Clay court etiquette

Please note: extra care needs to be taken when using the clay courts.

  1. Some drinks can be detrimental to the surface and so no drinks other than water are allowed on the court in open containers.
  1. Players are recommended to wear flat soled tennis shoes. Extra care will need to be taken if the surface is more slippery than usual, with play suspended if the surface is frozen or covered by snow.
  1. Light surface frost – no restrictions on play provided the surface is not slippery, but it is not recommended to drag the courts before use, as dragging a frosty surface will not be effective.

After play, players MUST:

  1.  Drag the court with the combination brush/drag net across the surface to maintain regularity of the top layer of clay – the recommended procedure is to start outside the court and work in a spiral to the service ‘T’ in the middle to reduce loss of clay to the court perimeter.
  2. Sweep line markings to remove clay spread by play after each session or match, using the dedicated line brush, ready for the next players.
  3. Brush footwear prior to leaving the court using the foot brushes provided by the gate – this will help to reduce clay being spread around the Club grounds.

Useful links
More detailed information about the use and maintenance of clay courts can be found here.