For more than tennis, consider a TigerTurf Multiplay court for your backyard!
Forever and a day, people have been building tennis courts in their back yards. This enables family and friends to get together for a few games, socialise, get a bit of exercise and have some fun.
But tennis is just one sport. With TigerTurf’s multi-sport surfaces, your tennis court can also be used for hockey practice, developing football skills, basketball, netball, a cricket practice net; there are many options.
A TigerTurf Multiplay court at home is a wonderful investment for all the family, drawing together all ages and skill levels to play together, creating the scene for leisure, fitness, skills development and family fun.
Turn your dream of a tennis court into a TigerTurf MultiPlay court, and you will invoke many more opportunities for fun and your family will become fit and happy as they form long-term healthy family relationships.
The ultimate solution for your sports mad family
It is just as easy to lay a court surface that works brilliantly for tennis, and for hockey, netball, basketball, football and family social events.
Families often have many different sports interests as schools extend the sports available to their students. By installing a good quality TigerTurf Multiplay synthetic court, you provide your children with the opportunity to improve their technique safely and conveniently in your own garden, for many years.
A TigerTurf Multiplay court provides more fun and games than just a tennis court
When it’s time to resurface your existing tennis court, talk to our tennis and multi-sport experts about your family’s sporting interests and find out how we can make one court work even better for all your family.
TigerTurf courts provide you with a dry, level surface that looks attractive every day, needs very little maintenance and will become an enjoyable part of your family life. That’s reason enough for a MultiPlay court, but there are plenty of other great ideas you could include.
- Basketball keys and hoops can be installed
- A hockey “D” can be cut in at one end or at the side of the court and used for practicing stick tricks, dribbling, tapping and goal scoring
- If your family includes cricket enthusiasts consider adding a cricket wicket on the edge of your MultiPlay court
- This could also be combined to create a mini-golf driving range; suitably fenced and enclosed to ensure no wayward balls… the perfect practice wicket and golf range in one, alongside your multi-play court.
- More of a netball enthusiast? Install a netball goal circle and hoop for perfecting your goal shooting.
- The MultiPlay court is also excellent for improving football skills with a non-directional surface providing consistent ball control and secure footing.
- Other options can include volleyball, badminton, a baseball diamond or games such as hopscotch and foursquare.
- And let’s not forget lawn bowls and croquet!
TigerTurf uses different colours and line markings to distinguish different games and sports within the turf. These are either tufted into the turf during manufacture or cut into the turf during installation. We are the experts, having established and installed hundreds of multi-sport courts in schools over the past 30 years.
Don’t have enough room for a full-sized tennis court? Talk to TigerTurf about MultiPlay courts for smaller gardens
You don’t need the space of a full-size tennis court to enjoy the benefits of the TigerTurf Multiplay court. As gardens have become smaller, sports have adapted to be played in a tighter, more concentrated format. Loosely translated, this generally means an even tougher workout.
- Multi-play courts can be smaller than conventional tennis courts, and perfect for pop tennis, bowls, netball and basketball, golf putting, cricket and many other outdoor activities.
- The pared-down size of a pop tennis court can still provide the same fun and workout as regular tennis. In fact, the upped tempo, as players race to reach the faster ball is just the thing for an excellent cardio workout.
- We can include a putting green as part of your multi-sports court, but these do look most inviting when attractively placed in your garden setting, ideally replacing a troublesome section of lawn.
TigerTurf multi-play surfaces have been tested for many sports
Our multi-sports surfaces are the product of many years of research and development, and have been variously accredited by international sports bodies for tennis, hockey, football, and cricket – the different products will hold different accreditations, which your TigerTurf advisor can explain.
TigerTurf Evo Pro
- Evo Pro is a fabulous multi-sports surface, specified by top tennis and hockey clubs, and for an increasing number of residential courts, we have constructed for keen tennis players, who have played on this surface and want their own Evo Pro court at home. You could say that TigerTurf Evo Pro is the rock star of our multi-sports galaxy.
- TigerTurf Evo Pro has been certified by the ITF (International Tennis Federation, FIH (Federation of International Hockey, ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board).
- Trophy is accredited as a fast tennis surface by ITF, and holds international accreditation for hockey (FIH) and netball (AENA), making it a wonderful all-rounder as a sports surface.
- This is another of our non-abrasive turfs, an excellent choice for families with young children, keen football players, or both.
- One of our favourite sports turfs for many years, Advantage is a technically advanced, extremely durable multi-sport surface. Classified ITF medium/fast, and preferred by top-level players in tennis clubs, it is the number one tennis surface in the UK.
- Advantage has the characteristics necessary for a successful multi-sport surface, as a premium all-round surface offering good grip underfoot and reliable ball control. It offers outstanding playing qualities for many family sports, such as hockey, volleyball and netball.
- TigerTurf offers a ten-year comprehensive warranty with Advantage, an indication of the durability of this surface.
When you’ve had enough of games, transform your MultiPlay court into an entertaining and dining venue for special occasions
Holding large functions for family and friends is made much easier when you have a level, dry and very attractive landscape lawn to set up tables and chairs, lights and food.
Christmas becomes much more fun; family celebrations such as weddings and birthdays are a breeze. Even simple family picnics on summer evenings are more pleasant on a soft, dry lawn.
Talk to us about what you’d like to achieve, and we can design a successful MultiPlay court that will provide versatility, flexibility, and safety, be a striking feature in your garden and bring enormous value to your lifestyle.
The problem was all too common. How do we attract more members to our tennis club?
Membership numbers at Riverside Tennis Club (formerly Mt Wellington Tennis Club) were dwindling and the tennis courts were in poor condition. More members were required to keep the club sustainable and, to attract more members, the club needed to make some fundamental changes.
The club committee understood any changes it made needed to generate long-term enthusiasm and support for the club to avoid continual fund-raising.
Community partnerships extend the use of sports facilities
The first step was to understand the needs of a changing demographic in order to serve a wider cross-section of the Mt Wellington community. Club representatives set about finding out what the community really wanted in the way of sports facilities and to discover what benefits the club could offer the community to encourage more use of the courts.
They needed to answer the question; How do we attract more members to our tennis club? The club’s research identified the need to include as many community sports as possible. One problem common to local families was that parents had to drive children to many different facilities for their sports practices after school. The idea of a local sports club providing sports grounds suitable for several sports was extremely appealing to families and was rated as a high priority by the community.
By installing multi-sport surfaces, Riverside Tennis Club could offer excellent playing surfaces for hockey, football, netball, and futsal, on courts with all the qualities demanded of top-level tennis.
Delegates spoke to the club’s major shareholders, the Auckland Council and Maungakiekie-Tamaki, about the club’s desire to encourage participation by the local community, and their plans to become self-sustainable by becoming a multi-sport centre. The Tamaki Community Development Trust for children at risk was also prepared to invest in the MWTC changes to give opportunities to youth to play sport and socialise in a safe setting.
Planning and funding a sustainable sports facility
To get the project underway, members from the club talked to community groups and schools about using the club courts for different sports and activities and contributing to the maintenance costs of the facility. This would enable the club to be self-sufficient.
The information gathered was used to define the best possible designs and synthetic grass surfaces to accommodate the various sports. The club then had to find the funds to provide hockey, futsal, football and netball courts to meet that demand.
The strategy was to make the change to a full multi-sport facility over several years. The first funding was used to install a TigerTurf synthetic turf multi-sport court in 2012. That change alone has made an enormous difference to the club, and improved after-school sports logistics for local families, who also began using the club as a family sports centre in the weekends.
And when the new facility proved to be popular with local school and community teams, finding funds for the next multi-turf upgrade was much easier.
Multi-sports turf facility now used by community sports groups
Riverside Tennis Club is now a busy multi-sport centre with tennis at its heart and a thriving youth membership. Its membership roll has more than doubled, and the user numbers are in the hundreds already. In terms of serving its community, the club has certainly been successful.
Initiating a growth in youth membership and Saturday morning tuition sprang from the desire to share the love of tennis with the next generation. TigerTurf’s artificial grass pop tennis court and leisure court provide additional new and fun games to be played by people of all ages – from children to seniors. And now hockey teams, 7-a-side rugby, Auckland Football Fed, local schools, community and church groups all use the courts during the week and contribute to the cost of running the facility.
The courts at Riverside Tennis Club are always busy and all the users respect the club grounds. The club has had no problem with vandalism since inviting the community to share its facilities. In fact, members talk about “the family of sports” users, all sharing the facilities amicably and cooperatively.
Versatile multi-sport courts successful for Riverside Tennis Club
The club assessed the needs of its community accurately, in moving from the conservative image of a tennis club to a multi-sports club.
The initial design process was detailed in its plan to accommodate every sport comfortably using artificial turf and to provide suitable playing areas for players of all ages. The club discussed ways of achieving this with TigerTurf before it began the process of upgrading the five tennis courts.
TigerTurf Advantage and Tournament multi-sport turfs were installed on the five full-size tennis courts, offering the right mix of playing characteristics for many community sports. As a result, the club has been able to host several different sports on the courts – sometimes 6 separate sports are underway at once – with a court always available for tennis.
Mobile, adjustable tennis nets are used for tennis, pop tennis, volleyball or badminton, and moved to the side of the court when not required. Curtain nets are used to divide the courts, making it easy to set up mini-courts and practice areas very quickly.
TigerTurf POP Tennis and Leisure Courts in full use at MWTC
TigerTurf installed the first New Zealand pop tennis court at the Mt Wellington Tennis Club, using TigerTurf Advantage, a durable and high-performance sports surface. Its tremendous success with children and adults has led to greatly increased numbers of players at the club.
The Leisure Court was constructed where previously a lawn had been rarely used, and TigerTurf Tournament was selected as being the best multi-sport surface for the purpose. This too has been enormously popular, its adjustable net easily managed by children for beach volleyball, tennis, badminton, and futsal as well as any other games the inventive youngsters come up with.
Families are enthusiastic about their local multi-sports facility
This growth in the use of the club facilities by families has changed the character of the club and, in turn, has attracted more families to use the club courts. All these changes have been warmly welcomed by the club and its’ community partners.
The club now has junior futsal teams, netball, tennis and volleyball teams that are well supported and taking part in interclub competitions. The club seniors enjoy hearing young voices and the Saturday morning tuition classes are full. This increase in young sports players has been extremely positive for the club.
The Riverside Tennis Club has become a successful community sports club, run by the community for the community and could well have set the pattern for the future of urban sports clubs in New Zealand.
A tennis court in your home garden encourages your family to get outdoors and burn up some energy together. The social and health benefits are obvious; the fun is guaranteed! But how do you choose between different Tennis Court Systems?
There are several tennis court systems you can choose from. We look at the different tennis court surfaces you might consider, in terms of performance, durability, maintenance and aesthetics.
Synthetic grass tennis courts
Performance:
• TigerTurf synthetic tennis and multi-sport surfaces produce ball speed, spin, and bounce that is consistent over the entire surface.
• You will enjoy a high standard of play all year-round and get back on the court soon after rain on our tennis surfaces.
• It’s hard to beat a good quality artificial grass surface to play tennis on – cool in summer, non-slip in winter.
• Artificial tennis turfs are kinder to your joints and limbs, absorbing impact and offering good traction.
• A good synthetic grass court can also be used for several different sports such as hockey, cricket, netball, and basketball.
Durability:
• TigerTurf tennis surfaces are manufactured from top quality yarns and processes.
• Your tennis court will perform to a high standard for many years of regular play.
• The turfs we install for home tennis courts have been well tested in schools and tennis clubs.
• Well-built sub-base constructions that drain freely are fundamental to durability and performance in the long term.
• These courts are ready for play in all climatic conditions.
Maintenance:
• Low maintenance is one of the best reasons for choosing an artificial grass tennis surface rather than a natural grass court.
• All you need to do is to keep the surface tidy and spray moss if it appears.
• No irrigation required to keep your court fresh throughout the driest summer.
• TigerTurf maintenance teams can groom your court annually to keep it looking fabulous if you prefer.
Aesthetics:
• Brightly coloured, contrasting turf colours delineate boundaries clearly and permanently, simplifying line calls and avoiding disputes – on the whole!
• But indisputably, your home tennis court will look fabulous whether you choose fresh green with warm terracotta edges, cool blue marked up in white, or design your own surface.
Natural grass tennis courts
Performance:
• A well-maintained natural grass court grown from the correct type of grass provides a fast, non-reflective and comfortable playing surface that lends itself to an exciting net-volley style of play.
Durability:
• Natural grass tennis court surfaces do not stand up to vigorous, extended play as the surface wears off under these conditions.
• They need irrigation in dry or windy weather, and cannot be used when wet.
• Grass courts produce a variable standard of play from day to day, being sensitive to seasonal weather conditions, and are generally available only for summer play.
• They have the same limitations on use as does any natural lawn, unfortunately.
Maintenance:
• Natural grass tennis courts are extremely high maintenance playing surfaces, which need constant care: irrigation, fertilisation, weeding, rolling and mowing.
• A lawn court is a labour of love for the home gardener for whom a bright green lawn is a reward in itself.
Aesthetics:
• The traditional lawn tennis court is glorious when it is in top condition, well-fertilised, weeded and irrigated.
• Beautiful to look at, it is a luxury to be enjoyed in brief bursts of activity.
Acrylic hard surface tennis courts
These are concrete or asphalt surfaces coated with layers of acrylic paint. They come in many colours and may be cushioned with the addition of a rubberised surface.
Performance:
• The pace of acrylic surfaces in general depends on the amount of sand added to the painted surface.
• Ball bounce on a good quality acrylic surface should be consistent across the court if it has been well constructed.
• The quality of the initial base construction (which should include a 1o cross fall for drainage) will also affect the length of time it takes for the surface to dry.
Durability:
• The durability of an acrylic surface depends upon the quality of the construction and the setting of the court.
• Heavy shade can result in dampness, which will affect the surface adversely.
• Acrylic tennis courts can be used all year-round and apart from when it is wet, the weather shouldn’t affect its durability.
Maintenance:
• Acrylic tennis surfaces should require very little maintenance to keep them in good playing condition.
• Removing debris, sweeping the surface occasionally and having repairs made as soon as they become necessary will all extend the life of your surface.
Aesthetics:
• An acrylic court presents a consistently tidy, pleasant appearance that will be an attractive feature in your garden.
TigerTurf installs Mapei acrylic sports surfaces – durable, all-weather sports surfaces with high resistance to UV light. These quality surfaces produce reliable bounce and ball speed, with good traction. The surface dries quickly, is resistant to scuffing and is easily cleaned.
Clay tennis courts
A natural clay tennis surface is made from natural stone that has been crushed in graded sizes. The finest layer, powder, is used for top dressing the surface and is then loosely bound with water. These surfaces are usually red clay (normally crushed brick) and grey clay (made from basalt).
Performance:
• A clay tennis court has a slow surface (as rated by ITF), which lends itself to a game featuring many baseline volleys.
• The mobile powder surface allows the players to slide, a characteristic of the game when played on clay. It is also rather dusty!
Maintenance:
The disadvantages of a natural clay tennis surface need to be weighed carefully against surfaces requiring minimal care.
• Daily maintenance is required to keep clay courts in top playing condition. The lines need regular painting as the surface is mobile.
• Natural clay courts require regular irrigation, sweeping, and levelling. You will also need to undertake a substantial reconstruction of the surface every spring to make it playable for the summer.
Durability:
• Clay tennis courts are primarily dry-weather courts that cannot be played on in winter, as they cannot be used in frosty or wet conditions.
• They take a long time to dry, which can be inconvenient in some climates, reducing the time the courts are available for play.
Aesthetics:
• If you like red or grey clay surfaces, you’ll find a clay tennis court in prime playing condition attractive.
• However, the appearance changes markedly depending upon the season and level of care it receives.
Synthetic clay tennis courts
Synthetic clay is a low maintenance, practical alternative to a natural clay court, with similar playing characteristics and appearance. It doesn’t need to be reconstructed at the beginning of every tennis season, nor does it need expensive irrigation.
Performance:
• TigerTurf’s Synthetic ClayTurf plays like a natural clay surface, with a slow pace and high ball bounce.
• It allows players to train on a surface with the playing characteristics of natural clay, all year-round, to develop the skills they will need to compete at some international tournaments.
• Players can slide into their shots, just as they can on a natural clay surface.
• A good quality synthetic surface, ClayTurf is easy on players’ joints – a point worth noting, as young players spend many hours training hard to hone their tennis skills.
Durability:
• TigerTurf’s ClayTurf is a durable tennis surface, with longer lasting, clearer markings than natural clay can offer.
• It dries quickly after rain, and can therefore be played on throughout the seasons.
Maintenance:
• It can easily be laid over an existing, well-constructed asphalt base in good condition.
• So long as the base is sturdy and evenly constructed, a ClayTurf tennis court is a cost-effective surface that requires little maintenance (around 30 minutes per week), and no major reconstruction in spring as does a natural clay turf.
Aesthetics:
• A synthetic clay surface retains its glowing terracotta colour and white markings throughout the year, and the surface maintains its integrity in all weather conditions, presenting a consistently pleasant appearance.
• A synthetic clay court could be the warm heart of your home garden.
Asphalt tennis courts
Performance:
• The pace of play on an asphalt tennis surface is typically medium-slow; however, the asphalt is often used as a base with another surface laid over it, in which case the top surface will affect the pace and bounce of the ball.
• Asphalt surfaces vary in playing quality, as much depends upon the standard of installation, during which many, variable factors contribute to the lasting quality of the surface.
Durability:
• An asphalt tennis court can be played on in any season, and should be durable if it has been well-constructed.
• The asphalt is prone to breakdown or to crack if the court shrinks, and the surface then becomes uneven, resulting in puddling and unsatisfactory playing conditions.
Maintenance:
• These surfaces require little maintenance, apart from regular sweeping, but are difficult to repair if the surface does break down.
• Courts may need to be sprayed for moss and lichen depending on shade and dampness.
Aesthetics:
• An asphalt court in good condition presents a consistently tidy appearance, so long as the markings are repainted as they wear away.
• They are a pleasant playing surface, although can become very hot in the summer.
Concrete tennis courts
Performance:
• A plain concrete surface will provide a slow to medium paced game.
• A good quality construction is crucial for a high standard of playing performance and for achieving the even surface so important for consistency of play.
• The construction materials for concrete courts are readily available; however, the mix can vary, which will affect the pace of play.
• Concrete courts are harder on joints and muscles than other court systems.
Durability:
• The concrete surface is durable, and these courts can be used all year-round, easily tolerating extensive and frequent use.
• Play can resume soon after rain if good drainage has been incorporated into the sub-structure, but they are difficult and expensive to repair if they crack or crumble.
Maintenance:
• Concrete courts are low maintenance, needing to be swept clear of debris and dust regularly.
• The line markings will need to be renewed, and, if the court is in frequent use, this may need to be carried out every spring.
• Courts may need to be sprayed for moss and lichen depending on shade and dampness.
Aesthetics:
• A plain concrete court is not a handsome sight, presenting a rather clinical, utilitarian appearance. However, if it is kept in good condition, it is not unpleasant if attractive planting surrounds it.
• An acrylic paint can be sprayed onto a concrete tennis court as a playing surface.
• Alternatively, a synthetic grass tennis turf can be laid on the concrete, if it has a well built, free-draining sub-base construction to support a high level of performance.
Choosing the right tennis surface for your home court
Local climate conditions will influence your choice of surface, particularly in the case of natural surfaces such as grass or clay, and your site will also need to be considered carefully.
A grass or clay tennis court will need intensive maintenance, which is likely to cost you significantly more in the future than it would to maintain a synthetic tennis surface. A natural surface requires easy regular access for irrigation equipment, rollers, mowers, fertilisers and sprayers. Clay needs specialised maintenance if you are to enjoy a high standard of play on a level surface without too much dust.
Availability of water for irrigation is another consideration for grass and clay surfaces. The amount of maintenance required and the ongoing cost of maintenance are definitely factors to consider in deciding upon the right surface for your home tennis court.
Pace and bounce affects the style of play. Fast surfaces encourage net volleying; slow surfaces promote baseline rallies. A TigerTurf synthetic grass court can be installed with the surface of your choice, incorporating the playing characteristics you prefer.
Choosing a low maintenance, durable surface with consistency of performance all-year-round will add significant value to your property, and, more importantly, to your family life.
Contact Us
Talk to one of our experienced tennis turf managers about installing a tennis court. They have a thorough understanding of our synthetic tennis surfaces along with years of experience in advising our clients on the best artificial turf for their residential tennis court.