SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/49194
game, and accordingly, it takes a unique up- keep regimen. "Depending on the region, always look for moss and algae growth," says Rick Burke. "Courts should be groomed with a drag mat regularly. I recommend that the courts be opened in the spring by a quali- fied contractor to prepare them for the sea- son. We have a detailed maintenance manual for the owner." Some builders outside the U.S. say that artificial turf tennis courts are more popular in Europe than in the United States. Lack- ing a demographic study, however, that's a difficult claim to verify. What we do know is that most of the natural grass courts in the U.S. are either privately owned, or are in clubs. Artificial turf can be used in both these settings as well. However, because of the higher initial installation cost than a standard hard court, and because of the in- ability to repair extensive damage without total replacement, it is not recommended as a tennis surface in installations that will not be supervised, or which might be subject to vandalism. As with all sports surfaces, owners are ad- vised to work with a professional partner who has experience with tennis courts. There isn't one right answer, only the right answer for a given installation, and the grass is always greener on your side of the fence if you feel you've made the right decision. "We replicated the look of Wimbledon on a synthetic court for a private residence for an owner who wanted tennis and other sport usage," says Werner. "It has turf in that same 'mowing pattern' two-tone green surface. We like to say we brought Wimble- don here to the states without the dirt-like play Wimbledon has." "Regardless of its use, there are basic ad- vantages and disadvantages to both artificial and natural turf," says Norris Legue of Syn- thetic Surfaces, Inc. of Scotch Plains, NJ. "We think that natural grass is preferred when there is little or no heavy foot traffic, when maintenance costs are low, when there is plenty of water for irrigation, and when run-off of fertilizers and/or pesticides is not a problem. Conversely, artificial turf has the advantages of being able to withstand heavy traffic, to require less maintenance, and to not need mowing, water, fertilizers or pesti- cides. Beauty is always in the eyes of the be- holder when choosing natural versus artificial turf." Note: The American Sports Builders As- sociation (ASBA) is a non-profit association helping designers, builders, owners, opera- tors and users understand quality sports fa- cility construction. Available at no charge is a listing of all publications offered by the Association, as well as the ASBA's Member- ship Directory. Info: 866-501-ASBA (2722) or www.sportsbuilders.org ■ www.stma.org SportsTurf 29