Tennis Court Maintenance

All Hard Courts

• Hard courts are the easiest to maintain but very difficult to repair if you don't keep them up properly. The first part of maintenance is to make sure the court is kept clean and free of debris. Loose pebbles and rocks can create cracks and divots into the surface. One minor crack can impair ball movement, trip players or increase court damage. Acrylic coating can be applied over cracks to prevent further damage to the court. Allow only non-marking soles on the court to prevent scuffs and marks. Repaint lines as necessary to keep them easy to see and marking clear boundaries of play.

Clay Courts

• Clay courts need to be raked, regularly using a lute-scarifier. This loosens and levels the clay by removing loose granules. It floats over the clay with a concave blade to smooth it out. A drag brush further levels the surface and can remove any other debris from the court. Line scrub brushes remove anything that is caked onto the lines. Rollers are the final component that compact the surface. Watering the court prior to any maintenance will keep the clay moist and prevent additional cracking.

Grass Courts

• Grass tennis courts, otherwise referred to as lawn tennis courts, are probably the most difficult to maintain. The grass needs to be cultivated and maintained to be smooth and even. There should be no slant or depressions in the grass. It needs to be a firm, dense grass that allows adequate ball bouncing. Before a grass court can be played on, it should be given time to allow the roots to gain depth and density with no weeds. In the winter, grass should be kept at 12 to 15 mm. During tennis season, the height should be kept at 6 to 8 mm. When reducing the grass height, do so slowly, never more than 3 mm at a time. Dragbrushing will prevent earthworms from killing the grass. Fertilizer should be added lightly in March with a light rolling to compact the grass. Repaint the lines on the court after every mowing.