Greenwood Athletic and Tennis Club has installed digital locks in its locker rooms to prevent the possibility of locker keys being lost or stolen. Photo courtesy of Greenwood Athletic and Tennis Club.

Almost every day, newspapers report a theft from a fitness facility’s locker room. It can be discouraging for club operators, especially as locker rooms can be one of the most difficult places in a club to protect. Cameras may monitor virtually every other area of the club, but they are not allowed in locker rooms.

Greenwood Athletic and Tennis Club, Greenwood Village, CO, protects its members by providing them with secure lockers and a quality locking system that eliminates the need for them to carry (and possibly lose) a key, says Paula Neubert, president and general manager of the facility. Three years ago, Greenwood installed an electronic locking system manufactured by Digilock, Petaluma, CA.

“It took another security risk factor out,” Neubert says.

Of course, other secure lock options include padlocks, a combination lock or a card key. Club operators must pick the right type of lock for the lockers and for the club’s and members’ needs, says Bob Martin, president of custom locker makers Ideal Products, Ontario, CA.

But good security requires more than good locks, says Meredith DePersia, director of club operations at Club One, San Francisco.

“The best defense against theft is having proper security at your club entrance, having lockers and locks in good working condition and ensuring frequent locker room walkthroughs by club staff,” DePersia says. 

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