First ever hydroponic grass tennis courts installed

"I'm really impressed with how firm the courts are. The bounce is high, and the footing is great. We are able to provide a safer surface, keeping the courts drier through underground irrigation and paspalum's ability to retard dew all help."

That’s the feedback from Ken Thompson, Director of Tennis at The Breakers in Palm Beach which just made history by becoming the first ever club to lay down first-ever hydroponic grass courts

The $12 million redesign of this world-class complex now showcases three sports - tennis, pickleball, and padel - on three surfaces (grass, clay hydro, and cushioned hardtop), providing the resort's guests and club members with an unparalleled range of offerings. Every aspect of the renovation conveys The Breakers' dedication to balance preservation and modernization. This is most dramatically illustrated in the four new grass courts, which were uniquely constructed using the proprietary technology of CapillaryFlow - a hydroponic system for subsurface irrigation and drainage.

"When the grass court option was first proposed, I knew there would be agronomic challenges with wear on the baselines," said Mark Reid, Director of Golf and Grounds Maintenance at The Breakers. "We are a heavy play facility, so I started to think outside the box. I was aware of CapillaryFlow being used in other sports arenas and was intrigued by the idea of growing grass without overhead sprinklers. Being involved in this groundbreaking project has been incredibly exciting."

CapillaryFlow is a closed-loop system consisting of an impermeable liner, drainage gravel, patented pervious cement, water basins with pumps, and a sand layer over which natural grass grows. The system controls drainage and recirculates oxygenated and fertilized irrigation directly to the roots. The results are significant water savings, zero leaching of inputs, and consistent moisture levels for reduced disease, greater wear tolerance, and a firmer playing surface.