INTRODUCTION
Feature Summary: Create unique rules and booking permissions for each membership type to manage how and when members can make reservations, invite players, access resources, and cancel bookings.
Use Cases: System users can:
Build tiered membership structures with varying booking privileges.
Offer exclusive access for premium members (e.g., priority booking or resource use).
Set fair play limits for standard memberships (e.g., daily court limits or time restrictions).
Configure guest policies and approval requirements to align with club rules.
Control resource access, such as allowing certain members to book a ball machines or specific reservation types.
OVERVIEW
The Reservation Rules feature allows system users to create custom booking rules and restrictions for each membership type. These rules define how members can reserve courts, access resources, and interact with other players through the Member Portal or mobile app.
By tailoring reservation permissions, time limits, and restrictions at the membership level, clubs can design flexible membership tiers that match the unique needs of their players — from casual participants to premium members.
For example, a Junior Membership might only allow weekday bookings during limited hours, while a Premium Membership could permit advanced reservations, guest bookings, and unrestricted access to all court types.
PREREQUISITES
Reservation rules are one part of creating a membership. Click here to understand the basics of creating a membership type.
SETUP REQUIREMENTS
The first step is to open the Reservation Rules tab. Follow these steps to edit an existing membership type or create a new one.
Log in to the admin dashboard.
Go to the side menu and click MEMBERSHIPS. A new page displays.
To edit rules for an existing membership type:
Click the Individual or Family tab.
Select a membership type.
Click the pencil icon.
Click the Reservation Rules tab.
To create rules for a new membership type:
Click the Individual or Family tab.
Click the green create button.
Click the Reservation Rules tab.
Fill in the Form
Permissions
Allow Members to Book Courts Online - Check this box to let members book a court on the member portal. The default setting is not checked. If enabled, the page displays the Consolidated Scheduler option. (see below)
Allow a member to select a court from Consolidated Scheduler - If enabled, the member can choose a court on a drop-down menu.
Hide Court Scheduler - If this box is checked, CourtReserve removes the court scheduler link from the member portal menu for members/players with this membership type. Note: The Hide Court Scheduler checkbox does not display on the page if the system user enables the Allow Members to Book Courts Online feature.
A Member Reservation through the Portal must be Approved - If this box is checked, a system user must approve the booking. CourtReserve displays a Pending Approval note on the reservation page until approved.
If a member reservation requires approval, a system user must go to the TO DO page and approve or decline the request. Click here to learn more.
Resources
Allow Members To Book Resources - If this box is checked and the optional box below (see above) is not checked, users on the member portal can make a reservation on a dedicated ball machine booking page. The page displays a Ball Machine option on the navigation menu and a separate reservation page. If not checked, users cannot book a ball machine.
Restrict Resource Bookings Just From Courts Scheduler - If this box is checked, the user selects a court time on the scheduler and then chooses Ball Machine on the Reservation Type drop-down menu. There is no dedicated Ball Machine or Resource scheduler.
Other Players
Allow Member To Pick Other Members To Play With - Check this box to display a field on the member portal reservation form. Users can select a member or registered guest on the list. If the box is not checked, the member can book a court time but cannot choose a player.
Allowed Number of Guest(s) - Optionally, enter the number of allowed guests that this membership type can bring and set the period (e.g. per day, week, etc.).
Time and Availability
Time in Advance a Court can be Booked - Set the booking period in advance of a court time. Enter the number of days and, optionally, hours.
Time to Open Next Available Reservation Day - This optional field sets a time of day when the last day in advance to book becomes available on the member portal. Use the clock icon to set a time.
Availability
Exclude Past Reservations from Reservation Restrictions - Check this box to apply reservation restrictions to future bookings only, and to not include past reservations as part of the daily/weekly restrictions under a membership.
Days in Advance to Show Courts Availability - Decide when the court scheduler displays on the member portal. Set the number of days before a court time.
Booking Buffer Minutes - Stop last-minute court bookings. Set the number of minutes ahead of a court time to close down bookings.
Restrictions
System users can add specific rules in the Restrictions tabs to control how members book courts. These rules can include limits on booking time, number of courts, or court types, and are defined at the membership type level.
Restrictions set here will override any applicable configurations found under Settings > Booking Settings > General, ensuring that membership-specific rules take priority.
Click a link to open a new page and read about each Restrictions tab or review the full article here.
Cancellation Policies
The next group of fields relates to the cancellation policies for this membership type. These settings are pulled from Booking Settings > General. If you make changes here, those updates will automatically be reflected in Booking Settings > General. To understand each field, see the cancellation policy article here.
Reservations
Allowed Reservation Types: Use this field to specify which reservation types members under this membership can book.
Selecting All allows members to book any active reservation type configured in your system.
To limit access, choose only specific reservation types to control what members can reserve.
Example:
A junior membership might only allow “Court – Tennis (Junior)” reservations, while a full membership could have access to all reservation types.
Default Reservation Type: Select the default reservation type that appears when members make a booking. This helps streamline the reservation process by pre-filling the most common option for that membership type.
Example:
If most players in this membership book Doubles – Pickleball, set that as the default so it appears automatically when they go to make a reservation.
Example default from mobile app:
