George E. Walsh

“ If these directions for keeping a tennis court in good condition are faithfully followed there is no reason why a first-class court cannot be maintained indefinitely at little expense. It may be, in addition to this care, that a little work in exterminating weeds will be called for through the growing season. Obnoxious weeds must never be allowed to spread and get a foothold, or they will crowd out and kill the finer grass. They must be pulled or dug up by the roots as fast as they appear, and never be allowed to go to seed. ”

“ In many localities worms are very numerous and destructive to tennis courts. By working up to the surface they form little mounds and holes which permit water to trickle through and cause depressions. In regions where the worms are a great nuisance, a layer of finely sifted cinders is placed on the stone foundation of the dirt court or at the bottom of the excavation of a grass court. These cinders will keep the worms from working up, but if placed on the grass court the cinder layer must be at a depth of a foot or more below the surface, so as not to interfere with the grass roots. ”

“ The finest sand mixes with the clay without making it porous.
We have also concrete, cement, and asphalt tennis courts, but few of them are really satisfactory. They all have the disadvantage of being hard on the feet and the balls. The concrete and cement courts are, furthermore, very hard on the eyes. The white glare of the surface on sunny days frequently causes players to desist after a few games. Asphalt is not so hard on the eyes, but it is not an ideal material for tennis courts. It is very expensive, to begin with, and it is too easily affected by heat and cold. ”

“ A grass tennis court with back nets to keep the balls from going too far, covered with climbing vines or flowers, adds so much to the appearance of a garden that other improvements are sure to follow. A series of rustic benches for spectators should be arranged on the west side, so that they can watch the afternoon game without having the sun in their eyes. If the land is rolling and hilly, the benches should be placed on a terrace at one side. ”

“ On courts where playing is almost continuous, the rule is to make repairs every day or after every ten sets have been played on them. The simplest and most effective way to keep a clay court in repair is to take a straight log or thick piece of wood, five to eight feet in length, and nail to it coarse bagging or jute cloth. If the edges are frayed out, so much the better. Attach ropes to either end of this log, and drag it across the court several times. The ragged edges of the cloth will smooth out the surface and work the dirt into holes or depressions. ”

“ KINDS OF COURTS Tennis can be played on almost any smooth, even surface, either indoors or outdoors, and the question of securing in the best way the most desirable surface for the courts is one that has attracted a good deal of expert attention. While a lawn is considered the ideal place for playing the game on home courts, tennis clubs and associations have more generally adopted the clay or dirt court. ”

“ The plain backstop of wire net and iron posts does not enhance the beauty of the lawn, and consequently many experiments have been made to eliminate, so far as possible, their ugly appearance. Painting the whole affair a grass green so as to render it as inconspicuous as possible, is one way of partly achieving the desired results. Another simple and more satisfactory method of hiding the plain backstops is to utilize the things which nature furnishes so lavishly for us. ”

“ In March or February all extensive repairs should be made to the damaged turf. New sod should be put down wherever the grass is poor or worn, and if fitted snugly in place, new seed sown, and a good top-dressing of manure supplied, the court should be in fine condition by playing time. Of course regular manuring should be done in the fall of the year, the same as for the lawn, and in the spring it should be raked off and the surface rolled. Before rolling, however, the grass should be swept. ”

“ Other varieties of tennis posts can be used if needed, but the wooden poles supported by guy ropes and pegs are the least satisfactory. The pegs are constantly pulling out and destroying the sod. Straight iron anchor posts are better than these. They are driven in the ground, and by means of triple claw clutches they are held rigid. In place of the iron center forks for holding the middle of the net at the regulation three-foot height, canvas center straps are now preferred. The canvas straps do not chafe the net, and cannot cause the ball to glance off and strike out of court. ”

“ The popularity of indoor tennis on wooden floors has led to the construction of wooden courts outdoors for winter playing. A properly constructed wooden court can be used all through the cold weather. Mud and water cannot interfere with the players. Snow can be removed, and the courts are immediately ready for playing.
An outdoor wooden court for winter use is rather an expensive work, for a solid foundation must be made of broken stones and small pebbles, topped off with a layer of concrete. ”

“ Cut out the old sod evenly and put down good new sod with edges fitting snugly. Sometimes new seed sown occasionally will answer the purpose, but not in the spots where the feet of the players work the greatest damage. If many deep depressions have been made by the feet of the players in wet weather, they should be filled in with more dirt and fresh sod planted and tamped down firmly.
There is opportunity at the side of the court for some feature in the way of a shelter or seats for the spectators
Every spring the grass court needs special attention. ”

“ The water will tend to show any weak places where settling is liable to occur, and the depressions thus formed must be filled up with fresh material. When this layer of coarse gravel has been leveled, pounded, and settled, the top layer, of sandy loam and clay mixed, should be applied. This finishing layer should be at least three inches thick, and four or five is better. Sandy clay and loam must be mixed for the top-dressing, but the proportion of each depends upon the nature of the clay. If the clay is very sticky it will require more sand. ”

“ The tennis court should not be inclosed by trees on all sides. That is a mistake commonly made. The trees should be planted only on the west side of the courts, and not on the north and south side. The foliage of the trees hampers the players in seeing the ball, especially towards night. The ball stands out more clearly against a background of blue sky than a background of green foliage. ”

“ If the spreading roots crowd out the green grass, the latter can be renewed by planting a little sod from some other part of the garden.
BACKSTOPS AND NETS A great variety of backstops may be introduced on the tennis courts, and their decorative effects should always be considered in laying out the grounds. The backstop nets should be at least 15 feet back of the court line, but 21 feet is considered the standard distance where tournaments are held. Many expert players refuse to take part in tournaments where the regulation distances are not maintained. ”

“ Small stakes or pegs should be driven into the ground at the corners deep enough so they will not trip players. Nearly every heavy rainstorm washes away the lines so that remarking is required. On clay courts white paint is sometimes used for marking, as this will last longer than whitewash, but at the best, remarking must be done quite frequently. Paint is not suitable for grass courts on account of the injury caused to the grass roots. ”

“ Another club which had its grass courts laid out with a dense growth of trees a few yards back from the courts, on the east side, finally came to the conclusion that they either had to rearrange the courts or chop down some of the trees. The morning shade of the trees kept the courts from drying up quickly so often that the players became disgusted. Beautiful mornings would dawn after a rainstorm, and the players would anticipate fine afternoons of tennis ”

“ Nets of a great variety, from plain, machine-made twine to the hand-made, double-knitted cotton ones, canvas-bound at top and bottom, and reinforced at the corners and middle, may be had to-day. A strong, durable net is the cheapest in the end, and there will be less trouble from shrinking and stretching. ”

“ Usually this proportion must be as high as two or three parts of clay to one of sand. Any larger proportion than two to one makes the drainage bad. There is not sufficient sand to make the surface porous, and water collects, making the court useless for some time after every rainstorm.
A good dirt court is perhaps more expensive to build in the first place, but it is more easily kept in first-class condition
Nevertheless, some very fair courts have been made by using a foundation of cinders, and top-dressing with three inches of seashore sand and clay. ”

“ They increase the cost of building the court considerably, and it may therefore be a question of abandoning an otherwise ideal site for another which is more level and better drained. A court should never be located in a hollow where the surrounding land slopes from all directions toward it. No amount of artificial drainage could keep such a spot dry. A series of grass terraces leading down to the court need not interfere with its construction if the land slopes away from the court in other directions. ”

“ After the drag has smoothed out the surface, it should be watered, in dry weather, and then rolled. A good hand roller is almost essential to the preservation of the court. The operator should always walk in front of the roller and not behind it. The rolling should continue until the surface is rendered entirely smooth. After the rolling the wet surface should be allowed to dry before the courts are marked out again. ”

“ The wooden courts are in process of evolution for outdoor use, and the most satisfactory way of building them is still disputed. One way is to use wooden blocks or squares set up on end, so that the grain of the wood runs up and down. ”

“ The drainage problem is one of the most important in laying out clay courts, and, if overlooked, the most promising court will soon become a place for pools to collect. In time it will settle in spots and need constant repairs to keep it in any kind of condition. ”

“ Pile the sod carefully on one side and keep moist and partly protected from the hot sun. When the sod has all been removed spade up the soil to a depth of eighteen inches, removing all stones, roots, and obstructions. Rake over carefully and roll down to a level, watering frequently and filling in all depressions. When a perfect level has been obtained replace the grass sods. ”

“ The courts here are naturally laid out on wooden floors. Fairly good tennis can be played on these, as there is more give and resiliency to wood than to concrete or cement, and it is not nearly so hard on the feet or balls. ”

“ In this case the court at the net is two inches higher than at the ends, and on porous soil this will be sufficient to carry off the water. When the drain pipe is placed near the net the tilt from the ends toward the center should be from one to two inches.
We have more difficult drainage problems in very thick loam and clay soils. Artificial drainage of a more elaborate nature is required here, or else the courts will be muddy and sticky for days after rainstorms. Drain pipes must be laid under the courts at various places, and tilted toward one particular point. ”

“ If possible a broad terrace should come between the court and the house, or, if it can be connected with the garden by a broad walk, so much the better. If the country residence is perched on the top or side of a hill, it may be necessary to make the court some distance away on account of the lack of sufficient level area. ”

“ For instance, one of the best tennis clubs in the country had its courts laid out running east and west, and the difficulty of playing with the sun in the eyes caused so much trouble that the courts had to be rebuilt. ”

“ Like everything else, there is a right and wrong way of laying out courts, and if one is doing it as a permanent fixture of the grounds a little care and attention to these details will add a hundred per cent. to the value and increase the comfort of players and spectators. ”