Public Tennis Courts Under Siege: Local Racquet Club Faces Controversy

A clash over tennis courts has erupted among enthusiasts in one of San Francisco’s upscale neighborhoods. The controversy centers around a private club’s alleged ‘hostile takeover’ of local facilities.

Located in the Richmond District at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge, Rossi Park offers three tennis courts: two that are freely accessible and one that operates on a reservation basis.

Residents claim that the courts have been monopolized by the Rossi Racquet Club, a private group organized through Meetup. The issue was highlighted by a post on Reddit and reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.

Chad Moore, who founded the club, is accused of exploiting the court rules to exclude non-members. The club suggests a $5 donation for participants in its consecutive doubles sessions held on weekends.

Several residents have lodged complaints with the city, one of which accuses the club of using carabiner locks to restrict access to the public courts, describing it as a ‘hostile takeover.’

One complaint, shared with the news outlet, stated, “They are gatekeeping and not allowing access to publicly available spaces during open hours.”

‘They turned away a couple [University of San Francisco] players by telling them that this is a closed court for organized play,’ the complaint continued. 

The Recreation and Parks Department deputy director told the outlet the courts are open to everyone and said the city is looking into the complaints. 

The racquet club’s Meetup page has over 1,000 members and includes a suggested $5 donation to cover supplies, which critics cite when arguing the group is trying to profit from a public court. 

In 2025, written emails obtained by the outlet showed a heated dispute between Moore and Jessica Hing, the property manager for the park.

Hing reached out to Moore and two other club leaders after receiving a note expressing concerns that ‘Rossi tennis courts one and two have not been as welcoming as we all understood them to be.’

Moore has assured that his club is inclusive and open for everyone, writing: ‘We have done nothing wrong, illegal or unwelcoming. We always play fair for ALL!!’

A Reddit thread blew up this week about the club, with others expressing anger over its alleged exclusionary behavior. 

The Recreation and Parks Department says it is reviewing the complaints and considering options such as on-site education

‘There is a group of local players who have essentially staged a hostile takeover of the public, first-come-first-serve courts. They have been doing this for at least two years. They treat these public parks like their own personal country club,’ one outraged user wrote. 

They added that the group allegedly turns people away by saying:  the court rules state “only doubles can be played”, and since their group is already playing doubles, any twosome that shows up is out of luck.’

‘This is complete bulls***,’ they lashed. ‘The actual park rules are that if a court is being used for singles and another group shows up, you integrate to play doubles so more people can get on court.

‘They have twisted this to mean they get to monopolize the courts indefinitely by just shuffling their own members around. They hold the courts for themselves from 8am to 1 to 2pm every Saturday and Sunday,’ they wrote.

But the SF Chronicle spoke to Rossi Racquet Club member Kimberly Kim, who defended the group. 

‘We welcome everybody,’ she told the outlet.

The Recreation and Parks Department says it is reviewing the complaints and considering options such as on-site education, converting more courts to reservation-only use, or requiring permits for recurring groups.

For now, staff are monitoring weekend play at Rossi Playground while evaluating enforcement and scheduling changes to ensure the courts remain accessible to everyone.

Daily Mail reached out to Moore and San Francisco Recreation & Parks for comment.