Guest Fee Theory
One of the greatest misconceptions in tennis is that it should be free to play at any tennis facility just because you belong to a league. League fees do not cover court fees. Anytime you are permitted to play at any tennis facility for free, you should feel very grateful. When you are asked to pay court or guest fees you should understand that it costs money to run, staff and maintain a tennis club. Your small fee helps keep the doors of that tennis facility open. In fact, tennis clubs notoriously do not charge enough for their services, which is why so many tennis clubs go out of business or have to be subsidized by the golf side of the country club. A minimal $5-10 fee to use a nice facility is a very reasonable cost when compared to the cost of any other sporting venue.
The two common arguments we hear are:
#1 - Why doesn't Ultimate Tennis tell the tennis clubs they have to waive the court fees for incoming guests who compete in the league?
Although many tennis facilities waive guest fees for Ultimate Tennis members, this is done at the discretion of the club's management. Ultimate Tennis has no authority over tennis facilities and can not dictate what they charge for the use of their courts. Thus we require players to cover their own court costs.
We understand that it is common for private clubs not to charge visiting doubles league teams, however the same luxury is not always afforded to singles leagues. Because doubles leagues are comprised of teams, they are sometimes viewed in a different light. The management's decision to wave guest fees for doubles is done more to simplify the match process for their own members than for the benefit of the visiting team. Unfortunately, guests take this for granted and expect a free ride where ever they go.
#2 - If I provide a free court for my opponents when I'm the home player, then why should I pay when I'm the away player? They should pay my fees.
- Not all facilities are the same. Non staffed facilities are usually not comparable to staffed facilities with amenities and a reservation desk.
- It would be unreasonable to ask members of public and private clubs that charge court fees to not only cover their costs, but also the cost of every incoming league guest. This would effectively eliminate all club players from playing in the league.
- On the other hand, asking incoming guest to only pay a fee when a premium service is provided is reasonable and should be expected. In addition, only a limited number of facilities actually charge guest fees so the cost burden is minimal.
- We understand that home owners also pay for their neighborhood courts through taxes and association fees. If these organizations decide to staff their facilities and provide amenities, they too may charge a guest fee.