Do you own or manage a facility with indoor tennis courts? What sort of feedback do you receive from your membership or teams about playing indoor tennis at your facility? What constitutes the ideal indoor tennis facility?
Do you own or manage a facility with indoor tennis courts? What sort of feedback do you receive from your membership or teams about playing indoor tennis at your facility? What constitutes the ideal indoor tennis facility? These are some of the questions raised when discussing indoor tennis layouts and how to create an experience where people want to continue using your indoor tennis courts. Our team here at Sports Interiors has 30+ years of owning, managing, and working with indoor tennis facilities to apply solutions to improve the lighting, reduce costs, and ultimately create the best possible indoor tennis environment. Although the needs of one indoor tennis facility can significantly differ from another, there are a few key considerations that Sports Interiors consistently recommends to ensure delivery of an indoor tennis playing experience that fulfills the expectations/requirements of that particular facilities programming and events.
To begin with, it is widely expected that an indoor tennis facility these days has an energy efficient lighting system that is applied in a manner where there are not only sufficient light levels, but even distribution of light. Further, the lighting system should not create any sort of glare or blind spots, which means that application should be indirect, especially with a bright 5K LED Tennis Lighting System, like the one Sports Interiors offers. In addition to the expected light levels and even distribution of light, the lighting system in place should be easy to quickly turn on/off and allows for maximum savings, whether that be in energy as well as maintenance (i.e. not having to change light bulbs or ballasts). Another possible benefit of an energy efficient lighting system is rebate money through your participating utility company. Sports Interiors will handle the entire rebate process for you.
In addition to the lighting, applying a durable, white liner system to the ceiling and walls of indoor tennis facilities can help to boost light levels, improve light distribution, and deliver an overall aesthetically improved indoor tennis environment. With the application of a liner system designed for indoor tennis facilities, you can enjoy all the benefits of the system for 30+ years. The benefits of applying a liner system along with insulation include:
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increased year-round comfort
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reduction in air infiltration
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lowers investment in HVAC equipment and maintenance
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helps prevent condensation and corrosion
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available for retrofit and new construction
Another widely popular consideration for indoor tennis facilities is the application of a lighting control system. Some best practices that Sports Interiors has encountered include that the system is set to run on a closed or open WiFi system, can be programmable to allow for multiple light levels, and operated off of a tablet and/or stationary monitor for maximum functionality. From our experience, we’ve noticed that the best control systems are easy to operate for the front desk staff where they can control the system without have to leave their seat. Another feature to consider and that Sports Interiors is working on is to have our control system integrate with the software the facility is using to manage court reservations. This will allow for even greater energy savings for indoor tennis facilities.
Lastly, some other key considerations for indoor tennis facilities is the color of the tennis court along with the back tarps which can greatly improve visibility for players. As an example, US Open blue has been a widely popular tennis court color as well as for back tarps as it seems to help with tracking the tennis ball. Tennis court surfacing companies such as Laykold offer a system that can be customized to achieve the desired performance, playability and appearance. Laykold will work with you to decide which type of court fits your needs along with offering best practices for tennis court colors. In addition the color combination of the tennis court, the height and color of the backdrop curtains can significantly affect the visibility of the tennis ball. If you’re in the market for new backdrop curtains or divider nets, companies such as Putterman Athletics have decades of experience manufacturing and installing a wide variety of tennis court products.
Learn more about Sports Interiors and our experiences with indoor facilities
These are just a few of the considerations for an indoor tennis facility, but we feel these are the key starting points to ensure your indoor tennis experience is one where your membership or teams will want to return for ongoing usage. If you’d like to discuss these best practices with us, please feel free to send us a message here.
