Facilities - Supplies - People

Keeping your courts playable and in their best playing condition is a very high priority for a manager. That said, most managers are already taking appropriate steps to keep those standards very high. So, with that in mind, this article will hopefully provide a few inside tips that will elevate any manager's court maintenance skills to a new level.

Note that courts in poor condition will be referred to as “not well managed.” They seldom are referenced as poorly maintained, so it is incumbent that any manager takes those extra steps to make the playing conditions of their courts as good as possible. Go beyond the normal task of spotting any holes in the nets, and nets that are dragging and fraying at the bottom, or that the nets are secured to the net post, or even if the height of the net is correct. As to the court's surface, addressing any dings or cracks or slippery spots is normal with any maintenance program. Even making sure that the trash cans are always emptied and the scoreboards are operational is considered a norm. Include in that list that the fences have no spots for balls to go under and their gates operate with ease. Also, part of the ongoing oversight will include that the water fountains are working properly and are cleaned daily. Lastly, the seating is cleaned for all players, and shade is provided. These are all the standards that are expected, and can be assumed that they are on everyone’s checklist.

Because there are so many different types of courts, your checklist will differ from club to club. But a deeper dive can prove to be very helpful. Take for instance composite courts, such as clay courts. Those who have these courts know that they have a life of their own. Books have been written about the upkeep and maintenance of composite courts. Take the time to read this material so that you are completely informed. But what many do not know is that because these courts require watering, before you build these courts, make sure you comply with the local environmental laws concerning drainage. Many underground watering systems will require chemical treatment to keep the lines flowing and unclogged. This runoff may be determined to be toxic waste and in violation of environmental laws in your area. Best to check that out first before either building or converting to these unique and comfortable playing surfaces.

For the most part, hard courts are standard in the industry and have been upgraded for comfortable play with the relatively new addition of soft hard courts. Soft hard courts are constructed using several layers of rubber or other soft materials before the final color coats, making playing on them easier on the body. Their wear becomes very important because poor maintenance can result in recoating the colors more frequently. With each coat, the softness of the courts is gradually lost, making that expensive original investment of a cushioned court more compromised.

Try to make sure that your staff realizes that drying the courts after a rain is not only for the player’s use but also helps maintain the quality of the courts. Standing water is bad for a court. The weight and chemicals in the water along with the residual debris that collects at these locations, will gradually wear away the surface.

One mistake often made when drying hard courts is using a roll dry in a random pattern. Since almost all hard courts are built to slope slightly, educate your staff to roll dry downhill and not against the tilt of the courts. There are also new machines that are available to help dry a court and are great for picking up the water, but they do not dry the court completely, a wet surface can still exist but will quickly evaporate if the weather conditions can provide that extra help.

When washing or cleaning hard courts, the same pattern should be followed, start the cleaning process from the top and wash downhill. Be careful not to use too much water pressure. You want good water pressure to move the dirt, but you don’t want the power of the hose to add wear to the court.

There are many speeds that the surface of a court can play. The more abrasive courts, which are designed that way by the type and amount of sand added to the resurfacing material, will slow play down but can be hard on the tennis player's body. The soft surfaces can accomplish the same effect but without the abrasive surface. Another concern about abrasive slow surfaces is they can wear faster. Some believe that if you surface the court to be more abrasive, it will last longer before becoming too fast and in need of resurfacing. But what often happens, is that the areas where play takes place more often, will wear sooner and make play uneven. If you are not sure what areas of court wear faster, just observe the wear on the courts at Wimbledon, they are usually right behind the baseline and just inside the service line.

One fact that few people in the industry know is that because many facilities have been around for so many years, they have had their courts resurfaced many times, probably every four years or so. Unless your contractor is aware of this, they will fail to elevate the net post to adjust to gradual loss of height due to the 1/8 or so inch of material that has been added with each resurfacing. Thousands of courts do not have net posts that provide a proper height to work with the legally mandated height of the net.

As far as choosing the surface that is best for your facility, the best answer will come from references. References from other clubs and their members, and the references from the company that is contracted to do the work.

A couple of more tips about maintaining good courts include:

1. Keep nets tight, but not so tight that they put pressure on the post and the mechanical equipment used to elevate the net. A net that is loose and has a rippled top, will wear at the top and the bottom as it moves back and forth.

2. Repair divots and dings in the court as soon as possible. You will not be able to match the color of the paint perfectly, but with time these patches will blend in.

3. Keep your members from using colored rubber sole shoes that can mark the courts.

4. Make sure leaves and other debris are removed as soon as possible so that they do not get ground into the court or leave a stain.

Here are a few tips on how to quickly repair court problems. If you’ve got a net that has lost the stitching at the top, and you either can’t get or can afford a new net, they have overlaps that can be added and weaved into the net making the top of the net look like new. This provides both a quick repair and a less expensive cost. What if the net strap breaks? You could take the buckle latch at the bottom of the strap and hook it onto the lower portion of the net itself to pull it down enough and create the right height of 36 inches in the middle, but this is a temporary emergency fix, better yet, always make sure you have at least three extra net straps on hand.

What about those annoying cracks that appear on the older courts? Better do something before the rain comes and soaks into those cracks amplifying the problems by compromising your sub-structure. If you don’t have any patch material on hand, try mixing some sand with colored tile grout, add a little water, and force this mixture down into the crack. Clean off the surface and let it dry and you will have a temporary fix. Remember that most cracks cannot be permanently repaired by any cheap fix. Even the mesh coverings that are used will not likely hold up more than a couple of seasons. The only real fix for older worn courts is to put down an overlay that is thick enough to handle the movement of the natural contraction and expansion that most courts experience.

If you have lighted courts, remember that it is important to have even lighting that covers the entire court. It’s not necessarily the amount of light you have, but rather the ability to spread the lighting evenly across the court that allows a player to see better and follow the ball in flight. Fortunately, these days we have LED lighting which uses up to 90% less energy and is often much more efficient. Because they are cost-efficient, they can sometimes be financed through your local gas and electric company. They also provide the benefit of lasting longer which can help eliminate the time and maintenance of replacing a light that has burnt out.

With today’s technology, a lighting specialist will come in and give you a very good idea of what lighting will work best for your facility. This is true for both outdoor and indoor facilities. These light technicians can create a statistical simulation of what would work best with your existing facility.

Keeping the courts playable and also keeping up their appearance is not only going to impact the image of the club but also will defer the wear and tear that naturally occurs to courts. Having a schedule that keeps your courts clean is an important maintenance item. In the end, your members will appreciate this consistency.