January 5, 2021 Update: SF Rec & Park Changes in Response to the Survey
In response to the survey, we are making the following changes. These changes will be effective January 4. The courts listed below will have the following adjustments:
- Reservations can be booked 2 days in advance
- Reservations can be made at 12 noon instead of 8 am
Courts available for reservation 2 days in advance at 12 noon
(included are single courts, most 1-hour courts, and a few select others):
| Alice Marble Court #4 (1 hour) Balboa Park Court #4 (1 hour) Crocker Amazon Court #3 (1 hour) Dolores Park Court #3 (1 hour) DuPont Court #4 (1 hour) Fulton (single) Hamilton Court #2 Jackson (single) |
JP. Murphy Court #3 Lafayette Park Court #1 (1 hour) Larsen (single) McLaren Park Court #5 McLaren Park Court #6 Minnie & Lovie Ward Court #2 Miraloma Park (single) |
Moscone Rec Court #4 (1 hour) Mountain Lake Court #4 (1 hour) Parkside Square Court #4 (1 hour) Potrero Hill Rec Court #2 Presidio Wall Playground Court #4 Richmond (single) Upper Noe (single) |
Courts that remain available for reservation 7 days in advance at 8 am:
| Alice Marble Courts #1-3 Balboa Park Courts #1-3 Crocker Amazon Courts #1-2 Dolores Park Courts #1-2 DuPont Courts #1-3 Glen Park Court #2 |
Hamilton Court #1P. Murphy Courts #1-2 Joe DiMaggio Court #3 Lafayette Park Court #2 McLaren Park Courts #1-4 Minnie & Lovie Ward Court #1 Moscone Rec Courts #1-3 |
Mountain Lake Park Courts #1-3Parkside Square Courts #1-3 Potrero Hill Rec Court #1 Presidio Wall Playground Courts #1-3 Mary’s Rec Courts #1-2 Sunset Rec Courts #1-2 |
We also heard concerns about the reservation system and its challenges. We continue to work to improve it and appreciate your patience.
Reopening of Golden Gate Park Tennis Courts at the new Goldman Tennis Center. The Goldman Tennis Center at Golden Gate Park is expected to open by the end of February which will provide more reservable courts. Once that has happened and COVID restrictions have been reduced, we will explore increasing the number of walk up courts that are available.
Addition of Stern Grove Courts to the System. There have been conflicts with people refusing to leave courts, conflicts between pickleball and tennis, and unauthorized teaching professionals using the courts and refusing to leave. Therefore, we are proposing to add courts #1 and #2 to the online reservation system, and make them available for reservation 7 days in advance at 8 am.
COVID-19 Update. As of December 10, 2020, the following play is allowed on the tennis courts: No more than two people from the same or different Household may play tennis or pickleball together at any one time (singles only). Players from different Households may not share equipment and must maintain at least six feet of physical distance from each other at all times.
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SF Rec & Park conducted a survey a few weeks ago about its Spotery online court reservation system. They received an astounding 1093 responses from San Francisco’s tennis playing community:
- 77% supported continuing the online reservation system as is or continuing but with increasing reservable courts
- 14% supported continuing but with decreasing reservable courts
- 9% wanted to eliminate the system.
The survey found that there is significant support for addressing reservation holders who fail to show up for their reservations. Suggestions for improvement included making the reservation time closer to playing time so reservation holders are more likely to show up and play.
- 56% supported offering some reservation options where the time between reservation and playing was shortened from a week to one or two days
- 38% supported no change
- 6% didn’t care.
In addition, some people supported having walk-up courts at multi-court sites so players would likely be on site to look for a court if no one showed up for a reservation.
When asked about instituting a modest fee to ensure that people did not reserve times that they would not use:
- 60% opposed the fee
- 35% supported the fee
- 5% did not care.
We will report back if Rec & Park makes any changes to the Spotery system based on this feedback.
