Rules for Buckeye Tennis Effective 17 Mar 2021 ... Doubles!
As updated by GRF/MOD
Buckeye Tennis Courts are for Rossmoor Residents only.
Must adhere to social distancing of 6’ at all times.
Masks must be worn at all times when not playing. Masks are strongly recommended while playing doubles.
If sick or exposed to Covid-19, stay home.
Use Hand sanitizer stations and/or wash hands for 20 seconds frequently.
No sign-in at kiosk. If courts are full, alert others you are waiting.
Limit to 60 minutes for match when people are waiting.
Doubles play is permitted however there is no mixing of partners during a visit. Play must be with the same partner.
Those waiting for court time must sit a minimum of 6’ apart, only one person per bench.
No gatherings before or after matches.
No sharing of club or personal equipment.
No tournament play, league play, or group instruction.
No handshakes or contact.
BBQ area will remain closed.
Use of Golden Rain Facilities is subject to City, County, and State Health Code directives. Conditions of use may change without notice. Abuse of these rules may jeopardize the use of this facility for all Residents.
By Kind Permission of the Rossmoor Pickleball Club ... [RTC emphasis]
Our RPC Board of Directors is still hearing rumors regarding singles vs. doubles pickleball restrictions. This week I couldn’t stand it anymore and decided to go to the source to confirm the facts.
On Monday, June 22, I emailed County Supervisor Candace Andersen asking for confirmation of County pickleball restrictions. On Tuesday, her office called me. They recommended that I call the County Covid-19 hotline, (844) 729-8410, which I did.
I was very impressed. The woman I spoke with was well versed on the County’s pickleball and tennis restrictions. She immediately knew the clause # in the public order where they were referenced.
She confirmed that the public order (dated 4-29-20) that originally opened tennis and pickleball courts with restrictions is still in effect. She also confirmed the following:
The County public order permits singles only. As long as the County requires social distancing, singles will remain the restriction.
Doubles can be played only when partners are from the same household.
Clubs and private communities, like Rossmoor, can institute rules that are more strict than the County restrictions. Here at Rossmoor, GRF is stipulating singles only. No doubles.
A city, club or community cannot institute a rule that is more lenient than the County restriction. For instance, a city cannot allow doubles across the board at this time.
The County hotline employee has received many inquiries about restrictions for pickleball and tennis. She was well aware of the lack of enforcement at municipal Rutgear (Walnut Creek) and Willow Pass (Concord) courts. She was not aware that some, if not most people were playing doubles at those parks when they were not members of the same household, thus not complying with the County public order.
Please see the links for the Walnut Creek and Concord pickleball restrictions at the end of this email.
So what caused the disconnect and how did the rumors get started? Who knows. I think part of the problem is there was no specific reference to pickleball or tennis in the public order that ‘opened things up’ (dated 6-5-20) or in the County’s Nixle messages. People probably assumed that the openings applied to pickleball, but they did not. Also the CCC Openings at a Glance chart on the County website shows ‘Open’ across the board. People might have assumed ‘open’ meant pickleball went back to normal, but again, it did not.
I asked the County hotline employee to consider changing two things. She said she would pass the ideas to management and the County Supervisors since the topic has received so much attention:
Have future County public orders, summaries, and Nixle announcements reiterate the pickleball/tennis rules since people are making incorrect assumptions. (The County needs to keep the restriction in the public eye.)
Review and consider altering the County website’s Openings at a Glance chart listing all the activities, because the all-open line for tennis/pickleball is misleading.
The County's confirmation doesn't change anything for RPC, but at least we have the facts that we can relay to you. Please spread the word.
For your reference, I’ve included a few links below. As a resident of CCC, I recommend you read the public orders as they are issued, but be forewarned, reading them is like reading IRS documentation! (Okay, maybe not that bad…)
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we go through this difficult time. Please keep things in perspective and realize that we are very fortunate that our courts are open and we can play pickleball. That’s a good thing.
Buckeye Tennis Courts are for Rossmoor Residents only. Guests are not allowed
Must adhere to social distancing of 6’ at all times. People waiting for court time must remain 6’ apart.
Masks must be worn at all times except while playing.
If sick or exposed to Covid-19, stay home.
Use Hand sanitizer stations and/or wash hands for 20 seconds
No sign-in at kiosk. If courts are full, alert others you are waiting. See separate poster for court reservation procedures
Singles matches only. Limit to 60 minutes for match. No rotations, no substitutions, only two people can move onto a court during the hour.
Those waiting for court time must stand a minimum of 6’ apart. No use of benches or bleachers.
No gatherings before or after matches.
No sharing of club or personal equipment.
Players must bring two set of differently numbered balls to play. Each player will only touch, with their hand, their own “individually labeled/numbered” tennis balls. If players’ balls can’t be easily distinguished from each other, they must leave the court
No tournament play, league play, or group instruction.
No handshakes or contact.
BBQ area will remain closed. It is a Picnic area under GRF rules.
RTC rule:Gate latches will be wired open.Gates to courts are to be opened onlywith purified hands, racquets or feet.
RTC rule:The Ball Machine may not be used by anyone at any time.
Use of Golden Rain Facilities is subject to City, County, and State Health Code directives. Conditions of use may change without notice. Abuse of these rules will jeopardize the use of this facility for all Residents.
All players are expected to politely caution anyone observed ignoring these rules. If a player reacts to a caution impolitely or continues to ignores the rules he/she should be reported to an RTC board member for board consideration and resolution.
Singles matches only. Still limit to 60 minutes per match if courts are full. A new player may rotate into the court as one of the other players rotates off after each game or several games. Only two people can be on the court at any time. One must be outside of the court before the next enters. All other rules must be obeyed: distancing, no shared equipment (personal chairs, separate tennis balls, isolation). Residents only. Rotating players in does not increase the 60 minute time limit. Singles matches only. No doubles,
Those waiting for court time must stand a minimum of 6’ apart. No use of benches or bleachers.
[Can bring your own chair provided you do not share it and you remove it after play]
No gatherings before or after matches.
No sharing of club or personal equipment.
Players must bring two set of differently numbered balls to play. Each player will only touch, with their hand, their own “individually labeled/numbered” tennis balls. If players’ balls can’t be easily distinguished from each other, they must leave the court
No tournament play, league play, or group instruction.
No handshakes or contact.
BBQ area will remain closed. It is a Picnic area under GRF rules.
RTC rule:Gate latches will be wired open.Gates to courts are to be opened onlywith purified hands, racquets or feet.
RTC rule:The Ball Machine may not be used by anyone at any time. [It would be shared equipment].
Use of Golden Rain Facilities is subject to City, County, and State Health Code directives. Conditions of use may change without notice. Abuse of these rules will jeopardize the use of this facility for all Residents.
All players are expected to politely caution anyone observed ignoring these rules. If a player reacts to a caution impolitely or continues to ignores the rules he/she should be reported to an RTC board member for board consideration and resolution.
Court Reservation Procedures when Courts are Full and Players are Waiting
Each match begins on the hour. If the two players do not enter the court to begin play on the hour, they forfeit the court to the next reservers.
A player can reserve a court by putting his/her ID ( racquet, jacket, bag, ID card ) next to the gate of the court.
Each match ends at five minutes before the next hour. At five ‘til the players must stop play immediately and leave the court.
Per Rule #7 a match is between two individuals, no rotations, no substitutions. If either of the original two players stops playing, the court is forfeited to the next reservers.
No player can play in two consecutive hours. If a player plays on one court, he/she cannot move to another court to play another match while others are waiting.
Every year the club recognizes two individual for their contributions over the years to the Club. These people went above and beyond to make the Club what it is today. Thanks so much!
Sunday, March 15 (3:30 p.m.):The GRF suspended all remaining services Sunday after Gov. Gavin Newsom asked all seniors 65-years and older and those with chronic conditions to isolate themselves at home until further notice because of the rise in coronavirus cases in the state.
As of Sunday afternoon, there were 335 people infected in California and six deaths.
The GRF has closed all facilities, including the golf courses, Fitness Center, pools, pickleball and tennis courts, dog park and bocce ball courts. Bus service has been suspended. Office buildings will be closed Monday, but staff will be available by phone (see facility closures list for phone numbers).
With the consensus of your board members I am cancelling our General meeting which was scheduled for next Monday 16 March. We feel that, even though nobody in Rossmoor has yet tested positive for the Corona virus, it would be unnecessarily risky to convene a crowd.
