Court one is now clay and is now open.

Court one has now been completed. We have converted it from an acrylic court into clay. The reason we did this was because the acrylic court was not playable for many months of the year. It was either too icy and slippery in the winter months and unusable in the summer months if it rained. Now that we have converted the court to clay, the court will be playable throughout the year giving Pav & Ave four outstanding clay courts.

The company who installed the court – Trevor May – is the same company that installed our top courts. We wanted to guarantee the quality and consistency. Originally we were hoping to complete the installation by the end of February but were slightly put back by the “Beast from the East”. However the company has worked hard over recent weeks to make sure the installation was  completed by the new schedule of March 17th.

Like all clay courts it will take time to settle down. So to start it may appear a little slow and there will be a few inconsistent bounces. But the more the court is played on the quicker we will achieve a regular bounce. So climb on.

You will also find that the surface will churn up quickly and it will be necessary to give it a sweep between sets. The court has come equipped with new nets, new posts and new drag nets and line markers.

With the bubble giving us continuous play throughout the winter months, astro turf courts with lights and now four state of the art clay courts we are now able to give our members a wide variety of tennis playing surfaces throughout the year. 

Clay Court Maintenance

Advantage RedCourt® is an artificial clay playing surface designed specifically for the playing
of tennis. It is not intended to be used for any other sport.
The underlying construction must be porous and to achieve the base includes voids that
provide space for surface water to percolate down through the construction away from the
playing surface. Such construction is not as load bearing as impervious hard surfaces, so care
needs to be taken to prevent damage due to over-loading. Only mini tractors or two wheel
drive quad bikes with wide grass tyres should be taken onto the area for maintenance
purposes. Similarly point loads must be avoided.
Players will need to wear flat soled tennis shoes on the tennis court surface. Not shoes with
multi studs, studs, bars or blades. Depending upon the weather conditions players may find
some tennis shoes more suited to their style of play than others. Extra care will need to be
taken if the surface is more slippery than usual, with play suspended if the surface is frozen.
Some drinks can be detrimental to the surface and so no drinks other than water should be
allowed on the court surface. Food and chewing gum should also be prohibited on court.
More general guidance on the use and maintenance of all tennis court types, including
surround fencing and tennis equipment is available on request, or can be found on SAPCA’s
website at www.sapca.org.uk

Summer use:
No special requirements. Watering is not usually necessary.
Winter use: – subject always to taking care not to play on a slippery surface.
Light surface frost- no restrictions on play provided surface is not slippery, but it is
recommended to drag the courts the night before so the infill is even, as dragging a frosty
surface will not be effective.
Snow- the bulk of the snow can be removed to reduce the thaw time, provided care is taken
to avoid damaging the stability mat and dragging off the infill material – best done by hand.
Avoid walking on the snow and compacting it, as this will be likely to turn the snow to ice
and slow the thawing process.
Ice- avoid playing on a frozen surface in the interests of safety.
Do not attempt to play or take maintenance equipment onto the court if it is frozen or in
the process of thawing.

Maintenance
Day to day maintenance by the club.
Drag with a drag net or combination brush/net across the surface to maintain regularity of
top layer of infill and for grooming for an attractive appearance of playing surface.( Also to
keep infill mobile to reduce risk of moss. ) Best to do as a routine after each match, but at
least once a day.
More rigorous brushing should be carried out using a triangular brush, (pulled behind a mini
tractor or similar) best done when the court is dry. Recommended to be done at least once a
week.
Sweep line markings to remove infill spread by play or grooming of surface from on top of
line. As necessary.
Remove any leaves and branches, litter etc. to prevent accumulation and before it starts to
break down or decompose. Leaves are best moved to the edge of the court with a blower
(never use a suction / vacuum machine) and then removed manually.
Avoid the risk of melting the stability mat by fire, hot objects or cigarettes and ban glass and
chewing gum on the courts. If chewing gum should be found that cannot be lifted easily, use
a chewing gum removal spray.
Help keep surface clean and free from soil by keeping entrance mats clean.
Most spillages can be removed with water, as few materials adhere to the stability mat – do
not use solvents such as acetone or alcohol based substances.
Replenish the infill if necessary – make up any low areas remaining after bringing any surplus
material back from the edges and after drag netting. Check weekly.
Report any accidental damage immediately so that it can be repaired before it gets any
worse.
Depending on the location of the court and the climatic conditions moss / algae killer may be
required- consult with installer to ensure a suitable material is used.
Annual maintenance by installer or installer recommended specialist
Specialist maintenance is designed to supplement the day to day maintenance and should be
carried out at least once a year. It comprises more rigorous brushing of the infill and stability
mat and the removal of fine debris from the top layer of the infill. Courts with overhanging
trees, heavily shaded or in areas of heavy pollution ay require more frequent attention.