CLUB AREA - MEMBERS' INFORMATION AND NEWS
Members' Information - New Year Update and Diary Dates for 2024
Members should have received an email from the committee outlining plans for this year's tennis.
It covers: clubhouse and pavilion refurbishing, expanding social tennis, competitions, juniors and socials.
Also, members can put the dates below in their diary. Early details were on an email sent out to members on 11th February.
Complete your Box Leagues by 31 March
Play Your Way to Wimbledon: 23rd March - 26th May (junior singles, junior doubles, adult doubles)- entries open now
Easter Lunch - Sunday 24th March
Grand National Tournament & Watch the Race - at 13:00 on Saturday 13th April winners were Vicky & Dave, and Gill won the sweepstake
Quiz night at the Clubhouse hosted by Peter St Lawrence - Monday 20th May
Annual Club Championships - matches commence Saturday 1st June and Finals Day is Saturday 14th September
Our very own “Wimbledon” Handicapped Tournament - followed by watching the Ladies Final in the Clubhouse - Saturday 13th July
Watch the Wimbledon Men's Final - Sunday 14th July
Quiz night at the Clubhouse - Monday 11 November
Christmas Party - Saturday 7th December (date to be confirmed)
Christmas Lunch in the Clubhouse.
We hope to see as many of you as possible at these events and will keep you up-to--date when any new events are added.
It covers: clubhouse and pavilion refurbishing, expanding social tennis, competitions, juniors and socials.
Also, members can put the dates below in their diary. Early details were on an email sent out to members on 11th February.
Complete your Box Leagues by 31 March
Play Your Way to Wimbledon: 23rd March - 26th May (junior singles, junior doubles, adult doubles)- entries open now
Easter Lunch - Sunday 24th March
Grand National Tournament & Watch the Race - at 13:00 on Saturday 13th April winners were Vicky & Dave, and Gill won the sweepstake
Quiz night at the Clubhouse hosted by Peter St Lawrence - Monday 20th May
Annual Club Championships - matches commence Saturday 1st June and Finals Day is Saturday 14th September
Our very own “Wimbledon” Handicapped Tournament - followed by watching the Ladies Final in the Clubhouse - Saturday 13th July
Watch the Wimbledon Men's Final - Sunday 14th July
Quiz night at the Clubhouse - Monday 11 November
Christmas Party - Saturday 7th December (date to be confirmed)
Christmas Lunch in the Clubhouse.
We hope to see as many of you as possible at these events and will keep you up-to--date when any new events are added.
Refurbished Tennis Pavilion
Now that the main clubhouse has been refurbished and modernised to a high standard, tennis section gave their pavilion an extensive make-over. Thanks go particularly to committee members, and also to Ashford Kitchens who provided stylish units and taps. Next up, repairs to the roof.
Frosty Social Tournament Sunday 7th January
This popular event which we run once or twice a year, is for all members regardless of their level of prowess, with plenty of tennis and apres-tennis. It was a handicapped event where you have the chance to play up to six short matches, each with different partners and opponents. There is no need to come with a partner. Older juniors (14+) who feel capable of playing in a fun tournament with adults are welcome. There is usually a small fee to cover the cost of balls and prizes.
Over thirty players came along for this January's fun competition. Alex S and Alex C jointly won the mens, and Maggie and Fi R the ladies, all four winning 21 games over six sets. These four then had a tie-break play-ff, with Maggie and Alex C emerging as winners. Lots of social discussion followed, with some then repairing to the bar.
Don't forget to keep an eye on our Facebook page where the latest updates are always posted, and we'd love to see more of you posting your photos there too! https://www.facebook.com/groups/2363389568
Over thirty players came along for this January's fun competition. Alex S and Alex C jointly won the mens, and Maggie and Fi R the ladies, all four winning 21 games over six sets. These four then had a tie-break play-ff, with Maggie and Alex C emerging as winners. Lots of social discussion followed, with some then repairing to the bar.
Don't forget to keep an eye on our Facebook page where the latest updates are always posted, and we'd love to see more of you posting your photos there too! https://www.facebook.com/groups/2363389568
Tennis Tournaments
Coach Alison is planning to hold some club tournaments over the spring/summer period. Please sign up to her WhatsApp group(s) and especially her tennis app to get full details.
Tennis Club AGM 2023 was on Thursday 16th November at 7:30pm
Our Annual General Meeting was on Thursday 16th November.. There were nearly two hours of lively discussion that included the chance for members to hear what was planned in the next year, and to give their views on the club as it is now and how it might be improved in the future. Draft minutes are in the AGM sub-tab within the Committee web page.
Finals Day September 2023
This year's Club Championships Finals Day took place on Saturday 2nd September. A full report is found here (which is also found via the Club Area tab above under the Championships sub-tab).
Summer 2023 Newsletter
The latest Club Newsletter was emailed to members and can also be found as the top tab in the Newsletter subtabs above (hover over the 'Club Area' tab). Recent newsletters from previous months are also in the Newsletter sub-tabs.
Alison Sharp is our Head Coach
Summer Term 2024 Group Lessons
Alison has roots in Chalfont St Peter and is delighted to have returned to South Bucks from Scotland. Alison competed herself at the highest level as a junior and has a superb reputation for coaching at all junior and senior levels. She has created her own brand Pro Sharp Tennis and uses an app for booking lessons so everything will be very easy to access. Please use her coaching app and WhatsApp groups to keep up to date with her expanding programme of coaching events and tournaments. For more information see her Coaching Page - either click here or via the Coaching tab at the top of the page.
Alison has roots in Chalfont St Peter and is delighted to have returned to South Bucks from Scotland. Alison competed herself at the highest level as a junior and has a superb reputation for coaching at all junior and senior levels. She has created her own brand Pro Sharp Tennis and uses an app for booking lessons so everything will be very easy to access. Please use her coaching app and WhatsApp groups to keep up to date with her expanding programme of coaching events and tournaments. For more information see her Coaching Page - either click here or via the Coaching tab at the top of the page.
Membership Renewals
Renew your annual membership by the year's end if you aren't on monthly Direct Debit. You can't play until you renew. The tennis membership year is the same as the calendar year, but you can join at any time using monthly direct debit. Fees are competitive. Adult annual fees (for those over 25) have risen slightly to £220, couples to £375, and family tennis to £420. There are lower rates for those under 25 (working or studying) who can now join for less than half the full adult rate.
The junior and mini rate in 2024 remains low. Additional children get further discounts. Also, one parent/guardian gets social membership free!
For an overview of all the rates, click on the tennis tab on this sports club Membership page
Join or renew here - its an all-online process! Go to the New Members - Join Here button and then click on the Tennis tab to see the various tennis membership options.
Renew your annual membership by the year's end if you aren't on monthly Direct Debit. You can't play until you renew. The tennis membership year is the same as the calendar year, but you can join at any time using monthly direct debit. Fees are competitive. Adult annual fees (for those over 25) have risen slightly to £220, couples to £375, and family tennis to £420. There are lower rates for those under 25 (working or studying) who can now join for less than half the full adult rate.
The junior and mini rate in 2024 remains low. Additional children get further discounts. Also, one parent/guardian gets social membership free!
For an overview of all the rates, click on the tennis tab on this sports club Membership page
Join or renew here - its an all-online process! Go to the New Members - Join Here button and then click on the Tennis tab to see the various tennis membership options.
Courts 5 & 6 Resurfaced
As part of our ongoing investment program, we are very pleased to confirm we have done a full resurface of the bottom courts, 5 and 6, which were in need of repair. The surface is now almost snooker table smooth and the line markings include pickle-ball and junior court lines. Thank you to the main Sports Club for supporting this significant investment.
Regular Club Evenings
Club Nights have a start time of 6:00 all year. For Ladies, Mens and Club nights please join the relevant WhatsApp group to see who is likely to come along.
A committee member can tell you who manages each Whatsapp group.
Ladies Club Nights are Mondays
Mixed Club Nights are Wednesdays (also an afternoon session - see below)
Men's Club Nights are on Thursdays.
The club Sunday morning session is at 10:30am throughout the year - all are welcome!
There are now two Wednesday sessions, one at 16:00 (progressing back to 14:00 in winter depending on light) and a night session from 6:00 all year.
A committee member can tell you who manages each Whatsapp group.
Ladies Club Nights are Mondays
Mixed Club Nights are Wednesdays (also an afternoon session - see below)
Men's Club Nights are on Thursdays.
The club Sunday morning session is at 10:30am throughout the year - all are welcome!
There are now two Wednesday sessions, one at 16:00 (progressing back to 14:00 in winter depending on light) and a night session from 6:00 all year.
Please keep our courts clean!
Mud is being brought onto our top courts, causing problems. Mud is the enemy of Tigerturf. Please bring outdoor shoes to get to the tennis pavilion and THEN change into your tennis shoes. Please also ensure your child gets into this habit. The middle courts have also been repainted, so please make sure you use non-marking tennis shoes and help keep them in good condition.
Court Booking System, Ball Machine Use, Guests and Floodlight Tokens
A booking system has been introduced to cater for the increase in membership. We have adopted the LTA's ClubSpark system (set-up details are via the Membership Secretary). If you have not booked and the courts are free, you can use them but if someone arrives who has booked you will need to leave that court. ClubSpark follows the LTA privacy policy. Please see the Court Booking System sub-tab above for further details.
The ball machine is back in action and available for members over 18 to use for an annual fee of £10 which will pay for the upkeep of the machine and replacement balls. There are two buckets of balls supplied with the machine. There are easy to use instructions available in the cupboard and for members who would like to use the ball machine there will be a short training session. More details were in the Spring 2023 Newsletter (see sub-tab above).
If you are inviting a guest who isn't a member, please pay the fee £5 per guest per day. Account details are on the Court Booking System (see sub-tab above).
Floodlight tokens can now be purchased using your club card. Please use your club card now, and not cash whenever possible.
The ball machine is back in action and available for members over 18 to use for an annual fee of £10 which will pay for the upkeep of the machine and replacement balls. There are two buckets of balls supplied with the machine. There are easy to use instructions available in the cupboard and for members who would like to use the ball machine there will be a short training session. More details were in the Spring 2023 Newsletter (see sub-tab above).
If you are inviting a guest who isn't a member, please pay the fee £5 per guest per day. Account details are on the Court Booking System (see sub-tab above).
Floodlight tokens can now be purchased using your club card. Please use your club card now, and not cash whenever possible.
Junior Coaching
Tennis camps are run in school holidays, including at half-terms. Camps help keep young players' skills developing during the school holidays (and give parents a well-earned break). Courses provide excellent opportunities for juniors to progress and enjoy the game even more. There is term-time coaching for juniors in various age groups during the week and on Saturday mornings.
Please lock the courts thoughtfully!
The courts now have the same style of number code padlocks for all three entrance gates.
The membership secretary can advise you of the current four-digit code if it has not been emailed to you already.
To unlock:
Line the numbers up with the line to the side of centre. The photo below shows the numbers 0000 lined up against the correct line. It is easier to roll the numbers forward than backward, and occasionally you need to squeeze the padlock in to do this. Once you've lined up the numbers, give the body of the padlock a sharp tug away from the shackle to release the lock.
Please lock the padlock when you leave the court. Once locked, you should scramble the numbers so non-members can’t see the code. Sometimes moving the barrels can be difficult, but try moving them both ways.
The membership secretary can advise you of the current four-digit code if it has not been emailed to you already.
To unlock:
Line the numbers up with the line to the side of centre. The photo below shows the numbers 0000 lined up against the correct line. It is easier to roll the numbers forward than backward, and occasionally you need to squeeze the padlock in to do this. Once you've lined up the numbers, give the body of the padlock a sharp tug away from the shackle to release the lock.
Please lock the padlock when you leave the court. Once locked, you should scramble the numbers so non-members can’t see the code. Sometimes moving the barrels can be difficult, but try moving them both ways.
Safety
We want all members and others to feel that they can play tennis in a safe environment. We have three policies that help provide this. They can be downloaded from this page here).
Where applicable, the LTA updates it's Covid advice when the risk changes. The latest LTA update can be found here.
Where applicable, the LTA updates it's Covid advice when the risk changes. The latest LTA update can be found here.
External League Matches and Internal Ladder Competitions
News of external league matches and internal ladder competitions are now shown on the Match Central page, which can be found via the tab above.
Guests
Guests may be introduced by members at £5 each per day (£2.50 for juniors and students), paying at the Club Bar at the time or at the next opportunity if the bar is not open, or to a committee member. A guest may not play more than four times a year.
New Members
Access to courts is via padlocks with a code that will be sent to you when you join. If you want access to the pavilion, a pavilion key is available for a £5 deposit from the bar. The key allows you access to the courts at all times, so please keep it safe. Guest fees are payable if you bring a non-member to play, at £5 a day for up to four times in a calendar year.
Adult members can ask for a Member's Card that allows 10% off bar purchases. One parent/guardian of a mini pr junior member can ask to be a Social Member for free (normally £30) and therefore receive a Member's Card as well. Request a card at the bar. It normally takes a week or so to produce it, when it can be collected at the bar.
Please click on the sub-tabs above and acquaint yourself with Court Availability, Precedence and Etiquette. Also, please read the Club Rules sub-tab within the Committee tab.
Adult members can ask for a Member's Card that allows 10% off bar purchases. One parent/guardian of a mini pr junior member can ask to be a Social Member for free (normally £30) and therefore receive a Member's Card as well. Request a card at the bar. It normally takes a week or so to produce it, when it can be collected at the bar.
Please click on the sub-tabs above and acquaint yourself with Court Availability, Precedence and Etiquette. Also, please read the Club Rules sub-tab within the Committee tab.
Car Parking
In summer when there is a cricket match on, it is safer to park your car in the main car park. Cricket balls can break car windows. If walking to the main clubhouse, look out for cricket balls going over the boundary.
Join the LTA for free
You can become a British Tennis Member for free once you have joined this club. There are benefits that may well suit you. Please follow this link for more details - http://www.lta.org.uk/member/
Discounts
Sportscene is your local racket sports specialist, offering 15% discount to all members of FCSC with their membership card (but not on sale items or restrings and repairs). It is at 43 Station Road, Beaconsfield HP9 1QG Tel: 01494 674 533.