We are very happy to tell you that the State of Maine is allowing outdoor tennis now, so we are preparing the tennis courts and plan to open for play, with necessary COVID-19 prevention protocols (see below), the first week of June. Our number one priority is the health and safety of our BHCC staff, members and community at large. To that end, the Tennis Committee has put together new protocols for play, following many of the USTA Playing Tennis Safely guidelines. We cannot offer all of our usual tennis activities yet, and our normal routines will be different. The protocols below include a lot of information, but please read all of it so things go smoothly and safely as we get back out and play tennis!  We expect to be reassessing, and possibly adjusting, our protocols in these next weeks and months, as Maine directives change, or as BHCC deems fit.

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Please Remember:

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Stay home and get well if you are symptomatic of the coronavirus in any way, or if you have been in contact with anyone with COVID-19 in the past 14 days.
 
Sign the Member Golf and Tennis Waiver before arriving at the Club for the first time this season (click here for a copy).  Only one member need sign the form – be sure to list all people under the membership.
 
Players are to practice social distancing, keeping at least 6 feet apart from others, while on the courts and at the club.
 
**Members Only – No Guests**

  
TO PLAY:

• Reservations are required, with all accurate players’ names listed.  You can book online at bhccmaine.com, or call the Pro Shop.

• No Walk-on Play

• Arrive no earlier than 10 minutes before your court time.

• Upon arrival, Check in at the Pro Shop window.

• Players will wash or disinfect their hands with alcohol wipes prior to, and after, play.

• Players will use the main gate for Court 1, and the side gate for Court 3. Court 2 will not be in use immediately, to help with social distancing.  

• Each player brings their own new balls, marked as their own, or play with different numbered balls.

• Gates are to be left open, to minimize touchpoints.  

• Maintain at least 6 feet distance between you and other players.

• No physical contact  (Sorry – no hugs, fistbumps, high fives, or handshakes!)  

• When changing sides, use opposite sides of the net.

• Avoid touching balls with your hands.  Use your racquet or foot to pick up balls, or to send them back to another court.  If you accidentally touch another member’s ball, we suggest you use hand sanitizer before resuming play.  

• When serving, players might consider using a glove on their non-racquet hand.

• Use the court divider on the hard courts.  

• Play well, have fun, and make good line calls 

  
END OF PLAY:

• Sweeping the courts – Disinfectant wipes and/or bleach solution spray bottles and paper towel will be at the courts for players to wipe down the grips on the sweepers before and after use.

• Players are to leave the courts and parking area immediately after play.
   

 
OTHER GENERAL TENNIS PROGRAM INFORMATION:

• All tournaments, clinics, Ladies’ and Men’s Days, and Tuesday Tennis Round Robin Scrambles are cancelled at this time. We will revisit these events as the state moves forward with changing guidelines, and as BHCC deems fit, in the coming weeks and months.

• Drew will be available for Private (1 on 1), Semi-Private (2 and a Pro), and Small Group (3 and a Pro) lessons.  

• Students will not touch balls at the lessons.  There will be a designated hopper basket for each student to use during the lesson.  After the lesson, the Pro will sanitize all equipment and get it ready for the next lesson.  The Pro will have his own designated teaching basket and it will be wiped down after each lesson.  Service practice is only allowed if student brings a new can of balls to use.

• The ball machine will only be used by the Pro for lessons at this point.  We have removed many high touch surfaces from the tennis area, so there will be no benches on the courts, water coolers, or scorecards.  Please bring your own filled water bottle.

• The Pro Shop will be closed to members, except for the check in window, so there will be no balls for sale.  Please bring your own new cans of balls for play.  There will also be no storage for racquets, etc.  

• Restrooms will be closed, but there will be a Porta John and a foot controlled hand washing station.

• Court times are reserved in 1 ½ hour timeslots.  We have allotted 15 minutes between court bookings.  Court times will be staggered to allow players to sweep the courts, sanitize the common touch points, and alleviate the usual congestion between court times.  

• Staff members will check their temperatures before starting the workday, and will practice good hand hygiene.

• We will have hand sanitizer stations throughout the facility and court areas.