LTC 017-2025 PILOT PROGRAM AT THE POLO PARK TENNIS COURTS Docusign Envelope ID:D42E1A56-7F13-402D-AD3B-6BD74E85DE8A
MIAMI BEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
LTC #017-2025 LETTER TO COMMISSION
TO: Honorable Mayor Steven Meiner and Members of the City Commission
FROM: Eric T. Carpenter, City Manager
DATE: January 13, 2024
SUBJECT: PILOT PROGRAM AT THE POLO PARK TENNIS COURTS
The purpose of this Letter to Commission (LTC) is to provide information on the City of Miami
Beach Parks and Recreation Department's intended expansion of the pilot program at the City's
neighborhood tennis courts to Polo Park.
History
The Parks and Recreation Department (the "Department") has been addressing an influx of
unregulated tennis lessons taking place at the City's neighborhood tennis courts located at Palm
Island Park,Normandy Shores Park,Fairway Park,and Polo Park.The neighborhood tennis courts
were designed for open free play on a first-come, first-served basis, and currently, unregulated
private instruction is not allowed. Many attempts at enforcement and tamping down on
unauthorized lessons has yielded little success, as often times Park Rangers and Code
Compliance do not see an exchange of money legitimizing the lesson. When players are
confronted, Park Rangers and Code Compliance are told that it is not a lesson, but rather family
members playing amongst each other, they are hitting partners, etc. Additionally, the Department
has also heard from residents that live in walking distance to these courts and want the ability to
take a private lesson at their neighborhood tennis court.The Department appreciates the value in
both open tennis play and tennis instruction.
Analysis
After reviewing the issue thoroughly, meeting the demand for both resident user groups that want
open play and those that want to take private lessons now requires an approach to allow for a
system to book the tennis courts in an appropriate manner.
The Department implemented a pilot program at the tennis courts at Normandy Shores Park,
Fairway Park, and Palm Island Park on September 3, 2024. The Department worked with Van
Daalen Tennis(Miami Beach Tennis Academy)who are the operators of the tennis facility at North
Shore Park, and Canas Tennis Academy who are the operators of the tennis facility at Flamingo
Park, to implement an online booking system for open play, classes, and private instruction with
tennis professional that are vetted, licensed, insured, and backgrounded.
The program at the tennis courts located at Palm Island Park, Normandy Shores Park and Fairway
Park has been implemented successfully and has received praise from the community.
The frequency of unauthorized tennis instruction on the courts is at an all-time low and the
open play court booking has been embraced as a much needed and welcomed change.
Additionally, the Parks and Recreational Facilities Advisory Board passed the following motion at
the November 19, 2024 meeting:
"The Parks and Recreational Facilities Advisory Board motions to make the pilot
neighborhood tennis program permanent at the current locations, and to expand it to other
City neighborhood parks with tennis courts."
000msiun Envelope ID:o42El*oB-rFl
Based on the success of the program, the expansion of the program is now warranted at the tennis
courts at Polo Perh, which has seen an uptick in unauthorized tennis instruction that has
caused frustration from residents in the area who wish ho play and cannot because pros have
taken over.
The program at Polo Park will work in the same manner as Pe|rn Island park. Fairway Park and
Normandy Shores Park, and will be managed byCanoo Tennis Academy. The program details
are highlighted below in addition to providing a timeline on deliverables for implementation.
Neighborhood Tennis Court Reservation Pilot Program
1. Miami Beach Residents will now have the option to book a court at
the Polo Park tennis courts for the following:
a) Private lessons with a vetted and authorized tennis instructor
� Instructors will be vetted through the Flamingo Park Tennis Center (FPTC)
and will need to provide a Business Tax Receipt(BTR), certification through
the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR), and go through background
screening
° Only (1) One court will be utilized for lessons
b) Open recreation play
0 (2) Two courts available for open recreation play
° No private lessons allowed
2. Residents will also have an option of coming to the site without a court booking on a first
come, first served basis to play
° Provided there are no court bookings
° No private lessons allowed
3. January 27. 2O25
4. dours of Operations: Monday-Sunday. 7:OOe.rn.'8:OOp.nn. (Holiday hours are subject
to change.)
Peak Times Identified: Monday-Sunday, 7:OOa.rn.- 11:OOe.rn. and 4:OOp.rn.'8:OO
5. Fees
a) Private lessons starting sd $1OO (based on instructor qualifications)
b) Court Bookings: $3.00 (Residento) and $17.00 (Buestn) per person per hour for a
court booking (doubles can book for 2hours)
G. Play by Point (currently being used at the FPTC)
7. Courts will be managed by the FPTC under the direction of the Parks and
Recreation Department. FPTC staff will be onsite for implementation and enforcement with
the assistance of Park Rangers
8. Hours tobe re-evaluated based ondemand
9. Number of courts to be used for programming to be re-evaluated based on demand.
Timeline for Defiverables:
1. Week of January 8. 2O25:
° Parks to send program informational letter to the resident area HOAs
° Parks and FPTC to work with Marketing and Communications on marketing
materials to recruit pros
° Parks and FPTC to work with Marketing and Communications on marketing
materials on how to book acourt
2. Week of January 13. 2O25:
° parka to update vvebpege with all pertinent information on
• Advertise with robust marketing, answer questions, feedback
3. January 27. 2O25:
0 Implementation
Docusign Envelope ID:D42E1A5B-7F13-402D-AD3B-6BD74E85DE8A
Should you have additional questions, please contact Cindy Casanova at (305) 673-7730.
Attachments
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Letter to Polo Park Tennis Patrons
To whom it may concern,
In a constant effort to improve and maximize the usage of the Polo Park tennis courts for residents,
the Parks & Recreation Department will be implementing a pilot program starting on Monday, January
27th. This program will be managed by Canas Racket, who is the current contractor for the Flamingo
Tennis Center.
The purpose of this program is to ensure that the Polo Park tennis courts are utilized by residents
looking to enjoy the sport of tennis. Currently, these courts are being occupied most of their times by
unofficial instructors, who overextend their playing time preventing others from enjoying these courts.
Moreover, unofficial instructors fail to comply with the Parks & Recreation Department requirements:
Any tennis professional looking to do business in these courts needs to be hired by the management
in charge of the courts, needs to be licensed and needs to pass the appropriate Background and
Drug tests.
As part of the pilot program and looking to solve all residents' needs, Canas Racket will be
introducing a new reservation system into Polo Park Tennis (the Canas Racket App powered by
Playbypoint) that will allow maximum reservation efficiency. Canas Racket will also allow residents to
book private lessons as well as other programs designed for the tennis community and will have one
court designated for these services.
The following booking rates and booking rules will be enforced at the Polo Park tennis courts:
• $3/hr per player for Residents of Miami Beach
• Non-Residents are not allowed to book a court.
• $17/hr per player for Guest Players
• Maximum Reservations per day: 1
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• Maximum Length per reservation: 2 Hours
• Reservations will be allowed with 1 day in advance (Available at 7am)
• Players without a reservation will be able to play for free if a court is not reserved 15min before
their stipulated playing time.
• Unauthorized pros are not allowed to play— A special ruling will determine when someone is
identified as a pro, which will be available in the park and in the court reservation policies
(Please see attached)
• After a 10-minute grace period, a court reservation is forfeited regardless of payment.
• Private lessons can be booked only via email to proshoi)@flamingotenniscenter.com or
message at 786-365-7249
If you have any questions, please contact the Flamingo Park Tennis Center at 786-365-7249 or at
proshop@flamingotenniscenter.com or contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 305-673-
7730 or at recreation @ miamibeachfi.gov
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Steps to Access.
1.Log in or create an account in canes
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2.Add Polo Park Temnis; as your f aci lity.
3.start booking courts!
-----------------
BOOKING RULES POLICIES
S3/HR PER PLAYER
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$1 HR PER PLAYER
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GUESTS:
MAX RESERVATIONS PER
DAY:
1
MAX
2 HOURS
LENGTH/RESERVATION:
RESERVATIONS
OPEN:
1 DAY IN ADVANCE AT 7AM
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WALK-INS: FREE IF A COURT IS NOT RESERVEO 15 MIN
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BEFORE PLAYTIME
UNAUTHORIZED PROS NOT ALLOWED (SEE PARK AND COURT
RESERVATION POLICIES)
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BOOKING RULES & POLICIES
• UNAUTHORIZED PROS NOT ALLOWED (SEE PARK AND
COURT RESERVATION POLICIES)
• 10-MINUTE GRACE PERIOD; RESERVATION FORFEITED
AFTER THIS TIME
• PRIVATE LESSONS: MUST BE BOOKED VIA EMAIL OR TEXT
• FOR ANY INQUIRIES AB OUT R ESERVATIONS OR LESSONS
CONTACT:
EMAIL: PROSHOP@FLAMINGOTENNISCENTER.COM
PHONE: 786-365-7249
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