Calling all B&R tennis players!

 

Our beloved club has implemented a $10 court fee for members who book tennis courts more than twice per week.

Please sign this petition if you wish the Board to retract this $10 fee.

All Members Have Equal Access To Booking Tools

The club has a relatively fair and strict court booking policy, with tools that give all members equal access to book tennis courts. Booking courts a week in advance, using Game Seeker and the Wait List, will all but guarantee you a court. Why must we, who use these tools or play frequently during non-peak times, be penalized for booking more than 2 courts?

A "Punishment" For Actually Using Facilities 

The $10 “usage” fee or fine for actually utilizing club facilities will not be an impediment for many of us. What it does do is put a bad taste our mouths, by imposing a “punishment" for actually using club facilities. It is in fact a “section fee” by another name that will amount to approximately $300 for anyone booking 3 courts a week.





Will Not Help The Club Become More Attractive to New Members

Moreover, if the fee is intended to make the club more marketable to potential new members (most of whom we're told want to play tennis) it will fail. The implicit marketing message of this approach is – “We know you (potential new member) want a club where you can play tennis. Here at the B&R we have a very high ratio of members to courts and have a policy in place to restrict and discourage court bookings. In fact, we have a surcharge.” Seems pretty counter-intuitive.





New Fee Does Not Solve the Root Problem

With our already higher member to tennis court ratio than other clubs it is simply delusional to think that we can continue to increase membership without increasing capacity. What this only does is acerbate the problem (not enough courts) by increasing demand (new members) and is unsustainable. The consequences are ever-increasing membership dissatisfaction and the absolute inability to develop new members.





What the B&R needs to do is look at what other clubs have done when faced with similar issues, which the Board and management have likely done.





Some shorter-term measures include capping tennis membership in total, restricting access to winter tennis for new members for a period of time and/or charging an additional fee for the privilege of being able to book prime-time courts during the winter season (i.e. a section fee). The booking restriction can be ameliorated somewhat by allowing any member to book a same-day prime-time court.





However, none of these solve what the “real” problems seem to be, which are annual revenue requirements and facilities capacity. Here the choices are clear – either increase fees for existing members (to stabilize demand for existing facilities) or develop a plan to expand.




Most of us truly value the clubs' warmth and atmosphere and have many great long-time and new friends here.




What is required is some planning beyond a short-term goal of getting a small number of newer members off the tennis wait-list.

Please Sign The Petition If You Agree