In an effort to make it easier for tennis players to snag a spot at some of Vancouver’s most popular courts, Tennis BC has launched a pilot reservation system.

To improve inclusivity and accessibility of the sport, Tennis BC, in partnership with the City’s Park Board, is piloting a paid reservation system for three courts at Kits Beach and four courts at Queen Elizabeth Park. The feedback, however, has been mixed.

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“We were blindsided by this proposal. Seeing this come through was met with quite high emotions like ‘yes this is fantastic,’ and ‘oh no, my courts are being taken away,’” said Joshua Hobbs, co-founder of the Raincity Tennis Club.

One resident player at Kits Beach says that the new system is no longer equitable, launching a petition to drop the Kitsilano courts from the pilot.

“The beauty of public courts in Vancouver is that everyone waits, and everyone is okay with waiting. Now with the booking system, only those with the app and money have an unfair advantage,” said petition starter Alex Cordero.

The general rule is that when other players are waiting, you should give up your court after 30 minutes.

“My roommate and I would always try to come here, and every time it was fully booked,” said one player.

But not everyone respects that rule. Tennis BC says that the new reservation system gets rid of the tension of sharing courts.

“Even the courts we oversee, if it’s not reserved, they’re free. The community still have access to those,” said Henry Choi, executive director of Tennis BC.

“And those who have avoided the area because of the overflow, they have the ability to reserve and go to the courts to really enjoy their time.”

Some players also feel that there was not enough consultation before launching the pilot.

“Tennis BC, nor the Parks Board, nor the City did not come once to talk to anybody,” said Cordero.

“I think this is the first step towards more solutions that are a bit more creative. Would I like to see this booking system going forward personally? I like the availability but not at the expense of other players,” said Hobbs.

Tennis BC says that the fees collected from reservations will be funnelled back into the city’s facilities.

The pilot runs until the end of September, and a permanent decision will be made based on public feedback.