RHTA Tennis Report

Envisioning a Tennis Community

January 30, 2016
Final Report

Table of Contents
Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 3
Municipal Tennis Courts .......................................................................................................... 3
Tennis in Richmond Hill ........................................................................................................... 4
Tennis Association .................................................................................................................. 5
Community Clubs .................................................................................................................... 7
Indoor Tennis Facilities.......................................................................................................... 10
Indoor Tennis at Richmond Green ........................................................................................ 12
Recommendations for Indoor Tennis .................................................................................... 14

RHTA December 2015 Page 2

Introduction

The Town of Richmond Hill has undertaken to complete a tennis strategy report and have hired
consulting firm JF Group (John Frittenburg) to complete the tennis strategy report.
The purpose of this report is twofold. First, to provide insight into the current state of tennis in
Richmond Hill and secondly, to contribute ideas and recommendations on how best to
accommodate the growing demand for quality outdoor and indoor tennis facilities in Richmond Hill.
This report is authored by the newly created Richmond Hill Tennis Association (RHTA), which has
been formed to promote tennis in the Richmond Hill. The insight, ideas and recommendations in this
report represent new ideas for municipalities to consider with respect to provisioning of services
related to tennis programming and infrastructure requirements. By identifying, communicating and
consulting with identifiable user groups, the RHTA believes the Town of Richmond Hill will be in a
much better position to deliver high quality tennis programing and infrastructure for the benefit of
residents.
The RHTA will reach out to the community and will work with the community tennis clubs, residents
and the Town to help grow the game of tennis in Richmond Hill. Residents can join the Association
by visiting the Richmond Hill Tennis Association (RHTA) website at www.rhta.ca.
The RHTA has adopted a model of operation similar to that of the Richmond Hill soccer, hockey and
baseball associations, all of which license or permit Town facilities in order to deliver recreational
programs for the benefit of residents. Over the summer, the RHTA launched a community awareness
program using social media and signage at several local tennis courts in order to promote the free
junior tennis league and lesson program running at the Richmond Hill Lawn Tennis Club.
Unfortunately, the RHTA signs promoting the league and free lessons program were in violation of a
Town bylaw and were taken down. The RHTA will therefore seek approval from the Town to post
signage pertaining to tennis at all local tennis courts as it is the most effective way to identify and
communicate with the tennis playing community. For the association to be successful in growing the
game, it must be in a position to identify and communicate with residents who play tennis and those
who would like to play but have no idea how to get started. The RHTA will continue to encourage
and promote the benefits of an active community by promoting, organizing, teaching and most
importantly, providing a pathway into the game of tennis.
Municipal Tennis Courts
From what we have been able to determine, most municipalities tend to use population metrics with
little consideration given to needs analysis. Land availability is also a factor and we note a tendency
to build courts based how many courts a particular park can accommodate which results in too
many one and two court facilities, which tend to benefit only a handful of residents, typically the
casual player living nearby the courts. As land scarcity becomes more of an issue, there will be
greater pressure placed on municipalities to accommodate the needs of the growing tennis playing
community, which up until now, has not been well represented at the grass roots municipal level.
For example, the RHTA believes that the Town could save a considerable amount of money and

resources by working closely with user groups such as the RHTA and strategically locating multi-‐
court facilities for the benefit all residents. An over-‐emphasis on the quantity of tennis courts
based on population metrics results in under-‐utilization and leads to higher overall costs in terms
of maintenance, repairs, and electricity cost for those facilities with lights. The current court
allocation process results in a majority of courts being neglected, under-‐utilized, rundown and
unplayable used primarily by casual players who tend to live near the courts. The RHTA has made a
point of randomly checking on courts regarded as unplayable and it is clear, they are rarely used
even during primetime hours. Meanwhile, the well-‐maintained courts at Crosby Park and Blackmore
are in high demand throughout the day, particularly during primetime hours. Increasing the number
of multi-‐court facilities that are strategically located should be a high priority.
There has been a significant increase in the demand for indoor tennis and this is due to two factors.
1) Tennis is one of the fastest growing sports due to an increase in youth and adult participation 2)
Players want to play year round. Within York Region, the Town of Richmond Hill is the first
municipality in York region to fund a "Tennis Strategy" report that will look into the provisioning of
tennis programing, tennis infrastructure including the feasibility of building an indoor tennis facility.
The availability of indoor tennis facilities in Richmond Hill is limited to the for-‐profit Blackmore
Tennis Club and the private for profit Richmond Hill country club. The Blackmore tennis club is a
well-‐run club but which also has capacity issues as a result of increased demand and a lack of
competition. The closure of indoor facilities in Newmarket (Glenway Country Club) and Aurora
(Timberlane Athletic Club), both of which sold their land to real estate developers further
underscores the need to allocate land and build tennis facilities that can accommodate the
growing demand for both indoor and outdoor tennis facilities. A private company operates and
runs the Blackmore Tennis Club using the public courts at David Hamilton Park from October 1st –
April 30th. . Blackmore has had to cap its membership in prior years due to strong demand for winter
tennis, however, aside from costs, residents are finding it increasingly difficult to book courts due to
increased membership levels of non-‐residents. Many residents have cited affordability and cost as a
significant barrier to playing winter tennis. The success of the Blackmore Tennis Club is evidence that
demand for indoor tennis is booming and more importantly, very profitable. The Richmond Hill
Tennis Association supports the building of indoor tennis facilities in Richmond Hill, which are
affordable and accessible to all residents over non-‐residents. The RHTA is committed to promoting
and growing the game year-‐round in order to assure the success and profitability of an indoor tennis
facility.
Tennis in Richmond Hill

Richmond Hill User Groups
● Richmond Hill Lawn Tennis Club (RHLTC) – 600+ members including the 250 juniors in the
recently introduced junior lesson and league program introduced in the summer of 2015 –
75% residency requirement.
● Blackmore Tennis Club – Private Winter Tennis Bubble -‐ Membership unknown – residency
requirement unknown
● Richmond Hill Country Club – Private year round sports facility including tennis courts

● Residents – local residents who play casually on public tennis courts, as well as those
residents who would like to more actively take up the sport but may be limited for a variety
of reasons

Richmond Hill Lawn Tennis Club (RHLTC)
The RHLTC is a not-‐for-‐profit, community summer tennis club, administered by volunteers and has
been operating in Richmond Hill for over 50 years. The Club operates under a licensed agreement
with the Town of Richmond Hill utilizing the courts at Crosby Park where it is responsible for
covering 60% of the operating costs. The Club offers a wide range of affordable programs including
leagues, lessons, and social events. The membership fees are modest: Adult -‐ $95, Junior -‐ $35, with
non-‐residents paying an additional $10. The Club does not charge court fees and has a 75%
residency requirement.
Blackmore Tennis Club (BTC)
The BTC is a for-‐profit winter tennis club, which operates under a license agreement with the Town
of Richmond Hill to erect and operate a winter tennis bubble on the David Hamilton tennis courts
from October 1st – April 30th. BTC has been operating since 1989 and it offers leagues, lessons, and
social events. It has tiered membership fees based on age and residency. Court fees apply.
Richmond Hill Country Club (RHCC)
The RHCC is a private sports club offering tennis, squash, swimming, fitness, as well as banquet
facilities. It has 9 indoor tennis courts and 11 outdoor Har-‐Tru clay courts. The Club offers leagues
and lessons. The yearly membership fee for tennis is $335 per month, entitling members to the use
the facilities with no additional court fees, as per Jill McIntosh, Membership Director.
Residents
The residents who use the public courts on a casual basis are a difficult group to identify. The RHTA
is actively trying to identify and engage local residents who use public courts. As a user group, there
is currently no way to identify who or how many they’re but we estimate it is in excess of 2500 and
growing. The RHTA will continue to identify and represent this user group by receiving permission
from the town to post signage at local tennis courts and encouraging them to join the RHTA. The
RHTA will seek to obtain an exemption from the Town’s bylaws preventing signage on public tennis
courts.
Tennis Association

As the game of tennis continues to grow, the demands and pressures on municipalities to meet the
needs of the expanding tennis community will also intensify, particularly given the land scarcity
issues facing the Town. The RHTA believes that in order for tennis to grow at the grass roots level, a
local tennis association is required, operating in a similar fashion to that of the local hockey, baseball

and soccer associations. The RHTA is run by a group of experienced tennis players who have come
together to help build a thriving tennis community. It will promote the game, run leagues and
lessons, and adopt an affordable "user-‐pay operating model" with profits reinvested back into tennis
infrastructure and programming within Richmond Hill, lessening the impact on taxpayers (non-‐
users). Membership in the RHTA is open to all residents as are board positions and the RHTA
proposes to open one board seat for a representative of the Town.
The RHTA would also be available to run or advise on tennis development, new clubs, leagues,
lessons, governance, facility needs/locations, court standards, and indoor facilities management. The
successful execution of the RHTA’s business plan will help ensure profitability of outdoor and indoor
tennis facilities, leagues and camps. The profits will be reinvested back into the community’s tennis
infrastructure and programming in contrast to for-‐profit operators who are under no obligation to
reinvest profits back into the community from which they generate profits.
The demand for affordable and accessible (court availability) indoor tennis continues to grow, not
only in Richmond Hill but also in York Region. The Blackmore Tennis Club has capped its membership
in prior years due to high demand from residents and the surrounding municipalities. Blackmore is
not subject to a residency requirement and, therefore, draws a large portion of its membership from
the surrounding region including Toronto. The residency provision was likely overlooked in the early
start-‐up years in order to assure profitability but giving capacity constraints, residents now find it
challenging to book courts. The lack of competition and high relative costs compared to not-‐for-‐
profit operators is becoming a significant factor for many residents who would like to play tennis
year-‐round. Although Richmond Hill residents do receive a 15% discount on their yearly membership
fees, they are subject to court fees, which are at the high-‐end of the scale. BTC has attempted to
improve court availability by limiting private lesson and block bookings, this has had a modest
impact on improving court availability.
In 2014, Thornhill Park Tennis Club (TPTC), a community tennis club, erected a winter tennis bubble
on four public courts. The facility is operated by the TPTC and the management of the facility has
been contracted out to a private company. To our knowledge, this is one of the only community
clubs in York Region to extend their summer tennis season into a year round tennis season and an
option to be considered in Richmond Hill. Independent sources indicate that an investment in a
winter bubble has a payback period of 3-‐5 years and the success and profitability of BTC and TPTC
suggests there are opportunities for community clubs, such as the Richmond Hill Lawn Tennis Club to
offer indoor winter tennis. This merits further investigation.
The RHTA will fulfill a vital role in the community, by promoting the game through summer clubs and
by increasing participation rates, it will increase the demand for indoor winter tennis for those
residents who seek to play year-‐round in an affordable, accessible and right-‐sized indoor tennis
facility. The RHTA strongly supports and endorses the building of indoor tennis facilities that are
right sized and/or expandable and able to grow with the game. The questions that remain to be
determined are:
• What type of structure?

• Appropriate location
• Who will oversee and manage the facility? And
• How affordable and accessible will it be for residents?
The RHTA believes an indoor tennis facility operating under a user-‐pay model that is accessible
and affordable is the best option to pursue. It will require vision and foresight to adopt a tennis
strategy that meets the needs of the primary user groups, is self-‐funding, affordable and
accessible. By undertaking the “Tennis Strategy”, Richmond Hill has taken a leadership position
within York Region and it has an opportunity to deliver a new approach to tennis provisioning, one
that will lead to a more active and engaged community. The success of Milos Raonic and Richmond
Hill juniors Carol Zhou and Denis Shapovalov are putting Richmond Hill on the tennis community
map within Canada.
Community Clubs
Community tennis clubs are the building blocks for a vibrant tennis community, offering organized
tennis programs for the benefit of diverse cultural groups who share a common interest, the game
of tennis. Residents that are new to this sport can easily transition into the game by joining their
community tennis club, taking lessons, joining the leagues and socials as long as the community
clubs can accommodate them. The challenge for community clubs is the inability to integrate new
members into the club due to capacity constraints and the intimidation factor from a skill level
perspective. This could be overcome by expanding existing clubs or starting new clubs, which will
relieve capacity constraints and allow clubs to offer more opportunities for beginners to play with
players of similar skill without feeling overwhelmed and intimidated.
Successful community clubs face two issues, which must be addressed, capacity constraints and the
need to accommodate the public with increased public hours. With a limited number of courts and
no ability to add or expand to other facilities, community clubs will continue to face increased
pressure from not only members but also the public who are looking to play on the higher quality
tennis courts used by community clubs. This has in the past created a disincentive for community
clubs to promote and grow the game within the community and it also creates resentment by the
casual public player who feels they should be given greater access to the higher quality tennis courts.
To resolve this issue, the RHTA proposes to expand or add new community tennis clubs working with
the Town planning departments to identify needs and standards. By strategically locating higher
quality multi-‐court facilities and expanding or starting new clubs, this will significantly reduce the
capacity constraints at community clubs and it will allow them to increase public hours. By
accommodating and integrating the casual public player, community club membership will have an
opportunity to integrate the casual public player into the game through lessons, leagues, and social
play.
The RHTA would like to work in consultation with the Town planning department to determine the
best locations for expansion, the quality of courts needed in terms of positioning, surfacing, lighting
and supporting infrastructure.

The RHTA can and will play a crucial role in promoting, organizing and governing the sport to ensure
clubs are in a position to succeed while ensuring club mandates are aligned with that of the
association and Town. To deliver a viable tennis strategy, we must acknowledge and safeguard the
significant role tennis associations and community tennis clubs play in growing and more
importantly, sustaining the game. Richmond Hill has over 25 tennis facilities spread throughout the
Town, and for the most part, used infrequently by casual players or those who live near the courts.
According to the United States Tennis Association 2006 participation survey, the number one reason
cited by players as to why they do not play more tennis is the inability to find someone to play with.
We need to do more at a grass roots level and a local tennis association working with community
tennis clubs is the missing link. The RHTA will promote, organize and grow the game while meeting
the needs of all user groups in a fair and equitable manner.
The 2013 Parks and Recreation Master Plan highlighted and acknowledged that Richmond Hill’s
tennis court inventory “has one of the lowest percentages of club courts – although this means that
the Town has one of the highest percentage of courts which are available for public use at all times it
also means that there is a low level of organized tennis available to assist in building interest in the
sport and helping to increase usage of courts”. The RHTA supports the idea of starting new
community tennis clubs but it should not be done in isolation, as it will require volunteers to
organize and run the club, and the cooperation of the existing Club, which may have to seed the new
club with teams and players. We must also ensure that new clubs are operating under similar rules
of engagement as existing clubs. In addition, new clubs will require a suitable facility (number of
courts, quality lighting) that can accommodate competitive league play. The RHTA could fulfil a key
role in setting up and overseeing the start-‐up of new clubs. In the event a new club is not practical at
this time, the existing community club will need to expand by gaining access to additional under-‐
utilized facilities that can be redeveloped or resurfaced. For example, redeveloping Bayview Hill from
5 courts to 10 courts, Mount Pleasant from 4 courts to 8 courts or resurfacing Towne Park’s (3
courts).

The Richmond Hill Lawn Tennis Club is Richmond Hill's only community tennis club and it is
considered to be a model tennis club according to Scott Frazer, President of the Ontario Tennis
Association. The Club's success has led to capacity issues and they can no longer accommodate new
players or beginners into their entry-‐level house league program or its competitive teams. The Club’s
widely regarded house league program has been capacity constrained for several years, rather than
turn players away, the club has elected to increase the number of players per team which
unfortunately has resulted in significantly less playing time for all players.
Given the capacity constraints at RHLTC, the possibility of starting another community tennis club
should be considered but it should be done in cooperation with the RHLTC and the RHTA in order to
ensure profitability of both clubs on an ongoing basis. The RHTA would work with interested parties
to oversee, manage and implement the start-‐up and integration of new community clubs in
Richmond Hill. The RHTA will promote a cooperative approach between clubs to ensure that they
are working together to promote and grow the game.
Richmond Hill Lawn Tennis Club (RHLTC) – Growing the Game

The RHLTC introduced a new junior lesson program this past summer to address demands from
members and the community who expressed the need for a high quality lesson program in
combination with league play. RHLTC introduced an affordable junior lesson & league program ($150
for an eight-‐week one-‐hour session). Those enrolled in the lessons were able to join the junior house
league, which ran on Saturday mornings from 10:30 – 1:00 pm. In order to encourage greater
participation, RHLTC also sponsored a free lesson program for beginners aged 5-‐12 years old running
on Saturday evenings from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. The RHTA supported and promoted these initiatives and
would like to expand the program throughout Richmond Hill by advertising the program at local
tennis courts.
RHLTC’s membership has grown steadily over the years and it has reached the point where members
find it challenging to access courts and play regularly. RHLTC has expressed interest in expanding its
facilities or gaining access to the under-‐utilized courts at Town Park. If that cannot be accomplished,
they would consider moving to a new facility such as Richmond Green or David Dunlop Park, if it can
be redeveloped to accommodate more courts (10-‐12). RHLTC would also support the start-‐up a new
club if it was under the guidance and direction of the RHTA thereby assuring a smooth
transition/start-‐up as the RHTA would work with both clubs to oversee the start-‐up, resolving
disputes that may arise between clubs as they compete for players. Adding a new club will likely
reduce capacity issues at RHLTC resulting in greater court availability and possibly allowing for an
increase public hours during primetime evenings.
Richmond Hill Tennis Association (RHTA)
This Richmond Hill Tennis Association is being incorporated and funded for the specific purpose of
promoting and growing the game of tennis in Richmond Hill and delivering tennis in Richmond Hill. It
is a not-‐for-‐profit association with an elected board of directors and a membership consisting of
residents only. One board seat is reserved for the Town’s representative. The association's seeks to
have greater cooperation and be affiliated with the Town in order to fulfill its mandate to grow the
game of tennis.
The RHTA will work with the Town to provide feedback/insight into tennis and how best to move
forward in a manner that is inclusive and considers all stakeholders’ interests. The need for an
association is paramount; we believe it will help ensure the execution and successful
implementation of the tennis strategy. The RHTA proposes to be the governing body that oversee
community clubs, tennis development, leagues, lessons and indoor facilities. The association will
engage and represent the tennis playing community in Richmond Hill by encouraging active
involvement in the association.
The RHTA must be in a position to govern all aspects of tennis in the community, working with
community clubs, the public, and the Town. It must also be in a position to coordinate and integrate
programming between clubs while resolving issues that may arise between clubs and residents. An
example of integration would be combining and expanding the successful but capacity constrained
House League program at RHLTC with the new club and by doing so, both clubs could accommodate
more players of various skill levels. The RHTA would also like to work with the Town’s park planners
to provide insight and feedback on tennis court planning/redevelopment opportunities. Case in

point, the North and South of Richmond Hill are in need of higher quality multi-‐court facilities. The
Town is proposing to redevelop Morgan Boyle Park and there might be an opportunity to build a
much-‐needed four-‐court facility in south Richmond Hill.
The RHTA will require consistent revenue sources in order to fulfill its mandate, as such, it will assess
community clubs membership fee based on membership. In addition, it would also like to be in a
position to run summer tennis camps at community clubs with suitable infrastructure and shelter
nearby. For example, an ideal location for a new community club would be Bayview Hill; it has
suitable infrastructure in place and has redevelopment opportunities (five courts to ten courts)
suitable to accommodate erecting a winter tennis bubble.
Another revenue opportunity for the association is to oversee and/or operate the indoor tennis
facility promoting membership through the summer clubs. This could be accomplished by having the
Town build a suitable hard structured indoor facility as is being proposed for Richmond Green or by
bubbling outdoor public courts. The RHTA believes a successful indoor tennis facility must have 6-‐10
courts in order to be accessible, affordable and profitable. A limited number of courts will limit court
availability and not attract sufficient membership levels to ensure profitability. The RHTA will work
with Town planners to identify suitable sites and recommend consultants who have a track record
running and operating indoor facilities.
A financially strong and progressive tennis association operating at the grassroots level will be in a
position to engage residents and grow the game by making tennis an affordable, accessible, self-‐
sustaining year-‐round activity for all residents.
Indoor Tennis Facilities
Blackmore Tennis Club
There are currently no municipally owned or operated indoor winter tennis facilities in Richmond
Hill. The Blackmore Tennis Club (BTC) is a for-‐profit private operator that erects a bubble over the six
public courts at David Hamilton courts from October 1st to April 30th.
The BTC is a very successful club as evidenced by its capped membership in prior years. It is
estimated that an active BTC member plays 2-‐3 times per week and spends approximately $1000 -‐
$2000 per year, which includes membership, court, league, and lesson fees over the winter
operating season. An adult (age 31-‐64) membership at BTC is $430 includes HST. Richmond Hill
residents receive a 15% discount. The primary issue for residents aside from cost is the lack of court
availability (accessibility).
In addition to a yearly membership fee, BTC members pay court fees of $20/hr. during non-‐
primetime hours and $24 and $26/ hr. during primetime and super primetime with guest fees of
$11. Members can book courts 7 days in advance while non-‐members have the ability to book courts
1 day in advance by paying an additional court fee of $5.
Richmond Hill Country Club

The Richmond Hill Country Club (RHCC) is a private sports club located in Richmond Hill. It has 9
indoor courts and 11 Har-‐Tru outdoor clay courts. Although both RHCC and BTC membership fees,
RHCC members do not pay additional court fees. It is estimated that a yearly membership at the
RHCC cost approximately $3500-‐$4000 per year plus HST.
Markham
The City of Markham opened the Angus Glen Tennis Centre in 2011 in response to demands from
the tennis playing community for an indoor tennis facility. The 27,810-‐square-‐foot, wheelchair
accessible, indoor tennis facility is open year round. This facility features four indoor hard courts
with a reception area, a fully accessible 4,200-‐square-‐foot member’s lounge with viewing gallery,
kitchenette, change rooms and washrooms.
The facility is clearly subsidized by taxpayers as the city charges a negligible yearly membership fee
of $10-‐$15 with very low court fees of $15.42 for non-‐primetime hours and $22.03 during primetime
hours. Guests pay a $5 fee and courts are booked through the City of Markham website.
Toronto / GTA
The L'Amoreaux Tennis Centre (LTC) is operated and staffed by the City of Toronto. Unlike the
Markham Tennis Centre, the Club has an elected board of directors who oversee tennis programs
with one board seat reserved for a City of Toronto representative. The City collects all revenue and
covers all expenses. The facility is subject to higher operating expenses, as the City of Toronto’s
unionized staff must perform all work.
The L’Amoreaux facility has 9 indoor and 5 outdoor courts available for members; the 9 indoor
courts are split between a permanent structure (4 courts) operating year round and a permanent
year-‐round bubble (5 courts). Membership fees apply during the winter season with the following
options: Primetime -‐ $263.50 and non-‐primetime -‐ $170.75. A junior membership is $117 and non-‐
residents are subject to an additional fee of $39. Primetime court fees are $18-‐$24/hr. and non-‐
primetime court fees are $12-‐$18/hr. During the busy winter months (January – February), the club
extends its operating hours to midnight.
North York Tennis Association (NYTA)
The North York Tennis Association was founded in 1972 with the specific mandate of promoting,
expanding and managing tennis programs. The not-‐for-‐profit association has a board consisting of 11
directors elected from the 19 summer clubs and 3 indoor winter clubs. The three winter clubs are
bubbles that are operated by the North York Winter Tennis Association (NYWTA) from October 1 –
April 1 with the exception of the Peanut Plaza bubble, which is a year-‐round facility. Unlike the
L’Amoreaux facility, the NYTA is responsible for all operations, revenue and expenses.
The NYWTA winter membership fee entitles members to use all three bubbles and the adult
membership fee is $200 plus HST or after May 8th $215 plus HST. New adult members pay $250 plus
HST and juniors pay $70 plus HST. Court fees for members are $12 for non-‐primetime and $18 for
primetime hours. Members can bring a guest for $11.

The NYWTA operates under a very successful user-‐pay model; it has two full-‐time staff managing the
day-‐to-‐day operations and is widely acknowledged as the gold standard for how to run a successful
and affordable winter tennis operation. With 1600 members, NYTA usually caps its membership by
September of each year. The NYTA allows a non-‐member to “pay-‐as-‐you-‐play “and they can in
advance by paying higher court fees of $18-‐$36/hr.
Indoor Tennis at Richmond Green
The growing demand for tennis in Richmond Hill was acknowledged in the 2013 Parks and
Recreation Master Plan. The report recommended that the Town initiate a tennis strategy to
determine the feasibility of building an indoor winter tennis facility. Cited in the report was RHLTC’s
recommendation that the Town build a six-‐court indoor facility combined with six outdoor courts in
order to accommodate the growing demand for year-‐round tennis. The draft report for the
redevelopment of Richmond Green recommended a three or four court facility in combination with
the additional ice pad and indoor soccer building. The decision on building the indoor tennis facility
was deferred pending the results of the “Tennis Strategy”.
The RHTA will play a key role in growing and promoting the game in through the community clubs
and this will drive membership and help ensure the success of an indoor winter facility that is an
affordable and accessible for all residents.
The RHTA has compiled a list of best practices for community tennis development. (This information
is based on the experience and knowledge obtained from community tennis club operators).
1. Identify the needs of the tennis playing community
2. Strong communication and planning that actively involves the tennis playing community
3. The number of tennis courts should incorporate a needs analysis in addition to population
metrics.
4. Court standards and should be based on intended use -‐ four, five and six court facilities
should be of higher quality and strategically located in order to benefit residents in the
North and South.
5. Playing time should be determined based on the number of courts. The current format for
public courts is a ½ hour or one set. For higher quality multi-‐court facilities, play could be
increased to one hour with some courts rotating on the hour and the other courts on the
half hour. Residents will then have some assurances that courts will become available
reducing or eliminating disputes.
6. The North York Tennis Association model of operation is successful and profitable and
should be adopted by other municipalities.
Next Steps

1. The RHTA will apply for affiliate status with the Town of Richmond Hill
2. The RHTA will oversee the development, structuring, and delivery of organized tennis
programs in Richmond Hill.
3. The RHTA will work with the Town to identify existing tennis court inventory appropriate for
redevelopment or repurposing.
4. The RHTA will adopt a steady and measured approach in consultation with the Town to
expand tennis in the community.
5. The RHTA will work with the Town to devise a plan for the operation of an indoor tennis
facility. The RHTA has received a commitment for the GM of the NYTA to consult and advise
on the project.
6. The RHTA will adopt a self-‐funding model, cover its cost of operation and reinvest profits back
into tennis infrastructure and programming in Richmond Hill, thus reducing the burden on
taxpayers.

7. The RHTA will seek to expand and develop a Town-‐wide Junior House League program,
working with the community club/s.
8. The RHTA will promote, publicize and organize free introductory tennis clinics for youth. The
RHTA will set-‐up and run clinics on set dates and at select courts for a modest cost.
9. The RHTA will work with the community club/s to facilitate and run a town-‐wide adult tennis
house league that accommodates all skill levels.
10. The RHTA will engage and encourage local schools and school boards to promote tennis as
an extra-‐curricular activity.
11. If advisable, the RHTA will implement a court reservation system on selected courts that will
allow residents to access an online court reservation system for the purpose of booking
outdoor courts. This may not be necessary or required if multi-‐court facilities adopt the one-‐
hour play rule with staggered court rotations but it is an option to be considered.

12. The RHTA will seek out funding for clubs and program from various sources such as the
Trillium Fund, Canadian Tire Jumpstart program, Ontario Tennis Association and Tennis
Canada.
Recommendations for Indoor Tennis
The RHTA supports and recommends the Town move forward with plans to build an indoor tennis
facility. The indoor facility must have a sufficient number of courts to ensure adequate court
availability. If members are unable to a book court, membership levels will not likely be sufficient to
ensure profitable operations.
The ideal scenario would be to identify a facility that could accommodate six to twelve courts. For
example, six courts could be in hard structure/bubble combined with six outdoor courts that could
be bubbled to accommodate future expansion and/or hosting a new summer club. The ideal location
would be Richmond Green or another suitable location able to accommodate six to twelve courts. A
six-‐court facility at Richmond Green would expose the game of tennis to more kids and adults and it
would be seen as the premier recreational facility in York region.

The RHTA does have concerns with the initial proposal to build a three or four court facility at
Richmond Green. Although it would expose the game to more people, it will not likely be able to
meet the primary goal of being accessible in terms of court availability and therefore, profitability
would be questionable as it would not attract sufficient membership levels.
We would, therefore, recommend an in-‐depth financial and operational analysis of the Blackmore
Tennis Club and the North York Tennis Club to gain a better understanding of the profitability
metrics of multi-‐court indoor tennis bubbles.
The information contained in this report is based on information obtained for sources believed to
be reliable but we cannot guarantee its accuracy. The report has been forwarded to the Town of
Richmond Hill and passed onto the consultant and is meant for discussion purposes only.
Submitted and Approved by the Richmond Hill Tennis Association,
December 20, 2015
Mike Bowcott Bill Kishonti David Garcia Martin Gelb
Craig August Gary Zikovitz Norman Maddeaux Richard Brown

Kevin Jones Robert He

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Envisioning a Tennis Community

Table of Contents

Municipal Tennis Courts .......................................................................................................... 3

Tennis in Richmond Hill ........................................................................................................... 4

Tennis Association .................................................................................................................. 5

Community Clubs .................................................................................................................... 7

Indoor Tennis Facilities.......................................................................................................... 10

Indoor Tennis at Richmond Green ........................................................................................ 12

Recommendations for Indoor Tennis .................................................................................... 14

RHTA December 2015 Page 2

Municipal Tennis Courts

RHTA December 2015 Page 3

Tennis in Richmond Hill

RHTA December 2015 Page 4

Richmond Hill Lawn Tennis Club (RHLTC)

Blackmore Tennis Club (BTC)

Richmond Hill Country Club (RHCC)

RHTA December 2015 Page 5

• What type of structure?

RHTA December 2015 Page 6

• Who will oversee and manage the facility? And

• How affordable and accessible will it be for residents?

RHTA December 2015 Page 7

Richmond Hill Lawn Tennis Club (RHLTC) – Growing the Game

RHTA December 2015 Page 8

Richmond Hill Tennis Association (RHTA)

RHTA December 2015 Page 9

Indoor Tennis Facilities

Blackmore Tennis Club

Richmond Hill Country Club

RHTA December 2015 Page 10

North York Tennis Association (NYTA)

RHTA December 2015 Page 11

Indoor Tennis at Richmond Green

1. Identify the needs of the tennis playing community

RHTA December 2015 Page 12

RHTA December 2015 Page 13

Recommendations for Indoor Tennis

RHTA December 2015 Page 14

Submitted and Approved by the Richmond Hill Tennis Association,

December 20, 2015

Mike Bowcott Bill Kishonti David Garcia Martin Gelb

Craig August Gary Zikovitz Norman Maddeaux Richard Brown

RHTA December 2015 Page 15

RHTA December 2015 Page 16

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