Racquet Court Policies

The Duke Faculty Club is dedicated to protecting the health and safety of all of its patrons. In that spirit, the following rules and court etiquette apply to our racquet facilities:

Court Rules and Etiquette

  • All courts are reserved through the DFC online reservation system, or by calling the DFC office. Reservations take precedence over walk-ons.
  • Weather related cancelations will be emailed to the members displayed on the court reservation. This is also visible on the court sheet. Members and their guests are expected to respect the court closures displayed on the schedular.
  • Courts can be reserved for up to two hours.
  • All courts are for tennis or pickleball only. Bicycles, skateboards, soccer balls, lacrosse, rollerblades, and pets are not permitted on the courts.
  • Shirts and tennis shoes with non-marking soles are required at all times.*
  • Unsportsmanlike conduct and profanity will not be tolerated.
  • Access your reserved court through the nearest gate. If you must cross a court, please wait until there is a break in play and ask if you can enter.
  • Properly dispose of all trash before you leave the court.
  • Used tennis balls can be recycled at the DFC office.
  • Weekends only: kindly sweep and line your court after play (clay tennis courts).*
  • While waiting for the pickleball courts, please stand outside the fence area; do not stand in the area between the pickleball courts and tennis court #9. Hang gear on the fence outside the courts; do not place on the benches.
  • If tennis players are on Court #9 using the ball machine or playing a match, please be considerate and do not cross through the court.
  • If a pickleball rolls onto a tennis court but is not a hazard, DO NOT follow it onto the tennis court. Wait until there is a break in their play and say “Ball Please.”
  • If a tennis ball rolls onto your court, return it after tennis play has stopped.

*New policies beginning September 2024

Ball Machine Rules

  • You must be 16 years old or supervised by an adult approved to use the ball machine. (An adult is defined as someone over 18 years of age or older).
  • There is no charge to reserve the ball machine.
  • The ball machine can be reserved for a maximum period of one hour.
  • The ball machine must be put away and returned to the shed by the end of the scheduled time; all the tennis balls should be picked up; key should be returned to the office.
  • Ball machine use takes precedence over social play if there are other courts available. Staff have the right to move court reservations to accommodate ball machine usage.
  • Please do not take balls from the shed to use on other courts.
  • The ball machine is not available if it is raining or the court is wet. This can ruin the balls and damage the machine.

Clinic Policies

  • Members must register for clinics and can do so up to three weeks in advance. Please click here for clinic registration.
  • A cancellation fee (full cost of clinic) will be charged for cancellations within 24 hours and no-shows. There are no refunds within 24 hours of the clinic time.
  • Clinics require a minimum of three participants (unless otherwise noted).
  • Non-members may contact our Racquets Director Matt Nicholson for information on how to participate in DFC clinics (tennis or pickleball).

General Guidelines for Pickleball League Play

  1. Prior to registering a DFC team with PlayTeamPickleball or other leagues, team captains must notify the Racquets Director Matt Nicholson of their intent. 
  2. Courts available for league play are as follows: 
    • During the day, league matches start at 9:00 am. 
    • At night, league matches start at 6:30 pm for all seasons (spring, summer and fall) except on nights where there is social play then league will start at 7:30pm.
    • For weekends, league matches start at 4:00 pm. 
  3. Team captains are responsible for providing the Racquets Director Matt Nicholson with a copy of their roster (including non-members)
  4. Match warm-up can only begin at the specified match times and not before. Courts are not allowed to be reserved by members prior to their league match. League policies generally allow for 15 minutes of warm-up before a match begins. Any requested changes to the original match schedule must be discussed with the Racquets Director. 
  5. All rescheduling of matches, for example, due to inclement weather, must be made through the Racquets Director. 
  6. The team captain is responsible for ensuring the non-member fee has been paid once the non-member has joined the team.
  7. When participating on a league team, you are representing our Club. Please make sure to uphold our values, promote good sportsmanship, and be welcoming and friendly towards guests from visiting teams. It is vital to the Club’s reputation that its character is positively upheld. 

General Guidelines for USTA League Play

  1. Prior to registering a DFC team with ENO CTA, team captains must notify the Racquets Director of their intent.
  2. Courts available for league play are as follows:
    • During the day, USTA matches start at 9:00 am.
    • At night, USTA matches start at 6:30 pm for all seasons (spring, summer and fall).
    • For weekends, USTA matches start at 4:00 pm.
  3. Team captains are responsible for providing the Racquets Director with a copy of their roster (including non-members)
  4. Match warm-up can only begin at the specified match times and not before. Courts are not allowed to be reserved by members prior to their USTA league match. USTA policy allows for 15 minutes of warm-up before a match begins. Any requested changes to the USTA original match schedule must be discussed with the Racquets Director.
  5. All rescheduling of matches, for example, due to inclement weather, must be made through the Racquets Director.
  6. The team captain is responsible for ensuring the non-member fee has been paid once the non-member has joined the team.
  7. When participating on a USTA team, you are representing our Club. Please make sure to uphold our values, promote good sportsmanship, and be welcoming and friendly towards guests from visiting teams. It is vital to the Club’s reputation that its character is positively upheld.