multi-use tennis courts

[thoffnagle]

I live in the tennis wasteland of the world and am trying to get tennis going here. A fair number of people play recreationally in the summer but there are no indoor courts within 50 miles - the closest are over a mountain pass that can be treacherous in the winter. So, I have thought about building some indoor courts. One way to make them profitable (or at least break even) would be to make them useable for other activities - volleyball, soccer and basketball come to mind. Does anyone have any suggestions about court surfaces that would work?

I remember back in my early days of playing (the 1970s), many indoor clubs had a carpet surface. It was really fast but I could see it being useable for soccer, basketball and volleyball. Does anyone know of a source for that surface?

 

[Overdrive]

I live in the tennis wasteland of the world and am trying to get tennis going here. A fair number of people play recreationally in the summer but there are no indoor courts within 50 miles - the closest are over a mountain pass that can be treacherous in the winter. So, I have thought about building some indoor courts. One way to make them profitable (or at least break even) would be to make them useable for other activities - volleyball, soccer and basketball come to mind. Does anyone have any suggestions about court surfaces that would work?

I remember back in my early days of playing (the 1970s), many indoor clubs had a carpet surface. It was really fast but I could see it being useable for soccer, basketball and volleyball. Does anyone know of a source for that surface?

This is the problem.

I don't see the point in using multi-use courts. Sounds like something Kramer would come up... :lol:

 

[thoffnagle]

This is the problem.

I don't see the point in using multi-use courts. Sounds like something Kramer would come up... :lol:

Was that supposed to be helpful? Rick Warren would be disappointed.

 

[struggle]

compromise.

do you want to play hoops and v-ball on a tennis court or vice versa?

 

[thoffnagle]

I want to be able to play soccer, volleyball and basketball on a tennis court. I want this facility to be primarily for tennis (owned and run by tennis players) but make it so it can be used for other purposes, as well. I live in an area where tennis is not seen as a a sport by the good ol' boys but soccer is becoming huge and volleyball is the female equivalent to football. I am hoping that these other sports can help support the facility, especially in the summer, when it won't be used very much for tennis. There are summer basketball and volleyball camps in town that might want to use it and indoor soccer would be popular in the winter.

 

[Overdrive]

Was that supposed to be helpful? Rick Warren would be disappointed.

Is that a rhetorical question?

Most of the tennis warriors on here would rather go to a court that is made specificallyfor tennis. If they wanted to play another sport, they would to a club that has facilities suited for the other sports. One of the silliest recreational ideas I've heard in a while.

Also, you misunderstood the quote. It's no surprise knowing that you came up with something as unprofitable and inconvenient as this.

 

[Chotobaka]

Tough to do this indoors. If you are using a "painted cement" outdoor court, no problem being able to use moveable basketball systems (not cheap for the really good ones) and painting the court for other sports. I have seen the tennis/basketball configuration on private outdoor courts.

Indoors, this just doesn't work for tennis. Moreover, as a tennis player, I cannot stand all of the overlapping markings on such a court. This type of multiple use set up is more suitable to racquet sports like badminton and soft tennis and is more likely to be feasible in a public facility. As a for-profit project, it is not a good idea IMO.

 

[MAXXply]

This is the problem. I don't see the point in using multi-use courts. Sounds like something Kramer would come up... :lol:

The problem is your tactless self-absorbed inability to see the issue from the OP's perspective. He's seeking a commercially viable solution to grow the tennis part of his venture. You seem not to want to understand the point that he wants to install multi-use facilities to increase the versatility of his investment.

Most of the tennis warriors on here would rather go to a court that is made specificallyfor tennis. If they wanted to play another sport, they would to a club that has facilities suited for the other sports. One of the silliest recreational ideas I've heard in a while.

It's no surprise knowing that you came up with something as unprofitable and inconvenient as this.

Many reasonably-minded rec-players who live in extreme climates as that described by the OP would welcome the ability to play a variety of sports year-round. He should be commended for seeking ways to sustain tennis in his community - and not be subjected to baseless insults.

 

[hrstrat57]

There is another thread on the same topic...mods merge please.

Further comment here as this thread has more action.....

I think the OP had a good plan here....tho I see no way basketball and soccer and co exist....is it possible to safely play soccer on a rubber floor? I do not believe even mildly competitive basketball could be played on carpet and volleyball would be a stretch too IMHO.

I have seen successful facility use of rubber floors including tennis but the overlapping lines are not fun....

Good luck, you will need a lot of planning and likely a lot of money.....don't forget you will need a lot of floor to ceiling netting.....and lots of court equipment. Perhaps there is a used market for acquiring such things?

Well again, good luck and welcome to TT.

Mods please merge the 2 threads

 

[Overdrive]

It sounds like the OP lives in a small town or in an area that is dominated by one or more sports. Having a niche sport such as tennis is difficult to establish in an if there wasn't many programs to begin with!

Sure, it's different by including all of the sports in one court, but basketball folks don't want to play on a court that is isn't set to the standards of of a traditional basketball court (such as a hard top with proper gripping). The issues with court assignments is already a pain in actual tennis clubs. Having people from basketball, soccer, volleyball is going to add more fuel to the fire.

Spending hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars on marketing concepts that contain more liabilities than benefits bankrupts many people nationwide.

Try to introduce it to investors and see what happens. Who knows? It might work.

 

[struggle]

the primary problem to me would be the differences in traditional court/field surfaces for each sport.

That said, hardcourt or rubber surface would be the best "suits all" surface IMO.

 

[mmk]

the primary problem to me would be the differences in traditional court/field surfaces for each sport.

That said, hardcourt or rubber surface would be the best "suits all" surface IMO.

Rubber is nicer to fall on (volleyball and soccer), but depending on the type of rubber it might be more prone to ACL injuries, as the rubber surfaces I've been on have been very grippy. For sure the OP should check into the cost of liability insurance, and see if the insurance companies have any actuarial evidence as to which surface would result in the least lawsuits/insurance costs.

OTOH, a rubber surface is probably the easiest one to cover up mounting holes, which would likely be needed for tennis and volleyball, although there are alternative ways of setting up nets that don't require holes in the floor.