TENNIS COURT RULES

• Who Can Play.
  • Only Club members, their children, and their guests are authorized to use the tennis courts.  Guests are permitted on the courts only when accompanied by a member.
    • From May pool opening to September pool closing, the member must use a guest pass for each guest.
    • Guests must remain with the member at all times.
    • Members must ensure that a guest signs in the registration system at the pool front desk.
    • Members bringing children in the tennis court area will supervise their children to ensure that they do not disturb play.
    • Children are not permitted on the courts if they are not playing tennis. Children 7 years of age and under are permitted inside the court enclosure only when playing tennis with adult members.
    • Children 8 to 12 years of age are permitted to play without an adult member in attendance from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Monday through Friday, except holidays. Such children may play only with an adult in attendance at all other times.
    • Children 13 years of age and older may play tennis without an adult in attendance. At least one playing child must be a member.
• Membership Account.
  • Membership accounts will be used to verify the identity of persons using the tennis courts. Members’ names will be given upon request to verify pictures in the membership system.
• Locked Facilities.
  • In order to provide some security for the large investment in the equipment at the courts, a key lock will be used to secure the gate.
  • Keys will be provided to Full and Bonded members for a non‐refundable fee.
  • Keys are available at the swim desk during regular pool hours after being purchased through the website. 
  • Keys should be returned to the Club when a membership is terminated.
  • The gate must be kept closed at all times. Entry to the courts by any means other than the gate is prohibited.
  • The tennis key that members are issued opens only the side gate entrance from the walkway. It does NOT unlock the parking lot entrance. The parking lot entrance is locked to secure the tennis facilities in the off hours and during the winter season.
  • Proper Footwear. Tennis shoes must be worn. No other footwear or bare feet are allowed.
• Restrictions.
  • Tennis courts will be used for no purpose other than tennis.
  • No equipment other than approved racquet equipment (e.g., field hockey, lacrosse, etc.) may be used on the courts.
• Etiquette.
  • Players are requested not to walk behind players when play is in progress and not to retrieve balls from the adjacent courts until the conclusion of the point being played.
  • Loud, boisterous, obscene, or vulgar language is not permitted on the tennis courts. Good sportsmanship is expected at all times.
  • All waiting players must remain outside the enclosure.
  • Players are requested to keep the courts neat in appearance, free of leaves, trash, etc.
  • Players must relinquish their court without hesitation to the people with the next reservation at the end of the reservation period or after an hour play for singles and two hours for doubles when courts are used on a first come first serve basis.
  • No food or beverage other than water is allowed inside the court area.
  • The Director for Tennis, tennis independent contractors of the Club, or any Officer of the Club, shall have final and conclusive authority to enforce all matters relating to health and safety at the tennis facilities.
    • They may eject any persons failing to observe health and safety rules or otherwise conducting themselves improperly.
• Rules of Play. The Rules of the U.S. Tennis Association will govern play on the tennis courts unless otherwise indicated by the Director for Tennis. It is the responsibility of each player to inform himself of these rules as well as the rules of the Old Keene Mill Swim and Racquet Club.
• Play Time.
  • Normal hours for tennis court play are from 7:00 AM to 10:00PM.
  • The online calendar shows when courts are in use by Junior Tennis lessons or Womens and Mens teams. 
  • Unreserved time is when the courts have not been reserved.
• Playing Season(s)
  • Regular Season: Memorial Day through Labor Day
  • Off Season:  Pool closing in September to May pool opening
• Maintenance.
  • The tennis courts will be maintained for play during the regular pool season.
  • During the off season, the tennis courts will be maintained on a best‐effort basis by the OKM Board of Directors or their designee.
  • The courts may be closed at the discretion of the Director for Tennis due to unfavorable tennis weather.
  • Individual practice may not reserve time and should release courts to single or double play if all courts are full. 
• Reservation System.(To begin September 2024)
  • As it is not practical to have an employee in attendance at the courts to regulate tennis court use, the reservation system is designed to be self‐run and self‐implementing.
  • Reservation period is for 1 hour for Singles and 2 hours for Doubles starting at the top of the hour.
  • Members may make reservations through the online registration system. Reservations cannot be made more than 24 hours in advance. 
  • Reservations are forfeited if players do not arrive in time to commence play by 10 minutes after the hour. If two hours have been reserved, the second hour is forfeited when the doubles match is not started within 10 minutes after the hour. The first hour may be retained if singles play is started on time.
  • If no reservation, courts will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.  Such play must terminate at the beginning of the next reservation period. 
  • OKM Adult Tennis Teams recognized by the Board are authorized to reserve 2.5 hours of practice time during prime hours during the team season only. Hours will be posted on the online schedule. 
  • Members are required to cancel reservations as soon as possible after it becomes apparent that the reservation will not be used.
  • Eligibility to make prime time reservations is restricted to adults (18 and above). As long as an adult member makes a reservation in their name and is playing, the other players may be children.
• Rules Enforcement.
  • Tennis members are expected to generally supervise tennis court use.
  • All Club members are requested to take action when rule violations are observed. The action taken will depend on the nature of the problem. Members observing rule violations are asked to notify the Director for Tennis (or any Board of Director member).
  • Since the rules must be self‐enforcing, members have the right to “query” other members to ascertain that reservations or play is in accordance with Club rules. Members are urged to “query” in an appropriate, courteous manner and those being queried are requested to respond in the sameway.
  • The OKM Board or its designee will, during the regular and extended season, be responsible to keep the tennis courts in good playing condition and under general surveillance to prevent damage to property or misuse.
  • Pool staff will not adjudicate disputes, make or delete reservations, or supervise the rules of play on the tennis courts.
  • Recommendations for Change. Written recommendations concerning these rules should be directed to the OKM Board or Tennis Director through the contacts feature on OKMpool.com
• Lessons.
  • Tennis lessons are offered within the competitive tennis programs.
  • Non-member lessons must be approved by OKM Board
• Violations.
  • Violations of these rules may result in restrictions of an individual from court use at the discretion of the Club’s Board of Directors based on recommendations from the Tennis or Operations Director.