Any recommendations for a fob/keycard system or vendor in SoCal?

Dan,
Does your property already have a controlled access system? Either way, I would urge you to seek out the "right" controlled access system for your property before you search for an installer. There are many different options.

Regards,
Steve

A key fob would be a good start, but is access your only issue (residents letting anyone and everyone into the pool and/or non-residents monopolizing the tennis courts?) Is it unruly behavior? Have you noticed any trends, such as Brad and Karen are always having their drunk friends over causing chaos at the pool? It may be helpful to consider those things as you may be able to have a come to Jesus meeting with the bad actors, telling them their access could be limited or pulled if the bad behavior continues.

In fact, do you have any rules regarding access and behavior? If not, now's the time to establish some and explain to people why they've become necessary. They may think it would be a drag to bring a key fob in order to access the pool, but this isn't a public pool and even if it were, there has to be decency and order so everyone will enjoy it. If you do have rules, send everyone a letter describing the more serious problems and what the board is planning to do. This way, people have a heads up and either clean up their act or face the consequences.

Along with rules, you will need penalties - I mentioned limiting or revoking pool access, but that will require documentation and appeal rights if it comes to that, so have a serious conversation when you debate your options. You may even need to consider installing a security camera or two to catch people in the act.

Before we got rid of our pool (long story, but it worked!) we hired pool monitors. In the beginning, we had teenagers, but some never showed up or just sat and watched while chaos erupted. Some were too intimidated by the badasses (and in some cases, for good reason), so we ended up hiring off duty police officers.

Since we had a small pool, we didn't need a lifeguard, as it was a swim at your own risk pool. The monitor checked for passes (no key fobs, just a plastic pass) and everyone had to have one to access the pool. If you didn't have one for yourself and your friends, you didn't get in. Parents were told they had to be there to monitor kids under 12. The toddlers and infants had to wear swim diapers. And the monitor/cop had authorization from the board to shut down the pool and send everyone home if they got too rowdy.

That's how we identified the nastier bunch and in one case we barred one homeowner permanently. She protested loudly, but we had more than enough documentation to go after her for damage to the pool area if we wanted to.

Oh, and before we mailed out passes, people had to send in written requests for them and before they received them, they had to sign a form listing all the pool rules and agree that they and their hive would obey. Landlord/owners were responsible for signing the form and distributing the passes to their tenants.

We still had some hiccups, but overall, things were more manageable until we finally shut down the pool for good (another long story). Trust me when I say it's not missed at all!

Wow Shelia. Your community seems like it went through every possible scenario where pool privileges could be abused! I guess our issues are mild in comparison, but we have had trespassers (people jumping over the fence, non-residents somehow getting keys) and drama (residents and/or guests drinking and passed out in the spa so security and police were called). There's no way we could afford a person(s) on-site to monitor our two facilities which are about a mile apart, which is why we're looking into an electronic system.

Steve, we do have language in our Rules & Regulations giving the board the right to suspend access for violations, but I'm not sure if it's in the CC&Rs. However, I do think the CC&R has language in it expanding authority to the R&R.