COURT SURFACES

Choosing a Court Surface

The most important decision for a customer to make is choosing the court surface which suits their individual requirements. There are a number of factors to take into consideration, including bounce, ball speed, playing style, whether you prefer to replicate the performance of clay, grass, hard court or indoor carpet, the physical location of your court as well as the available budget. Other factors such as climate and ongoing maintenance should not be overlooked. All Grass Sports Surfaces installs synthetic grass, painted acrylic (hard) court), naturally-derived mineral (so-called “clay” courts) and synthetic clay surfaces. Mark Edmondson is happy to discuss your personal requirements and recommend a tennis court or other sports surface to suit your particular situation.

Synthetic Grass Courts

Synthetic grass courts are made of polypropylene or polyethylene yarn or fibres, which are partly filled with specially graded sand, and are typically laid over an asphalt or reinforced concrete base. They tend to play at a medium pace, have a high durability and are low maintenance. Synthetic grass courts are popular because they have the look and feel of natural grass, with good traction and shock absorption helping to prevent injury, require no watering and can be played on in all weather. Synthetic grass surfaces are available in a wide range of colours or colour combinations. They are suitable for both private and commercial use. Most synthetic grass courts will provide in excess of 10 years of commercial intensity play before needing replacement, making th

All Grass Sports Surfaces is a Platinum Approved Distributor and Installer for TigerTurf

Since 1992, All Grass Sports Surfaces has been the main NSW distributor for TigerTurf sports surfaces, who offer a range of synthetic grass surfaces to suit different styles of players and Australian conditions, including Commercial Grand Prix, Tournament 1000, Elite, Classic, Tournament, Advantage and Volley.

Acrylic Court Surfaces

Acrylic or hard courts are all-weather surfaces which are usually painted over an asphalt or reinforced concrete base. They are available in cushioned or budget non-cushioned styles and a wide range of colours, including two-tone. Acrylic surfaces are suitable for home, school or club use and are fair to all types of players, whether amateur or professional, as they give a consistent bounce and are skid resistant. Acrylic surfaces are durable, easily cleaned and require little maintenance. Their shock-absorbing properties reduce fatigue on legs, ankles and feet, reducing injury and improving player performance.

Acrylic multi-use court painted in PlayPave installed by All Grass Sports Surfaces, marked out for basketball and tennis

Clay Courts

The term “clay” means different things in different regions. Clay is a broad term used to describe a playing surface that has a clay-like natural material appearance. It can in fact be made of gravel or crushed bricks and is not necessarily red in colour, with green/grey coloured “clay” commonly used in the USA and even black “clay” courts having been laid in Sydney.

Clay courts play slower and provide a higher bounce and, combined with their greater traction, make for longer rallies. All Grass Sports Surfaces has been involved with Tennis Australia in the ongoing development and improvement of European-style natural clay courts in Australia. Clay courts require greater maintenance than other surfaces, including daily watering, so if you are considering installing a clay court, please speak to Mark Edmondson for his recommendations regarding drainage, base construction, earthworks and water-saving options.

Synthetic clay courts are an artificial surface giving the appearance of a clay court without the maintenance required. With his international playing experience, Mark Edmondson was able to assist with the development of TigerTurf’s synthetic clay product Clayturf. All Grass Sports Surfaces recommends TigerTurf’s Clayturf 270 product, a dense clay red polypropylene fibrillated fibre surface designed to be overfilled with red granulate, replicating clay court performance.

Two French-style clay courts were installed by All Grass Sports Surfaces at the Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra.

Indoor Surfaces

All Grass Sports Surfaces is a Tier 1 Agent for Rebound Ace Sports range of acrylic sports surfaces. Rebound Ace Impact 6mm and 9mm surfaces are designed exclusively for indoor use. A resilient, multi-layered seamless flooring consisting of an elastic rubber cushion base, self-levelling polyurethane wear layer as well as water-based polyurethane colour coats with non-reflective matt finishes. Suitable for a wide range of indoor sports, tough and durable for multi-purpose use at education centres, with the same excellent high shock absorption characteristics as the outdoor cushioned range. Rebound Ace Impact is also available as a fire rated surface with a 7 – 10 year manufacturer’s warranty.

Left: Rebound Ace Impact used for indoor gymnastics at Browns Plains, Qld. Right: Rebound Ace Impact used on indoor multi-use court at Browns Plains, Qld.

Natural Grass

If you are interested in construction of a real grass tennis court, please call All Grass Sports Surfaces to discuss your options.

Two-tone Commercial Grand Prix synthetic grass installed by All Grass Sports Surface on a domestic court

Four- court tennis club complex surfaced by All Grass Sports Surfaces in TigerTurf Elite synthetic grass