BOLDMERE TENNIS CLUB

Welcome to boldmere tennis club

Covid-19 latest update;

Boldmere Tennis Club will have its QR code for the NHS Covid-19 contact tracing app on display at the club from Thursday 22 October.

Please download the NHS app onto your mobile device is not already done so help us keep our club safe by checking-in whenever you attend for match play or coaching at our club.

Latest LTA Guidance
19th October 2020

Latest LTA Guidance can be accessed through this link

We can continue to play singles and doubles with people from different households.

The club house will be open but only for the use of the toilets with important safeguards in place which now include wearing a face-covering at all times when inside.

To play courts must still be pre-booked using Clubspark and to book you must have renewed your membership or joined us as a new member. All details on membership can be seen by clicking on the image to the right.

Visitors are now allowed to play at the club;

All visitors must be signed in by a BTC member before they start to play in order to comply with the terms of our insurance. The signing in sheet is in the BBQ.
To comply with Test and Trace, visitors must record their phone numbers in the Register which is also kept in the BBQ
It is the responsibility of the BTC member to brief the visitor on the latest guidance issued by the club.
A visitor’s first visit is free of charge, but they must still be signed in.
A visitor is then permitted 5 more paid visits per season. The charge is £5 for adults (over 18) and £3 for juniors (18 and under). Please pay promptly online, sort code 09 06 66, account number 42036570. Please type ‘Visitor – visitor’s name’ in the reference for the transaction.
Should the visitor decide to join, their visitor’s fees will be deducted from their membership fee.

Before you play

Stay at home if you have any Covid-19 symptoms, have had contact with anyone who has Covid-19 symptoms, have a household member who is at high risk or fall into any of the criterion under which the Government guidelines are to self-isolate.
Bring your own drink.
Bring your own hand sanitiser and any other items you require for hygiene.

Guidelines for players;

If anyone who has played at BTC develops symptoms of COVID-19, they should follow the Government’s ‘test and trace’ guidelines, which can be read on the Gov.uk website.
Respect social distancing at all times.
As you move around the premises please be mindful that there are some ‘blind corners. Approach these with care and take measures to observe social distancing.
Avoid coughing or cough into your elbow or a tissue.
No spitting.
Take your rubbish home with you.
It is no longer required that players bring and use their own marked tennis balls and avoid touching other people’s tennis balls. Players can however continue to use this approach if they wish to. Where players choose to use shared tennis balls, extra care must be taken to ensure you do not touch your face during play, and you should clean your hands before play and immediately after finishing (use alcohol gel if required). Players should still avoid using their hands to pick up tennis balls from other courts where possible - use your racquet/foot to return them.
We suggest groups of players agree a strategy for handling tennis balls at the start of a game. If there is any doubt in the group, please continue to use and handle your own marked tennis balls. This means that everyone will need to continue to bring their own marked tennis balls to every game.
You are advised to bring your own equipment - however, use of communal rackets can be done subject to thorough cleaning measures between use
Avoid changing ends or do so at opposite net posts in a clockwise direction.
Avoid touching all surfaces as they will not be cleaned.
Court users should clean their hands with alcohol gel after touching shared surfaces such as gates. Where safe and appropriate, doors and court gates could be left open during playing hours
Do not sit on or touch the benches.
Gates will be open, please leave them ajar and do not use the sliding mechanisms to secure them.
No spectators, with the exception of one parent or guardian for juniors.
Do not congregate on club premises or around the car park.
There will be an accident book and first aid kit in the BBQ should they be needed.

Booking Rules;

Before making a booking please ensure that your subs are paid in line with this year's arrangements - otherwise your booking may be cancelled. Click on the link above to renew your Membership image above for details of subs for 2020/21.

To book a court, click on the image above. This will take you to the login page.

Bookings are free of charge.
Court bookings will be in multiples of 15 minutes up to a maximum of 2.5 hours.
Please arrive promptly at the start of your booking and leave promptly 15 minutes before the end of your booking to facilitate social distancing as people arrive and leave. For example, if your Clubspark booking is from 1pm to 3pm, arrive promptly at 1pm and leave at 2.45pm.
Courts will be available for booking each day between 9am and 8.30pm.
To comply with test and trace please also record the people you are playing with in the Register which is kept in the BBQ.
[NEW] The committee is concerned that some members are forgetting to record the people they are playing with in the register. We are therefore asking members to keep their own records of the date and time when they have played for at least three weeks and use the QR code for the NHS track and trace.

Once booked a confirmation email will be sent to you.

During play and on the club premises

Respect social distancing at all times.
[NEW] Some members have expressed concern that social distancing for people arriving at the club is difficult if people are standing around the courts. This is particularly difficult if people stand on the path at the side of court 2. Please do not stand on this path.
As you move around the premises please be mindful that there are some ‘blind corners’. Approach these with care and take measures to observe social distancing.
Avoid coughing or cough into your elbow or a tissue.
No spitting.
Take your rubbish home with you.
It is no longer required that players bring and use their own marked tennis balls and avoid touching other people’s tennis balls. Players can however continue to use this approach if they wish to. Where players choose to use shared tennis balls, extra care must be taken to ensure you do not touch your face during play, and you should clean your hands before play and immediately after finishing (use alcohol gel if required). Players should still avoid using their hands to pick up tennis balls from other courts where possible - use your racquet/foot to return them.
We suggest groups of players agree a strategy for handling tennis balls at the start of a game. If there is any doubt in the group, please continue to use and handle your own marked tennis balls. This means that everyone will need to continue to bring their own marked tennis balls to every game.
You are advised to bring your own equipment - however, use of communal rackets can be done subject to thorough cleaning measures between use
Avoid changing ends or do so at opposite net posts in a clockwise direction.
Avoid touching all surfaces as they will not be cleaned.
Court users should clean their hands with alcohol gel after touching shared surfaces such as gates. Where safe and appropriate, doors and court gates could be left open during playing hours
Do not sit on or touch the benches.
Gates will be open, please leave them ajar and do not use the sliding mechanisms to secure them.
No spectators, with the exception of one parent or guardian for juniors.
Do not congregate on club premises or around the car park.
There will be an accident book and first aid kit in the BBQ should they be needed.

For more support on making your booking go to ; https://sportlabs.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/202250669-Booking-A-Court

Floodlights

These guidelines have been designed to minimise touch points and to avoid the need for handling money and floodlight tokens.
Please do not use the floodlights after 9pm or at any time on Sundays.

The key for the floodlight box will be attached to the outside of the box and the ‘On Keys’ for the floodlight meters will be attached to the inside of the floodlight box.
Switch the floodlights on for a court using the On Key. Turning the key a quarter turn clockwise will change the display from ’00.00’ to ‘Free’ and the lights will come on. The lights will stay on while the display is ‘Free’, the key does not need to be in place.
At the end of play turn the On Key a quarter turn anti-clockwise which will set the display back to ’00.00’ and remove the ‘On Key’ from the meter and lock up the floodlight box.
Note that if the lights are turned off they need to cool down for approximately 10 minutes before they will switch on again.
Players involved in Winter League will have paid for their floodlight usage in advance.
For all other play, the cost for using the floodlights on one court is £1 for every 15 minutes.
Please pay for use of the floodlights promptly online, sort code 09 06 66, account number 42036570. Please type ‘Floodlights’ in the reference for the transaction.

Please bring hand sanitiser to use before and after operating the floodlights

Coaching

Individual and group coaching must be booked in advance with Will, our coach.
There are additional guidelines and safeguards in place for coaching. You will be briefed on these by Will should you book a lesson.
A parent or guardian of children under 12 must stay on site while their child has a lesson to accompany them to the toilet and ensure they comply with the guidelines for using the toilets.
To comply with Test and Trace guidelines, Will will record the names and phone numbers of the people he coaches.
[NEW] Parents or guardians accompanying their children will be directed by the coach not to stand on the path around court 2 so that members can use the path and observe social distancing.

SOCIAL CALENDAR

All club competitions have been postponed until further notice with the exception of the 2020 Club Tournament

Annual General Meeting

Postponed until further notice

Boldmere Tennis Club is a small friendly private members club run by volunteers, located in Boldmere, Sutton Coldfield. The club is affiliated to the Lawn Tennis Association. Members are encouraged to become British Tennis Members which enables them to gain an “official” ranking and enter our Wimbledon ticket ballot.

We have 2 hard courts with floodlights and 2 Savanna Astroturf courts, a club-room with changing rooms, toilets, showers and a kitchenette. We share the building with the Royal Sutton Coldfield Club and our members may make use of their bar facilities. Members may also chose to become members, details of current membership fees can be obtained from the RSCC.

We offer many ways for you to enjoy your tennis and hold club social evenings and afternoons. We also have specific nights for men's, ladies and junior's tennis during the summer months,the details being on the court schedule.

We are also fortunate to be able to join the Royal Sutton Coldfield Club (RSCC) which is in the same building as our clubhouse. The RSCC has fantastic facilities including the bar, snooker room and bowling green. They also have function rooms that can be hired for private events. For more details contact the RSCC at http://www.royalsuttoncoldfieldclub.co.uk/

Play

The majority of our adult play uses what we call “Club Play”. Club play is normally mixed doubles but men’s or ladies doubles may be played by mutual agreement. Members arrive and mix in to play with changes taking place as sets end. With the exception of floodlit play, matches and tournaments courts may not be booked.

Court Schedule | TeamPlay | Competitons

Coaching

Adult and junior coaching is available either in groups or a one to one basis.
The main junior coaching session is Saturday mornings when all four courts are allocated for junior coaching.

Coaching Staff | Juniors | Seniors

Social

A number of social events are organised during the year for members and their guests. e.g. Skittles night, curry night, BBQ's. The premier social event of the year is our annual dinner and prize presentation evening when trophies won during the year are presented.

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