Home » TI magazine » Awards » The Good Stuff

The Good Stuff

Each of hese soft-court winners is solid to the core.

By Peter Francesconi

At heart, the eight outdoor soft-court winners of the Racquet Sports Industry/American Sports Builders Association 2005 Facility-of-the-Year Awards all have one major thing in common. They all use soft-court material from Lee Tennis.

Three of the projects (Heathrow Country Estates, Oaks at Boca Raton, and River Oaks) have one or more red clay courts, while the rest utilize the traditional Har-Tru material. All eight winners also made use of the accuracy provided by laser grading to level the surface, and seven of the eight opted for the advantages of subsurface irrigation.

Florida again was well-represented in this group of winners; five of the winning facilities are located in the Sunshine State, and six of the projects were completed by Florida-based court-construction companies (four by Welch Tennis Courts and two by Fast Dry Courts). The projects ranged from two courts to a 12-court facility (which included 11 clay and one cushioned hard court). Seven of the eight projects were new construction and one was an upgrade.

Player and spectator amenities ranked high on the list of priorities, with all of the projects providing for areas where fans can view the action. All but one of these projects provided shaded areas between or next to the courts for player comfort. Two facilities also included a show or stadium court.

---

Oaks at Boca Raton Tennis Center

Boca Raton, Fla.
(Nominated by Welch Tennis Courts, Sun City, Fla.)
Number of Courts: 12 (1 hard)
Contractor: Welch Tennis Courts Inc.
Surface: Lee Tennis Har-Tru (Hydroblend)
Subsurface Irrigation: Welch Tennis Courts (HydroGrid)
Fencing: U.S. Wholesale
Net Posts: BP International
Windscreens: J.A. Cissel

---

Green Valley Country Club

Lafayette Hills, Pa.
(Nominated by Pro-Sport Construction Inc., Devon, Pa.)
Number of Courts: 4
Contractor: Pro-Sport Construction
Surface: Lee Tennis Har-Tru
Nets, Windscreens: BP International
Net Posts: Douglas Industries

---

Heathrow Country Estates Tennis Facility

Sorrento, Fla.
(Nominated by Fast Dry Courts, Pompano Beach, Fla.)
Number of Courts: 2
Architect & Contractor: Fast Dry Courts
Surface: Lee Tennis American Red Clay
Subsurface Irrigation: Lee Tennis
Windscreens: J.A. Cissel
Nets, Center Straps: BP International
Line Tapes, Net Posts: Lee Tennis
Trench Drain: Zurn Industries

---

Roxiticus Golf Club Tennis Facility

Mendham, N.J.
(Nominated by The Racquet Shop Inc., Colts Neck, N.J.)
Number of Courts: 5
Architect & Contractor: The Racquet Shop Inc.
Surface: Lee Tennis Har-Tru
Subsurface Irrigation: Lee Tennis
Nets, Net Posts, Center Anchors: J.A. Cissel

---

City of Sebastian Municipal Facility

Sebastian, Fla.
(Nominated by Fast Dry Courts, Pompano Beach, Fla.)
Number of Courts: 4
Architect & Contractor: Fast Dry Courts
Surface: Lee Tennis Har-Tru
Nets, Center Straps: BP International
Line Tapes, Net Posts: Lee Tennis

---

River Oaks Country Club

Houston, Texas
(Nominated by Welch Tennis Courts, Sun City, Fla.)
Number of Courts: 6
Contractor: Welch Tennis Courts Inc.
Surface: Lee Tennis Har-Tru (Hydroblend); Northeast Fast-Dry (Hattica)
Subsurface Irrigation: Welch Tennis Courts (HydroGrid)
Nets, Net Posts: BP International
Bottom Rails: U.S. Wholesale

---

Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club
Dade City, Fla.
(Nominated by Welch Tennis Courts, Sun City, Fla.)
Number of Courts: 4
Contractor: Welch Tennis Courts Inc.
Surface: Lee Tennis Har-Tru (Hydroblend)
Subsurface Irrigation: Welch Tennis Courts (HydroGrid)
Fencing: U.S. Wholesale
Windscreens: J.A. Cissel
Nets, Net Posts: BP International
Lights: LSI Courtsider

---

Palencia Tennis Center

St. Augustine, Fla.
(Nominated by Welch Tennis Courts, Sun City, Fla.)
Number of Courts: 8
Contractor: Welch Tennis Courts Inc.
Surface: Lee Tennis Har-Tru (Hydroblend)
Subsurface Irrigation: Welch Tennis Courts (HydroGrid)
Windscreens: J.A. Cissel
Lights: LSI
Nets, Net Posts: BP International

For details on the 2006 Outstanding Tennis Facility Awards, contact the ASBA at 866-501-ASBA or info@sportsbuilders.org.

See all articles by Peter Francesconi

About the Author

Peter Francesconi is editorial director of Tennis Industry magazine.

From the April 2006 issue
Permalink