Some upgrading can be done at minimum investment, while others require extended time and money. Nonetheless, following is a checklist of ideas for improving our facility to make the tennis experience more enjoyable.

Fencing

Soft fencing beautifies the court and its surroundings, along with serving the same purpose as a regular fence at a lesser cost.

Improved clips now attach background netting to fencing in a variety of ways, creating a more professional and unitized appearance.

Windscreens have gained in popularity, serving form and function. These screens lessen wind resistance, and are available in colors to match existing fencing. Screens also may be purchased displaying logos of clubs, schools, facilities, etc.

"Dog ear" or "California Corners" are also useful and aesthetically pleasing, minimizing ball movement around the court and eliminating the industrial, rigid appearance of ordinary square fencing.

Utilities
Availability for the use of high tech equipment is appearing on many courts. Power for video equipment, ball machines, and computers is becoming integrated on site, along with sprinkler systems, telephone lines, and video lines for use on the court. This technological integration is valuable, both for maintenance crews and pros who teach on the court.

Landscaping
Acceptance and impressions of a facility are often created even before players step onto the court. Amenities and a pleasing atmosphere are reasons people love to return to certain golf courses, and should be the reason for players to return to your courts. Trees, flowers, and shrubbery need to entice your guests and members from the time they leave their car until they reach the courts. Take care to avoid improper shading and growth, as light and shadows on a court arc distracting. Shadows will limit the drying ability of your court. Keep also grass and weeds away from the courts and always keep your grounds neatly manicured.

Added Amenities
For increased participation and enjoyment of your tennis community, seats, benches, and bleachers that provide shade make for a pleasant viewing atmosphere and creates a more modern facility On-court benches with awnings, along with drinking fountains between pairs of courts, are good places for players to rest between matches.

Nets, Posts, Etc.
Pay close attention to worn nets, center straps, net ties, tighteners, and anchors. No one wants to play on courts with poor equipment.

Net posts need repainting every two years, and when set in sleeves should be coated for protection against rusting. Periodic scrubbing of the net head bands rids it of dirt and mildew, giving the net a new appearance.

Center straps can be either hand scrubbed or tossed into a washing machine to make them appear new as well.

To ensure correct net height, use 42-inch sticks and measure them 36 inches outside the singles sidelines. This provides proper net height for singles matches.

Leaning net posts could be a problem with either the post sleeves or the posts themselves. Many club/facility managers mount the posts in a cubic yard of concrete in a level below the local frost line, allowing them to leave the nets under tension year-round.

Many of the courts built during the tennis boom of the '70s are now needing help. Renovation, if not new construction, is serious undertaking that requires solid planning. Consider some lessons learned by many facilities and clubs during their upgrading.

In whatever way you decide to improve your tennis facility, detailed specifications for upgrading are available from: