Anatomy of HAR-TRU Courts
We spend a lot of time, money, and energy in maintaining the high quality of our HAR-TRU courts. Many people, both club personnel and contractors, are involved.
The benefits to players are numerous:
- HAR-TRU is easier on the body and reduces injuries
- HAR-TRU dries quickly after a rain. It also allows you to continue play through light rain.
- HAR-TRU is 10–15 degrees cooler to play on than a hard court.
- HAR-TRU never cracks, and repairs are simple and inexpensive.
With simple but consistent care, HAR-TRU courts will last forever. Read on to find out how we care for our courts.
Before Opening
In April of each playing season, the Facilities Manager arranges the opening of the water pump, sprinkler system and the ride-on roller. Then dates are arranged with the external court contractor to come and prepare the courts. The courts are cleaned of debris and old HAR-TRU, scarified, and then rolled. A minimum of 1.4 tons of HAR-TRU per court (totalling roughly $5,000) are spread out evenly over the courts then rolled and watered and rolled again. Line tapes are then meticulously measured, positioned and laid out on the 4 courts (roughly $9,000 - a significant annual investment in providing a professional quality court surface). Finally, the nets are erected and benches put out. The courts are ready for play.
Daily Court Maintenance
Each day throughout the playing season, a grounds keeper waters the courts from 7-9am and 2-4pm using the sprinkler system and manual hoses. Water is pumped from a nearby stream to save paying for city water. After watering, this person brushes the lines to remove any remaining har tru.
In addition to manual watering twice during the day, the automatic sprinklers soak the courts overnight.
What is HAR-TRU?
Har-Tru Green Clay is the world's leading clay court surface. It is a natural green stone that is extremely hard and angular — two very important qualities when it comes to tennis court construction. The angularity helps the stone particles lock together to form a stable playing surface. The hardness provides exceptional durability.
The natural green color is classically clay and instantly recognizable. Some facilities have Har-Tru's American Red clay. The red HAR-TRU typically has a greater amount of loose top dressing than a green HAR-TRU court and consequently plays a bit slower.
For both colours, the stone is crushed, screened, and mixed in the precise proportions necessary to produce a stable playing surface. It is then installed over a porous base of crushed stone aggregate to produce the final product.
Closing the Club
In late October we prepare the clubhouse and courts for winter. This involves:
- boarding up all the windows of the clubhouse
- clearing fallen leaves on the courts and surrounds
- pulling up all the tapes (and removing nails from the tapes)
- taking down the nets and removing court benches.
We can use all the help we can get when closing the club. Click on the button below to receive a reminder in the fall. While helping, you will also learn some eye-opening truths about the har tru court type.
