Spring has come and washed its rains through the public tennis courts, turning them into voids. Brightened with new indoor facilities, two local clubs continue to be sources of hope, making it possible to play a game through the bad weathers.
Now, in South Everett, the Four Seasons Tennis Club and the Harbor Square Athletic Club in Edmonds have two new indoor courts. Added to these new facilities is advanced technology for tennis, which will let them play all year round. Advanced indoor courts have been constructed over the last year in these clubs to enhance the playing conditions for their members.
Four Seasons has introduced six new indoor courts inside a 42,000 square foot facility. It also has five more outdoor courts, four of which are lighted and made of green clay “HydroCourt” surfaces. The special feature of these “fast-dry” clay courts is that their surface enables play without interruption just fifteen to thirty minutes after heavy rainfalls, while ordinary courts require up to several hours to dry. According to the club professional Greg Rielly, clay courts are natural rain absorbers and dry quicker compared to asphalt.
Once dried, these clay courts maintain their optimal moisture levels through water cells that lie beneath the surface. The top layer of green clay, which is extracted from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, also lends a cool feeling underfoot, contributing a cooling effect of as much as 20 percent compared to hard courts during warm weather.
Durability and Comfort
Despite the $160,000 investment, including sending the clay for $30,000, that clay courts can be described as low-maintenance and therefore free of cracking or warping. This, Rielly said, allows them to remain unchanged.
“I saw the new courts feature so-called surfaces called DecoTurf II – known as shock-absorbing surfaces for reducing the impact on players’ joints”. The new surfaces at the courts are said to have reduced fatigue during a match, and older players have reported improvements in agility and overall performance.
In totality, we all become old-age whenever such surfaces come to serve the purposes of importance for them; it should be beneficial to everyone. “It’s a much more forgiving surface for all ages,” Rielly remarked.
Only club in West Coast with DecoTurf II and clay courts, Four Seasons stands among just two clubs in the Pacific Northwest that have clay courts, the other being Tacoma’s Fircrest Club.
Indirect lighting is used to minimize distractions from overhead or lob shots; individual entrances to each court minimize sounds; while a climate-controlled environment offers heating in winter and airflow in summer.
New entry into the Four Seasons in the coming renovations, extended pro-shop, modernized locker rooms and shower facilities, an exercise facility, and additional space for administrative purposes will form part of future advancement at Four Seasons.
Innovative Bubble Design
Towards the south, the Harbor Square Athletic Club presents a distinctive playing experience with an air-supported bubble.
November saw the opening of a bubble that contains four courts well fit near two new outdoor courts. Such facility is common in the eastern part of the country because of adverse winter conditions. However, they are said to be comparatively new in the Northwest.
The old bubbles experienced considerable echo trouble,” said club pro Rick Buren. “The blowers were loud, and the acoustics were poor. The new system is state-of-the-art, with quiet blowers, excellent acoustics, and great lighting.”
The ceiling of the bubble is almost opaque, white, and allows for light by day to permeate the interior. Indoor lighting is hardly used on such bright days, with a plethora of fans strung throughout the structure.
Packaged in three layers to be compliant with Washington state energy codes, it has been designed and developed in New York by Tensar, which gives superior insulation to the bubble.
In addition, renovation will be done on both original indoor courts, with the addition of six new courts at Harbor Square. Improvements will include adding a new “skin” on walls and ceilings, depending on the improvement in climate control and acoustics. It’s also adding a resurfacing of the courts.