CLUB RULES

1.   All members are to conduct their own Risk Assessment before any play, taking inclement weather conditions into account.  This is especially important if you have invited a guest.  

2.   Except for exceptional circumstances as directed by the Committee, no play can take place outside the advertised opening hours of:

• Monday to Saturday     08:00 - 22:00
• Sunday                            09:00 - 21:00

3.   All courts must be pre-booked using eit her the portal on the Needingworth website or the mobile phone ClubSpark App.  To achieve this, players must be a LTA Advantage member.

4.   Courts are bookable in 30-minute slots up to a maximum of 2 hours at any one time.

• Out of courtesy to the nearby residents, Court 2 (furthest from the pavilion) should be booked first
• The member booking the court is responsible for the behaviour of their group of players

5.   Players should be prepared to leave the court in a timely manner and may only over-run their booking if no-one has booked the court after them.  

6.    Members may bring the same guest a maximum of five times during the membership year.  There is a £3 guest fee, payable by the member.

7.   Guests must be accompanied by a member, or they will be treated as a pay-and-play guest, see below.

8.   Players are responsible for locking the court after use by scrambling the combination code, unless this task is handed over to new players replacing them on the same court.

9.   Club matches and club sessions will have priority and will be booked in advance.  

10.   Access to the courts are via a combination padlock on each gate:

• The code will be supplied upon payment of membership fees.  This code should not be revealed to any other person
• The code will be changed annually at the start of each membership year.  However, if deemed necessary, the Committee reserve the right to change the code at short notice
• Any change of code will be emailed to all current members of Needingworth Tennis Club

11.   Players are requested to avoid making excessive noise and respect our immediate residents.

12.   Balls must not be retrieved from nearby gardens but the fenced off section at the back of the courts is accessible via the back gate by the pavilion.

13.   Tennis shoes must always be worn on the courts (no AstroTurf shoes or Cross Trainers).

14.   No bikes, and no ball games other than tennis is to be played on the courts.

15.   A toilet is accessible on the end of the village hall via the back gate (coded door lock).

16.   When leaving the court make sure the net has been returned to the correct height if it has been necessary to adjust this during play.

17.   Any change to the rules will be agreed by the committee.

If there are any safeguarding concerns, you can contact the welfare officer Caroline Chipper on 07816 661460

FLOODLIGHT USAGE

Lights are available to use until 10pm Monday to Saturday and up until 9pm on Sunday.  The lights have been set to turn off automatically at these times.

When playing under lights please be considerate to residents and keep the noise down.  If only one court is to be used, please play on court 2 (the one furthest from the houses in Park View).

The lights are turned on by inserting a token into the meter control unit located at the edge of the courts on the village hall side.  This is straightforward but if you need assistance, please contact any committee member.  One token lasts 30 minutes and costs £2.00.

Tokens can be purchased from:

• Mark Balaam – 5 The Maltings

A warning beacon next to the meter control unit flashes when the timed period is about to end.

For your safety, at the end of the period, one light stays on for 5 minutes more to allow you to exit the courts.

If using the override key and the lights turn off automatically by the ‘end of the day’ timer, make sure the override key is turned off, otherwise the lights will automatically start again in the morning.

If the lights are turned off, it will not be possible to switch on again for 10 minutes until the bulbs have cooled.

Pay and Play

The courts are open to non-members and may be booked on a pay and play basis for £5 per hour, per court.

Book using LTA Rally  No membership required, simply enter your postcode or location, pick a court, book and play.

Updated on 01 Oct 2023