubhouse.

c. MEMBERS

Members must sign the club waiver, pay all dues and be in good standing (no suspensions) before courts can be booked. As Club policy, Kew does not issue refunds for paid memberships.

d. CLUBHOUSE

Inline skates, skateboards, smoking and pets (with the exception of service animals) ARE NOT allowed in the clubhouse or on Club property (i.e., inside the Club fences).  These are City By-laws.  The kitchen and head pro/business office are OFF LIMITS to everyone except for the Club Manager, Club Pros, Club staff and the current Board of Directors. 

e. LIABILITY FOR LOST AND STOLEN PROPERTY AND INJURY POLICY

The Club, its managers, staff, the Board of Directors and the City of Toronto are not responsible for lost, misplaced or stolen items OR for members or guests incurring injury while in the clubhouse or on Club property.  Please lock your bicycles and keep your personal property with you at all times.

f. GUESTS

All guests must register with the Club Manager or Court Monitor on duty, pay, or have paid online, a $10.00 (plus HST) guest fee, fill out & sign a liability waiver, and be accompanied by a member. Guests are allowed a maximum of 4 visits before being asked to become a member provided that membership is not full.

g. JUNIOR PLAYING TIME AND PRIVILEGES

In addition to Junior programming, Kew encourages its juniors to play casually outside of instruction.  

Family Play 

  • Who can play:  At least one regular member + up to 3 junior members (Regular members = Next Gen/Young Adult/Adult/Senior)
  • Who books:  The regular member books the court.  They add the junior member(s) using the drop down menu.   All court bookings count towards each member’s 2 revolving bookings per week.
  • Rules for Play
    • Hard courts only (Courts 6-10)
    • Orange ball or higher in use - 3 balls max on court
    • Regular member responsible for ensuring that all juniors on the court are adhering to all Kew rules and court etiquette
  • Playing Hours:
    • Monday through Saturday anytime before 7:30pm (last booking at 6:30pm)
    • Sundays 12:30-3:30pm (last booking at 2:30pm)

ONLY Next Gen juniors with adult playing privileges, as directed by the Head Pro, will be allowed to book courts during adult playing times.

h. CHILD SUPERVISION

Children are supervised by tennis instructors when taking lessons or during summer camps.  At all other times, the supervision and safety of children is the responsibility of their parents, not of Kew Gardens Tennis Club or its staff.

i. PUBLIC HOURS

In line with its permit, KGTC’s hard courts are made available for general public use Sundays from 4pm - 10pm.   Note that KGTC does not manage the courts during this time.  Similar to other City-run unmonitored public courts, there are rules for play posted by the City - please adhere to those rules.   The courts will be accessed via the South East gate (near Court 10).

j. ALCOHOL & DRUGS POLICY

Zero Tolerance Alcohol Policy - Any unauthorized use of alcohol in city facilities can result in the immediate cancellation of the permit(s). The sale or consumption of liquor requires the proper authorization from Parks, Forestry & Recreation, a Special Occasion Permit issued by the Liquor Control Board of Ontario and proof of insurance must be provided to the City of Toronto prior to issuance of a permit. Insurance must be in the amount of $2-$5 million per occurrence, depending on the event. Insurance must name the City of Toronto as additional insured. Permit Holders are required to follow all regulations as described in the Municipal Alcohol Gaming Policy. 

Kew Gardens Tennis Club (KGTC) is a city owned facility.  Only alcohol bought under permit by KGTC may be consumed on KGTC property (the property).

  • No consumption of alcohol on club premises unless the alcohol has been bought under a Special Occasion Permit.
  • No consumption of alcohol or drugs while playing and no alcohol is to be brought on court
  • No personal alcohol or illegal drugs to be brought onto the property. Anyone consuming their own alcohol or using drugs on the property will be evicted and the member will be automatically suspended from the club for one week. Suspension means NO playing privileges including representing KGTC on a team (home or away). A second offense will result in suspension from the club for the balance of the season.
  • If the court monitor believes a member is under the influence of either alcohol or drugs, that member will lose their court booking and/or will not be able to book a court.

Zero Tolerance Workplace Violence - violence will not be tolerated and will result in the immediate cancellation of the permit(s).

k. DISCIPLINE

Any complaints against a member or inappropriate behaviour will be dealt with by the Club Manager or Court Monitor on duty IMMEDIATELY, who has the authority to remove any member from a court or Club property. If severe enough, a letter will be sent from the Board of Directors which can result in a suspension of playing and membership privileges.  See Member Code of Conduct.

3.    ONLINE COURT BOOKING RULES 

  • A dedicated PC or laptop will be made available in the clubhouse for the sole purpose of allowing members to log into their accounts and to book courts.
  • Starting at 8am daily, members can reserve courts up to 7 days in advance to play with other members or with guests.  For example, on Monday at 8am, you can book a court up until the end of the following Sunday; on Tuesday at 8am, you can book for the following Monday, etc…
  • Members have a maximum of 2 bookings (a booking is defined as one hour of play) within this rolling 1 week period (regardless of court type or whether playing singles or doubles).   For example, if you have a court reserved for Tuesday 8pm and then Saturday at 2pm, you will have to wait until you have finished your Tuesday 8pm match before you can book a new reservation.    
  • Members can now book a court for 2 consecutive hours. For example, Jane Doe playing for one hour between 1-2pm will be able to reserve another court at 12 noon or at 2pm.  In addition, another member can add Jane’s name to a court at 12 noon or 2pm as long as she has booking room.  If the courts are not booked before or after a member's reservation, walk ons are possible as dictated by the court monitor.
  • To book singles, you will need two provide two names in the booking system. To book doubles, you will need to provide four names. Courts can be booked up until the hour of play.  For example, if there are any unreserved courts at 3:01pm (per the website/online booking clock), those 3 - 4pm unreserved courts will no longer be “bookable” online but will be managed by the court monitors for “walk on” play.  Members looking to “walk on” should speak to the court monitor who will assign any available courts on a “first come, first served” basis with the following guidelines:  
  • All “walk on” players must be present once the court is considered free
  • Walk on play does not count towards a members two booking maximum as this is unplanned play.  Court monitors will track walk ons.
  • Continuous Play:  If a court is unbooked after members have completed their play, the available court is offered to the members who were playing on that court.  

Any “gaming” of the system is contrary to the rules and will result in penalties.  Examples of this are: 

  • Any booking that does not have the same members playing as the booking shows
  • Booking a court for singles and then making it doubles without changing the booking

These examples above notwithstanding, the Board reserves the right to issue penalties to any additional scenarios used to circumvent the rules.

    • If playing with a guest or guests, members will be required to immediately pay a $10 fee (plus HST) per guest when booking a court online.   In addition to paying the fee, guests must still sign the waiver in the clubhouse before stepping on the court - the court monitor will stop play if both these requirements are not met prior to play.
    • Upon arrival at the Club, all Members must check in with the court monitor prior to proceeding onto their reserved court so please arrive at least 5 minutes before your booking.
    • Unless directed by the court monitor, members shall play on the court that they have booked online. 

Booking after Team Matches

  • When booking a court after a scheduled Club Team match (Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings currently), the completion of the team match has priority over the member’s booked court.  It is a league rule that all matches be completed so members booking at court at 9pm on a league night may be adversely impacted.  Members will be notified of this potential conflict when they book a court on a day where this rule applies.  Members are encouraged to show up early in case the league matches finish early.
  • Should there be a rain out for a Team match, the rescheduled date may fall on a Sunday evening. In that case, courts will be booked online in advance by the court monitors and members looking to book courts directly after the rescheduled match will be notified of this potential conflict as well when they book the court.  

Cancellation / Late Arrivals / No-Shows

With the convenience of online court booking comes, there is an added responsibility for Members to use courts they have reserved.

  • Members must cancel a reservation if it will not be used.  Cancellations can be made online up until 1 hour before reserved court time (i.e. reservations cannot be cancelled within one hour of reserved court time).  Cancellations can only be made online through the member's Kew Account.  If a member has paid guest fees and needs to cancel the court, those fees will be refunded to the member's club account only if the cancellation was at least one hour prior to the reserved court time - otherwise, the fees are forfeited to the Club.
  • Reservations cancelled within one hour of the reserved court time and no-shows (when any person on the court booking has NOT shown up for a court reservation) will be considered misuse of the booking system.  Failure to cancel a court will result in an automatic 7 day loss of booking and playing privileges.
  • Players arriving 15 minutes after the reserved court time will be considered late.  Chronic lateness will be subject to review and will result in 7 day loss of booking and playing privileges.

If a member's booking and playing privileges are revoked, they will receive an email notification of the penalty.  During this penalty period,  the member will not be able to log into the booking system and their name will not be available to be booked by the Club or any other member.  Any existing bookings will also be cancelled.

The following are examples of scenarios that would result in the loss of a  member's booking and playing privileges:

Singles Play

  1. Both players absent: When a court has not been cancelled and neither player is present within 15 minutes after the court reservation time - both players will have their playing privileges revoked for a 7 day period.
     
  2. One player absent: When only one player is present 15 minutes after the reserved court time - the player that is absent and remains on the court reservation shall have their playing privileges revoked for a 7 day period.  The player that has presented themselves may provide to the court monitor a player substitute if they wish to continue to use the court reservation.  The court monitor in turn will cancel the initial booking in order for the player and player substitute to re- book the court themselves with the updated player information.  This online re-booking is necessary prior to proceeding on court to commence play.  Otherwise, the court will be forfeited.  If the presenting player does not find any eligible player to substitute and his/her previous opponent does arrive late, they can play however, the late member's tardiness will be recorded and will warrant revocation of booking and playing privileges if tardiness is determined to be chronic.

Doubles Play 

  1. All players absent:  When a court has not been cancelled and none of players are present within 15 minutes after the court reservation time - all players reflected on the court reservation will have their playing privileges revoked for a 7 day period.
  2. One or more players absent: When one or two  players from a doubles reservation are absent after 15 minutes of the court reservation time - those absent players (as reflected on the court reservation) shall have their playing privileges revoked for a 7 day period.  The players that have presented themselves can elect whether they wish to revert to playing with the remaining players, or, provide to the court monitor player substitutes as required in order to continue playing doubles.  The court monitor in turn will cancel the initial booking in order for the player(s) and player substitute(s) to re-book the court themselves with the updated player information.  This online re-booking is necessary prior to proceeding on court to commence play.  Otherwise, the court will be forfeited.  If the presenting players do not find any eligible player to substitute and the late players do arrive, they can play however, the late member(s)' tardiness will be recorded and will warrant revocation of booking and playing privileges if tardiness is determined to be chronic.
  3. If three players are still absent after 15 min, the lone player can provide an eligible substitute(s) to play singles or doubles.  The court monitor in turn will cancel the initial booking in order for the player and player substitute(s) to re- book the court themselves with the updated player information.  This online re-booking is necessary prior to proceeding on court to commence play.  Otherwise, the court will be forfeited.  If the presenting player does not find any eligible player to substitute and any of the late players do arrive, they can play however, the late member(s)' tardiness will be recorded and will warrant revocation of booking and playing privileges if tardiness is determined to be chronic.

**IMPORTANT**: In all cases, player substitutions must have the online booking room within their revolving two booking reservations in order to be included in the revised court booking.

Inclement Weather & Courts Unplayable Policy

  • If Kew court monitors determine that courts are unplayable for any reason (courts are too wet, etc..), they will cancel the court and the member(s) will be notified via email.  If the member has paid any guest fees, those will be refunded to the member’s club account.

Misuse

  • Courts may not be booked using another member name without their consent and the full intention of playing a match. Members will be notified automatically via email when a court is booked in their name.  Members found to be misusing or circumventing the booking policies will be penalized by the Board with a series of escalating suspensions ultimately resulting in the possible revocation of membership:
    • 1st offense: Warning
    • 2nd offense: One week playing suspension
    • 3rd offense: One month playing suspension 
    • 4th offense:  Playing suspension for the remainder of the club season

4. MEMBER CODE OF CONDUCT

Kew Gardens Tennis Club, as a member club of the Ontario Tennis Association (OTA), follows the rules and regulations set out by the OTA with regard to member conduct. Members and guests will conduct themselves on the premises (or when representing Kew Gardens on a team or at a tournament at another venue) in a courteous and responsible manner. Members and their guests should be able to enjoy the game of tennis as a player or as a spectator in a harassment-free environment. 

Members and their guests will refrain from violent, threatening, abusive language or behaviour toward other members, guests and club staff. Abuse may be perpetrated by an adult or a child, and the victim may be an adult or a child.  (please see the OTA Policy Paper on Abuse and Harassment for further clarification on definitions of abuse)   http://www.tennisontario.com/pdf/GP5_AbuseHarassment_for_Clubs.pdf

The clubhouse monitors, members of the Board of Directors, and the club professional and teaching staff are tasked with ensuring that members and their guests comply with the rules. Members or guests who do not adhere to the rules may be asked to leave the court, may be warned of their breach, may be excluded from participating in some club activities, including club teams, tournaments and social events, and may have their membership suspended or cancelled. Furthermore, the OTA may enforce discipline against a member who breaches the OTA Code of Conduct, particularly if the infraction occurs during an OTA-sanctioned event. 

Members or guests, club employees, and Board Members should provide a written report outlining the time, date, place, specific nature of the actions and person(s) involved to the President as soon as is practical after the incident. Verbal reports of such incidents are acceptable, and must be followed in writing. The President will send a copy of the report to the member(s) concerned within one week of receipt of the written report.  The President with the Board of Directors, or a Member Conduct Committee approved by the Board, makes decisions regarding warnings, exclusions, suspensions and cancellations of membership. Members of the Board of Directors, or a Board-appointed Member Conduct Committee, will review the history of written reports involving a specific member when arriving at a disciplinary decision, particularly if a member has a history of breaches of the Code of Conduct.

Appeals

Members have a right to appeal a disciplinary decision of the Board (or Board-appointed Member Conduct Committee) in writing to the attention of the President no later than 15 days from the date of decision. Members who request an appeal will appear before a minimum of four members of the Board of Directors (quorum) for a review of the disciplinary decision.