Sports’ Surfaces Underground Evolution

Beautiful courts built from the ground up

July 13, 2021 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff
Har-Tru HYQ Court_R1 v2FIN_RGB_Large_150dpi

 

Have you ever looked at a perfectly groomed court and wondered how it stays so pristine? Often the answer is buried beneath your feet.

In the late 80’s and early 90’s, clay court tennis underwent a revolution with the introduction of sub-surface irrigation. The self-regulating systems used a capillary action to continually draw water to the court from under the playing surface. Water usage, daily maintenance, and time spent grooming the court were all greatly reduced.

In 2000, Har-Tru engineered its first Modified HydroCourt — making it easier to build and install. Two years ago, they introduced yet another breakthrough in irrigation with the HyQ Court. 

HyQ (pronounced High-Q), brings sub-surface irrigation technology into the 21st Century. The system fills faster and responds to adjustments much more quickly, and its control center is completely digital.  Appealing to the next generation of tennis court maintenance personnel, HyQ features fine-tuned controls on a digital touch pad that makes responsive adjustments to within a 10th of an inch.

The HyQ Court’s intelligent design optimizes the amount of water on a court to help achieve desired playing conditions. Four preset controls allow users to save preferred settings for Hot & Dry, Cool & Wet, or any other conditions regularly encountered on a court.  The digital control panel allows for further advancements such as Wi-Fi connectivity that enable control of the system from an app that can be accessed from a phone or tablet anywhere.

Perfect playing conditions 24/7. That’s the goal of every court owner. HyQ Courts stay uniformly moist, smooth, and firm for a consistent bounce, exceptional footing, and beautiful court. The court irrigates automatically and uses approximately 40% less water.

With a HyQ Court, it’s easy to see and understand the entire sub-surface irrigation process at a glance, and quickly act to adjust water levels to the perfect level every time. “Our HydroCourts really changed the industry,” said Tracy Lynch, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Har-Tru. “And many customers still rely on and prefer the HydroCourt system. But HyQ, with digital real-time control, is going to be the industry standard of the future.”

So the next time you see an impeccably groomed clay court, take a minute to appreciate the unseen technologies that make for ideal playing conditions. Then get out there and play!

 


New York Tennis Magazine Staff
Centercourt
USTA NTC

January/February 2024 Digital Edition