The HydroCourt system
A HydroCourt is a clay tennis court that waters itself from underneath. Moisture rises from six lined cells below the Har-Tru (opens in a new tab) surface, so the court plays the same from the first match of the day to the last, with far less daily upkeep than a sprinkler-watered clay court.
How the water gets there
Each of the six cells is lined and filled with compacted stone. Every cell has its own control box, filled with water that feeds the cell through pipes.
The water level under the court follows the level in its control box. Raise the water in the box and the court holds more moisture; lower it and the court holds less. That one adjustment is how a HydroCourt is tuned to the way its players like it.
- Har-Tru HydroBlend, about one inch
- Compacted stone screenings
- Water table
- Panel pipes
- Polyethylene liner
- Control box
Why it plays better
Clay courts watered by hand or by overhead sprinklers get wet in patches: some areas turn soft while others go dusty, and the court needs watering again as the afternoon warms up. A HydroCourt keeps a steady water table under the whole surface instead, so the clay stays firm and evenly moist all day.
Specifications
What goes into every HydroCourt, from the playing surface down:
- Playing surface
- Har-Tru HydroBlend, about one inch
- Base
- Compacted stone screenings
- Water delivery
- Panel pipes
- Water control
- Adjustable control boxes, one for each cell
- Cells
- Six subsurface-irrigated cells
- Liner
- Polyethylene liner
The control boxes set the court's moisture, and with it how the court drains and how often it needs maintenance.
Who builds them
On the West Coast, HydroCourts are built and maintained only by Soft Court Services. Its owner, Anthony Lopez, is the authorized successor to the original HydroCourt builder. He handles new courts, renovations and ongoing care, and is glad to talk through owning, building or playing on one.
To talk about a HydroCourt, call Anthony at (805) 705-2020