Court etiquette

Court Usage

Courts are available for the enjoyment of players of all ages and skill levels.
Tennis court hours are 07:00 to 23:00. Tennis courts must be booked through the online booking system.
Pickleball courts at North Gower are open from 08:00 to 22:00. Pickleball courts cannot be reserved by individual members. All references to court availability and bookings in this policy apply to tennis courts only.
Prime time hours are:
- Monday to Friday mornings from 09:00 to 11:00
- Monday to Friday evenings from 18:00 to 21:00
Tennis courts may be booked up to 96 hours (four days) in advance.
Courts may be booked in 30-minute time slots. Doubles play may be booked for a maximum of two hours. Singles play may be booked for a maximum of one hour during prime time and 1.5 hours during non-prime time.
To maximize court availability, members should avoid leaving 30-minute gaps between bookings whenever possible.
Members may hold a maximum of three active tennis court bookings at any time, with no more than one active tennis court booking per day. An active booking is a future scheduled booking. Once a booking has been completed, the member may make another booking for the same day.

Members who cannot attend a booking must cancel it at least four hours in advance so the court can be made available to other members.
A no-show is recorded if:
- a reserved court is not used because players do not attend; or
- a booking is cancelled less than four hours before the scheduled start time.
A no-show is not recorded if the court is unusable due to weather.
For the first two no-shows, the member who made the booking will receive reminder emails regarding the no-show policy.
A member who accumulates three no-shows will have booking privileges suspended for two weeks.

Coaches must book all lessons on court 6.
Coaches may not book lessons during morning prime time (Monday to Friday 09:00 to 11:00).
Coaches should avoid booking lessons during evening prime time (Monday to Friday 18:00 to 21:00) whenever possible, but may do so when needed to accommodate a member’s schedule.

Players are expected to keep noise to a reasonable level both on and off the court. Loud conversations can distract players.
Players should be considerate of games in progress. When entering or leaving the courts, wait until play has stopped, then walk around the playing area to reach the next court. Courts 5 and 6 should be accessed through the rear gate if possible.
If a ball rolls onto another occupied court, do not chase it. If there is a safety concern, alert the players on that court. Otherwise, wait until play has stopped and politely ask for the ball to be returned.
When returning stray balls to another court, return them to the rear of the court if play is in progress.

Members and guests are expected to demonstrate courtesy and follow court etiquette at all times.
All players, staff, and volunteers must be treated respectfully. Physical or verbal abuse, harassment, abuse of club equipment, or misuse of club facilities will not be tolerated.
Members should help keep the clubhouse and grounds neat and clean. Waste must be placed in the appropriate garbage or recycling bins.
To avoid damage to the courts, food and beverages in open containers are not permitted on the courts.
Smoking and vaping are not permitted on the premises.
Pets, excluding service animals, are not permitted within fenced areas, in the clubhouse, or on the balcony.
When leaving the court at the end of the evening, the last person leaving should confirm both clubhouse doors are closed properly.

Appropriate tennis or pickleball attire must be worn at all times, including non-marking athletic shoes.

Members may book courts with guests (non-members) during non-prime hours.
Guests must be registered by first and last name in the booking system.
Members may bring up to two guests at a time. Guests may play free of charge for up to two visits per season. On a third visit, the guest must obtain a membership.
Guests must always be accompanied by a club member.
Guests must follow all MTC rules and regulations.
Guests are not permitted to attend member events or member programs.

Members may use personal ball machines on courts 1 or 6 during non-prime time hours only.
Practicing with ball buckets (resulting in dozens of balls on the court) is permitted during non-prime time hours. Members must use courts 1 or 6 to minimize the chances of balls getting mixed up with other courts.
The backboards may also be used by members but only during non-prime time hours. They are located on courts 1 and 5.
If booking a solo session for practice purposes (ball machine, practice serves, buckets, backboards, etc.), members should use “Practice Serve” as the secondary player in their registration.

Revised: July 2026