A professional-quality tennis court made from real grass is a thing of beauty, but traditional grass tennis courts require an incredible amount of watering and maintenance to stay lush, green and, most importantly, playable. As you can imagine, maintaining a real grass tennis court can be extremely challenging in drier parts of the country, not to mention prohibitively expensive.
Clay surfaces might seem like a suitable alternative for a dry-climate tennis court, but clay courts also require a significant amount of water to prevent their surfaces from becoming cracked and brittle. Clay surface courts can also become dangerously hard and slippery during hot weather, increasing the risk of injury for players.
Fortunately, there are alternatives if you are planning to construct a tennis court in a dry, drought-prone area. A professional tennis court construction contractor can use a variety of versatile artificial surfaces that combine rugged reliability with excellent play quality. If you are looking for a high-quality tennis court surface that can handle hot, dry climates, choosing one of the following excellent surface options:
Acrylic hardcourt surfaces
Usable on both concrete and asphalt courts, acrylic tennis court surfaces are made from tough, durable acrylic plastics, which are mixed with sand and other granular materials to provide extra traction and prevent slipping. Providing a speed of play faster than that of a grass court but slower than that of a clay court, acrylic tennis courts are ideal for both amateur and professional tennis players.
Acrylic courts require very little maintenance and have non-existent water requirements unless you use water to clean their surfaces, making them ideal for use in arid climates. They are also extremely durable and can withstand heavy use for many years before they need to be replaced.
If you do choose an acrylic surface for your dry-climate tennis court, be aware that excessive exposure to sunlight can shorten the lifespan of the plastic and cause it to perish. Protecting your acrylic surface with a UV-resistant court cover will help prevent this untimely fate.
Rubberised bitumen surfaces
One of the newer options to hit the market, rubberised bitumen is a unique tennis court surface designed to mimic the feel and playstyle of a traditional clay court. Unlike clay courts, rubberised bitumen courts never need to be watered, making them ideal for use in most dry climates.
Rubberised bitumen courts are particularly useful for very young and very old tennis players, as their surfaces are relatively soft and easy on the joints. Unlike real clay courts, they will not become muddy and waterlogged during heavy downpours, so they are still playable during monsoon seasons.
Unfortunately, rubberised bitumen is still a relatively niche product and is only used by certain tennis construction companies. This can make actually obtaining a rubberised bitumen tennis court surface surprisingly difficult, especially in more rural areas.
Synthetic grass surfaces
The next best thing to a real grass tennis court, synthetic grass tennis court surfaces are ideal for most tennis courts located in dry climate zones. Providing a comparatively slow speed of play reminiscent of a real grass court, the blades of 'grass' in a synthetic grass court surface also provide a slight cushioning effect, so synthetic grass surfaces are especially useful for retirement communities and schools.
Synthetic grass requires no watering and surprisingly little maintenance beyond regular brushing with a stiff-bristled brush. Synthetic grass surfaces are also highly resistant to wear and usually don't suffer from the same problems with sunlight exposure as acrylic tennis court surfaces.
However, synthetic grass tennis court surfaces can be more expensive than other drought-resistant tennis court surfaces, especially if you choose a high-grade synthetic grass suitable for professional play. Synthetic grass surfaces are also very difficult to repair if they become damaged and usually have to be replaced entirely.