We are excited to share big GOOD news!
As many of you know, Ottawa as a city has been experiencing a huge indoor tennis court shortage. RSC is bursting-at-the-seams for indoor tennis court demand, that is currently unfulfilled in Ottawa.
Therefore in September 2023, the RSC Sport Dome will be transitioning to a 2nd Indoor Tennis Dome with 4 NEW state-of-the art indoor hard tennis courts, to serve the growing year-round tennis community. This will bring RSC’s Indoor Tennis Court count to 8 (from 4 currently), which will result in the doubling of indoor tennis courts this Fall 2023!
We understand the enthusiasm that our tennis community has for this sport, and we share in that excitement. We will be adding MORE tennis programs, MORE tennis lesson opportunities, MORE tennis tournaments, MORE hours for our Junior Tennis Players and a 250% increase in hourly tennis court booking opportunities! We are confident that this expansion will foster a thriving and dynamic year-round tennis community, bringing together tennis players of all levels and ages.
Since 2019, RSC Leadership Team has had a keen interest to cover 6 of our 7 clay courts, and much work had been done to place a seasonal dome over those courts. However COVID put those plans on hold, and gave us a chance to step back and review this strategy. Had we followed that approach, there would have been tremendous disruption in playing time to ready the ground, and each year significant effort (and potential damage) while erecting and disassembling the dome. So for now, we are happy to put those plans on hold, and move forward with this revised plan for the Sports Dome conversion to a 2nd Tennis Dome.
We look forward to welcoming you to RSC’s expanded Tennis Centre of Excellence, where you can indulge your love of tennis, develop your skills and connect with fellow tennis enthusiasts…whether you’re a Pass Holder or a Walk-On tennis player. Together, let’s serve up unforgettable moments on the brand new tennis courts this Fall 2023!
About the Sports Dome Migration:
We are also excited to announce that a lease has been secured at nearby Lycée Claudel High School (1635 Lycée Place – 2 km away from RSC), to provide many of our existing participants of activities in the Sport Dome (volleyball, basketball, soccer) a beautiful facility to continue their fun. We have loved being your “Multi-Sport Home”, and while we are sad to see you go, we are confident you will enjoy the new space. Click here for more information.
Below you will find a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) that will answer many of your questions around this exciting project that doubles RSC’s indoor tennis capacity this coming Fall 2023.
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
2nd Tennis Dome (Sports Dome Conversion)
Construction Process:
When will the work begin?
The week of September 11th the court resurfacing and tennis net post installation project will commence.
How long will it take?
The project is estimated to take ONLY 2 weeks, so these additional 4 indoor courts will be playable by October 1, 2023 at the latest. As of that date, we will have a total of 8 indoor hard courts.
Will there be any disruptions to the property that will affect me?
The dome conversion work is being done on the first dome, closest to Donald street. There may be occasions where the pathway will need to be blocked due to equipment and supplies coming in/out, but there will always be a safe route to the Outdoor Tennis, Indoor Tennis, Padel, Pool and Clubhouse.
What happened to the plan to cover the clay courts?
Converting the Sports Dome to tennis courts was the fastest way to double our tennis capacity this year. We have all the plans and permits for the seasonal dome over the clay courts – should we wish to proceed – however we have put this plan on hold for now.
Tennis Court Surface & Lighting:
How many tennis courts will there be in the NEW Tennis Dome?
There will be 4 Indoor Doubles hard courts going into the existing “Sports” Dome, in this transition to our 2nd Tennis Dome.
What kind of court surface is going in?
Hard courts, similar to the existing Tennis Dome.
What kind of lighting will there be?
The same state-of-the-art lights as in the existing Tennis Dome.
Indoor Tennis Offering:
Will Summer Tennis Passholders be able to book 8-days in advance this Fall 2023 for Indoor Courts?
Yes! 2023 Summer Passholders will be able to book indoor tennis courts 8-days in advance until December 31, 2023.
On that note, there are still a few Summer 2023 Tennis Passes available…if you wish to purchase one, click here!
What will the Summer Pass 2024 include?
We are currently working on the packaging, pricing and benefits. Details will be available in August/September 2023. Stay tuned!
Will RSC still run tennis programs during construction?
Yes! Our Tennis operations will remain the same as last Fall in the existing Tennis Dome. We will keep offering tennis court rentals, programs, lessons and tournaments in our existing Tennis Dome during the 2nd dome construction period.
Does a new dome change anything with RSC’s Tennis programs?
Yes! We will be offering MORE classes for all levels/types of tennis players, both adults and juniors.
Will programs be running in the NEW Tennis Dome in the Fall 2023?
“Fall 1” we will be offering all tennis programs/lessons in the existing tennis dome. We are targeting “Fall 2” as the launch of MORE programs/lessons to the NEW Tennis dome.
Will RSC be hiring new Pros?
Yes! Doubling our indoor tennis capacity will definitely mean hiring more year-round Tennis Pros. Currently our recruitment process is underway.
Will I be able to have a Block-Booking this Fall 2023 indoor season, to secure a day and time each week?
We will have more information on all our indoor tennis offerings in the coming weeks and months. Stay tuned!
Business Strategy:
Is RSC converting back to a Members-only Tennis Club?
No! RSC will always be a facility “open to the public”. Inclusivity, accessibility and diversity are core to our values, and are very important to continue for RSC tennis. Absolutely no membership is required.
RSC’s original vision was to be a “Sports Centre”, why now the focus on tennis?
The demand for tennis exploded during COVID, particularly with the closure of the OAC (Ottawa Athletic Club). Ottawa’s indoor court ratio to population is currently 1 court:75,000 residents, which is far below Canada’s current national average of 1:50:000. Adding 4 more indoor hard courts at RSC improves this ratio to 1:58,000 in Ottawa!
To keep the Sports Community together, we have been able to secure a long-term lease at the nearby Lycée Claudel High School (1635 Lycée Place – 2km from RSC), a beautiful two gymnasium 3-court facility – therefore many of the participants that used the RSC Sports Dome (Volleyball, Basketball and Soccer) will be able to continue their fun. Click here for more information!
What about Pickleball?
Pickleball is taking the world by storm and while we don’t have immediate plans to expand into Pickleball, we know it is highly desirable and we are developing strategies to bring it to RSC. That said, if you like Pickleball, you will LOVE Padel which we currently offer at RSC. Click here for more information about RSC Padel.
Will there be annual tennis memberships available?
We are currently looking at all options, so stay tuned. RSC will continue our commitment to inclusiveness, accessibility, and diversity. We will always be open to the public, and anyone (regardless of age or ability) will be able to rent a tennis court, join a tennis program or take a tennis lesson.
What will happen to the Children’s Summer Sports Camps, if the dome is converted to tennis?
We will continue to offer our Children’s Sports Camps for the years to come at 1 Donald Street – as our camps are so popular at RSC, and an important aspect of community!
On that note, there still are SOME spaces available for Summer 2023 Camps … if you have a potential camper, be sure to sign up quickly (Click here) before space runs out!
Restaurant:
I see some changes in the restaurant, what is happening at The Bridge?
For those that have peeked in, we are renovating the main restaurant indoors and it looks great! Our new menu will launch June 12th and we look forward to delighting you. Our patios will continue to be the place to be this summer! Click here for The Bridge website, and stay tuned for the new delicious menu!
We are so happy to be on this journey with all of you … and look forward to so many MORE happy memories on court with clients and staff!
Warmly,
RSC Team
