St Ann’s Tennis will shortly deploy pin code access using the ClubSpark SmartAccess gate system.
Our two electronic gates are expected to be operational at the beginning of next week.
Anyone booking a court will be supplied a pin code number with their booking details.
The ground work connecting the power to the gates is scheduled to be done this Friday, and we expect there to be some minor disruption along the east side path during building works.
The contractors will be using a power source from the old clock located between the old bowling green and the tennis courts. See below.
How will pin code access work?
It’s pretty simple. Once you have booked your court on ClubSpark you will receive your booking confirmation. Your booking confirmation will include a PIN which you can then enter into the keypad at the gate. Your PIN will be unique to you, and you can use the same code every time you make a booking. The PIN will be active five minutes before the booked session, throughout the booked session and then until five minutes after the booked session has ended.
What do I do if my PIN doesn’t work?
Firstly, please check that your booking is correct, and that you have entered the number correctly. Then check you are within the timeframe that the PIN is active (5 minutes before and 5 minutes after). If there is still a problem contact the club. This system has worked successfully at Hove, Dyke and Queens Parks tennis facilities.
What about club sessions, and other group sessions?
The pass code for St Ann’s club sessions and Parks League events will be shared in due course, and then will remain the same for all sessions. Other groups will have their own numbers which will be shared by the coach/group leader. Club sessions and Parks League will each have their own number, and coaches will have their own codes for the hours they’ve booked.
Conrad Brunner says: “There have been regular questions about pin codes from visitors and members, so we’re glad we’ve finally got some movement on this from the council. We’ve been pushing for this work to be done since last summer, when the gates were first installed. The gates are sophisticated electronic gates with 4G/5G communication hubs to allow a fluid and effective booking system in real time. They were paid for by a grant from the LTA, who recognise their importance in managing parks facilities like ours. It also helps us protect and preserve the playing area – we do not want to keep finding dog poo on your courts!”
“The pin code system may sound fiddly but the experience of other clubs is that the system works amazingly well, with very few problems. It is a tried and test formula, which is good for members and visitors.”
“We are also hoping that the old clock will soon be restored to working order. It is somewhat obscured at present by the hedge, but it remains a rather magnificent 1960s British-made electronic Smiths double-aspect time piece. Smiths went out of business in 1975, but you can still buy Smiths branded clocks if you shop around.”
