RTC - General Information

Situated on the picturesque banks of the Rideau River, the RA Centre’s Rideau Tennis Club has been serving members since 1912. This full service, all-season tennis club is located five minutes from downtown Ottawa at the intersection of North River Road and Donald Street.

The Club offers 19 outdoor tennis courts during the summer season, 11 which are lit clay courts. In the winter eight of the courts are active under two air domes. The facilities also include an outdoor pool, banquet room and a full service clubhouse.

The Rideau Tennis Club offers an excellent variety of tennis programs for all members at all skill levels. Our highly qualified professionals offer lessons and classes that are tailored to the learning needs of each member. So regardless of your age or skill level there is a program for you at the RA Centre’s Rideau Tennis Club.

Hours of Operation - Regular Hours
Mon. to Fri. 7:30am – 10:30pm
Sat. & Sun. 7:30am – 9:30pm

Front Desk Information and Court Bookings
Phone: 613-749-6126
E-mail: rtc@rideautennisclub.com

Map to the Rideau Tennis Club
One Donald Street, Ottawa ON
(nestled at the end of Donald Street, between River Road and the Rideau River)
Click here to view map

The Rideau Tennis Club welcomes guests
A members, we encourage you to introduce your friends to your Club.
The Club’s Guest Policy allows a guest to one (1) complimentary visit and three (3) visits, paying the guest fee, per season. Please ensure your guest is registered at the Member Services desk before you begin your activity.

Guest fees:
Adult:	$13 (HST incl.)
Junior:	$ 6 (HST incl.)

Winter Tennis Booking Rules
1.	Winter tennis members may book courts a maximum of seven (7) days in advance by either phoning 613-749-6126 or booking in person, after 8:15 am.
2.	A member wishing to cancel has until the end of the business day after booking the court(s) to do so. If the cancellation is made later, the member has two options:
	a)	to re-book the court time with no less than 24 hours notice;
	b)	place the court up “For Sale”, if the court is not sold, the member is responsible for the court fees. An exception is made for same day bookings when only fifteen minutes is allowed for cancellations.
3.	Courts prior to and following a member’s reservation can, if available, be played on for half the normal rate with a grace period of (15) fifteen minutes except for the last booking period of the evening.
4.	Membership dues plus Court fees must be paid in full BEFORE the period of play.
5.	Courts MUST BE BOOKED. Any person using an open court without prior booking will be charged full price.
6.	A Junior member playing with other juniors or their parent and booking in person on a standby basis will be charged half price (Jr walk-on).
7.	The time registered on the clock at the Member Services Desk is final.

Group Booking Regulations
One of the benefits of the Rideau Tennis Club is the ability for members, who enjoy organizing, to book courts for group play.

Due to the fact that the club operates with eight courts in the winter months, and our desire to respect equity of for all members, an organizer is restricted to a maximum of four pre-booked courts at any one time.

If, two days before the date of play, and if courts are available, the organizer may request and an additional one or two courts for that specific week of play.

For further information on the Group Booking Policy or to set up your own Group, please contact Nancy Kirkwood, Manager, Recreation Club Services, Rideau Tennis Club.

RTC Winter Tennis Etiquette
Here are some helpful hints for all our players to make tennis more enjoyable at the Rideau Tennis Club this winter.
(a)	Players should walk on their court to begin play at the correct time only. Avoid rushing players off before their time has expired. Please stretch before play, but do so in an appropriate area, rather than at the side of the court.
(b)	Players are asked to leave the courts on time. Winter coats and boots can be left in the locker rooms at the clubhouse. This will help with a quicker exchange between bookings.
(c)	Please wait for second buzzer to sound before entering the bubble. The first buzzer is a signal for on-court players to finish their game and prepare to exit when the second buzzer sounds.
(d)	Wait for your partner(s) to arrive so you can enter the domes together. This will help reduce the interruption of those who are already playing.
(e)	Players should return (i.e. roll) a ball to another court only between points.
(f)	Please always be courteous when retrieving a ball or when asking someone else to retrieve a ball.
(g)	Avoid being loud and abusive when on court. Profane language, racquet throwing, hitting balls indiscriminately or losing your cool is not acceptable. Respect the players on the court next to you and avoid disturbing their game.
(h)	Please abide by the Club’s dress regulations, this includes your guest(s). Only appropriate tennis clothing & tennis shoes will be allowed on the courts. Spandex, tank tops, sweat pants, cut-off jeans, street shoes, t-shirts or cross-training shoes are not allowed.
	Men (Members & Guests)
	*	collared shirt or tennis top
	*	tennis shorts (warm up pants are permitted)
	*	tennis shoes (non-marking soles)
	*	no restrictions on clothing colour
	Women (Members & Guests)
	*	collared shirt or tennis top
	*	tennis skirt or shorts (warm up pants are permitted)
	*	tennis shoes (non-marking soles)
	*	no restrictions on clothing colour
(i)	To help maintain our courts in good condition, it is important that ONLY TENNIS SHOES ARE WORN ON THE COURT. Non-tennis shoes will ruin our courts. If in doubt, please talk with our Tennis Professionals or the Member Services staff.
(k)	Turn all cell phones off during your scheduled time on the court.
(l)	The most important point to remember is to enjoy your game and have fun while on the court, and allow others on adjacent courts to do the same.

Tennis Canada Rules of the Court

Click here to download Tennis Canada Rules of the Court 2011 Booklet.