Har-Tru® and Hydrocourt Construction

Har-Tru is increasingly becoming the surface of choice among top tennis training facilities, competition venues, tennis clubs and country clubs. The clay surface is easier on joints and allows players to slide into shots. Sport Builders has been offering Har Tru court construction services throughout the Northeast for more than a decade. Well known for bringing in projects on time and on budget, Sport Builders offers a turn-key installation from small single-court projects for private homeowners to large multi-court projects for country clubs, tennis clubs, resorts, colleges, municipalities and homeowner associations.

The process of building a Har-Tru court or installing multiple courts begins with a preliminary meeting to discuss court location, number of courts, dimensions, orientation, surface, budget, fence design and additional amenities such as lighting, hitting walls and windscreens. Following this initial consultation, Sport Builders provides a detailed proposal including a comprehensive scope of work, construction timeline and payment structure.

THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS
Har-Tru or Hydrocourt construction begins with excavating, rough grading and compacting the court’s sub-base. This is followed by a unique laser grading procedure that ultimately creates an even playing surface with the correct pitch. Drainage will also be installed under or around the court if necessary to divert potential water problems. The stone base is constructed with six inches of crushed stone that is laser graded and compacted.  An underground Hydrosystem or traditional Har-Tru irrigation system is installed. A layer of screenings is then installed that creates the foundation and helps retain moisture for the final one-inch layer of Har-Tru. Various blends of Har-Tru brand material are used depending the type of irrigation system, but the finished court is a state-of-the-art Har-Tru court. Along the way, Sport Builders will have installed a hardscaping perimeter that contains the surface and sub-base material, footers for net posts, as well as fence posts and fencing around the court’s perimeter. To ready the court for play, Sport Builders will supply the finishing touches by installing the tennis net and other amenities such as lighting systems, windscreens, paver patios, or walkways.

HYDROCOURTS
Hydrocourt is a Har-Tru clay court surface that features a self-regulating subsurface irrigation system. Hydrocourts are continually watered from under the playing surface, a process called capillary action. This process simplifies daily maintenance by never allowing the court to dry out even on hot sunny days. Furthermore, the constant moisture found in the court base improves overall compaction properties which reduces the need for daily rolling. Each hydrocourt is constructed with six, fully lined, individually controlled cells (water reservoirs) that are filled with stone dust. A series of panel pipes inject water into the cell which in turn saturates the stone dust and creates the capillary action effect. Each cell is monitored by a water control box or float valve that allows for moisture level adjustments. An overflow pipe is also installed that allows excess water to escape. The system can also be finely tuned to accommodate player preferences. For example, by increasing the amount of water allowed into each cell, playing conditions will be slower due to the additional surface moisture.

NATURAL RED CLAY COURTS
Natural clay is constructed with a stone base followed by a four-inch layer of natural clay material called Beam Clay. Natural Red Brick dust is installed as the top playing surface layer which gives courts their playability factor. Har-Tru also has a material called American Red Clay, which is fantastic for red clay courts with sub-surface irrigation system.