The pros and cons of turf tennis courts

The warm evenings and long days of June and July are the high point of the year for many gardeners, and they’re certainly among the busiest. This applies to those tending their home gardens and allotments as well as gardeners and groundskeepers charged with maintaining the nation’s tennis lawns.

At this time of year, there’s an upsurge in interest in sports and sports betting in the UK. With online betting expected to reach 15.3 million users by the end of 2029, they will be paying close attention to the upcoming tennis tournaments.

You can play tennis on many different surfaces, including red clay and bright blue asphalt, but there is something about grass-court tennis that seems to encapsulate an English summer. As you might expect, however, grass courts have their quirks and pitfalls. 

Pros of turf tennis courts

Here is a look at the benefits of a turf court.

Environmentally friendly

For all the difficulties that a grass court can present, particularly to professional groundskeepers, this surface is the most environmentally friendly option by far.

Clay courts may present a unique challenge and hard courts may be more durable and reliable, but both of those surfaces involve the use of materials brought in from elsewhere, while artificial grass means removing an area of natural growth to lay it. Grass is the most natural surface, and for those who want to create a sustainable playing area, it is the best choice.

Aesthetically pleasing

Some may prefer red clay or even the unusual green clay on which the WTA Charleston tournament is played, but for most of us, nothing can top a game of tennis played on green grass. The peculiarities of this surface make it ideal for the serve and volley style of play that can be particularly exciting to watch, while the low bounce puts less demand on arm strength, making it less strenuous to play.

There is also something that is more appealing about grass court tennis. When it is played by the greats, it appears to be more elegant than the grind of clay court tennis or the relentless athleticism and power that characterises hard-court tennis.

Minimal maintenance

It might sound counterintuitive, but a turf tennis court, particularly one that is used for pleasure rather than competitive play, is a relatively low-maintenance surface. This includes the work needed to create it. While clay courts and hard courts require extensive preparation before they are laid, a grass court can be fashioned from an existing lawn or grass area with minimal maintenance.

If a grass tennis court is not played on frequently or competitively, it will require minimal ongoing maintenance. It may only need regular cutting and trimming, and reseeding or fertilising where appropriate, making it a good choice for those with the space to set aside for it.

Cons of turf tennis courts

Outlined below are some of the drawbacks of turf tennis courts.

Wear and tear

Turf tennis courts are great to look at and ideal for a casual game every few days. However, if the action is more intense or prolonged, this surface will deteriorate more quickly than others.

Prolonged exposure to rain can cause the surface to become loose, while hours of sun combined with competitive activity can quickly produce brown, worn areas that even the top professionals charged with maintaining the Wimbledon courts are powerless to prevent. 

Slippery when wet (or dry)

Hard courts and clay courts are not immune to the effects of the weather, but they are far more resilient than grass courts. This is a particular problem if the grass court has not been laid on top of the appropriate drainage materials. This may be seen, for example, when an area of domestic lawn has been converted into a tennis playing surface.

The most obvious problem is that grass becomes slippery in extreme weather. If there is too much rain, players may find themselves slipping and sliding all over the court. Yet the same also occurs after prolonged spells of hot dry weather, when the thinned, parched blades offer less grip.

This can be a problem at all levels of the game. Iga Swiatek may be a five-time Grand Slam winner, but she has been very public about the difficulties of finding her footing on grass. If you’re trying to avoid a surface that is too slippery, turf courts require vigilance, and where appropriate, covering and watering to avoid the slippery extremes.

Unpredictability

Grass is the most natural of all tennis surfaces, but nature can be unpredictable, and so can grass court tennis. Grass courts, particularly those produced for amateur or domestic play, will feature all manner of minor undulations, along with the natural effects caused by the way the grass lies, the grain, the denseness of the turf, and the length of the blades. 

If you’re playing on a turf court, unpredictability and inconsistent bounce are part of the playing experience, but those on the receiving end of such misfortune often blame the gardener or groundskeeper. However, when you’re creating and maintaining a turf court, it is important not to strive for perfection or consistency as the unpredictability of a grass court is part of its charm.