Artificial Grass & Tennis Courts

Artificial grass, or synthetic turf, has many advantages such as low maintenance and extended usage time, which can make it an attractive option for not only yards and grounds but also for sporting surfaces like tennis courts. Today, most synthetic turfs have a drainage layer to help improve drying time after a rainfall and "grass" blades that are in-filled with a granular filler to make it look like natural turf. In-filled means that the blades are interspersed with topsoil made with granulated tire rubber and/or sand to make it uniform, stable and resilient.

  1. History

    • In the early 1960s, Chemgrass, the precursor to Astro Turf, was first used for inner-city children to have access to a comfortable playground surface. The benefits of the artificial grass became increasingly evident, and during the 1970s and 1980s facilities such as high schools, colleges and professional stadiums began to use synthetic turf . The development of improved synthetic surfaces helped drive down cost and bolster their popularity. Synthetic turf sports fields for tennis, field hockey, soccer, baseball, football, lacrosse and rugby have represented the largest percentage of the synthetic turf market.

    Environmental Benefit

    • Because synthetic turf does not need watering to remain green and lush like natural grass, the water conservation is significant. According to the Synthetic Turf Council, as of 2009, the more than 5,000 sports fields that use synthetic turf conserve more than 2.2 billion gallons of water each year. In looking at 2009 alone, the nearly 1,000 new synthetic turfs installed saved roughly 500 million gallons of water and reduced fertilizer use by more than 1.25 million pounds,. Furthermore, granulated used tires as in-fill has resulted in the recycling of 25 million used car tires each year that would otherwise end up in landfills.

    Artificial Grass vs. Natural Grass Courts

    • There are several advantages to developing a tennis court with artificial grass versus natural grass. While natural grass is very comfortable to play on, as it is forgiving to the body, it is costly to install and maintain from the wear and tear of foot traffic and weather. Grass courts become very slippery when wet and are slow to dry after a rainfall. As mentioned earlier, artificial grass doesn't need fertilizer or water in order to stay green like natural grass.

    Artificial Grass vs. Fast-Dry

    • An alternative surface for tennis courts is clay. This type of court surface includes natural clay, granulated stone or ground brick. In the earlier days, clay courts weren't ideal because of the lack of traction, long drying time and glare. To improve drying time, manufacturers have since developed a "quick-dry" or "fast-dry" surface, which features a drainage layer for faster drying time. Fast-dry courts need watering and brushing daily during the playing season. To compact the material, rollers, line sweepers and drag brooms arew used after each match. Each season the court is reconditioned and any depressions in the court surface need are repaired.

    Maintenance

    • There is little maintenance for sand-filled synthetic turf courts. It is a good idea to regularly check the surface for any standing water, which is an indication that the court isn't level or isn't draining properly. If this is the case, consult a contractor. If you find algae on the surface, kill it by watering the area and spreading salt on the spot, or scrubbing the area with a soft brush and a mild bleach solution. Removing the killed algae is important to prevent new growth.