324 PARKS 



the service lines. The space on each side of the net between the service line 

 and the side lines shall be divided into two equal parts called the service courts 

 by the center service line, which must be two inches in width, drawn halfway 

 between and parallel with the side lines. Each base line shall be bisected 

 by an imaginary continuation of the center service line to a line four inches 

 in length and two inches in width called the center mark, drawn inside the 

 court and at right angles to and in contact with such base line. All other 

 lines shall be not less than one inch nor more than two inches in width, ex- 

 cept the base lines, which may be four inches in width, and all measurements 

 shall be made to the outside of the lines. In the case of the International 

 Lawn Tennis Championship (Davis Cup) or other official championships 

 of the International Federation, there shall be a space behind each base line 

 of not less than 21 feet, and at the sides of not less than 12 feet." 



For the doubles game, the court shall be 36 feet in width, i.e., four 

 and a half feet wider on each side than the court for the singles game. In 

 other respects the court is similar to the singles court. Practically all public 

 tennis courts are laid out for the doubles game because they accommodate 

 twice as many players. (See diagram of tennis court, page 330.) 



Because of the many problems involved in the construction and main- 

 tenance of tennis courts, and the increasing interest in the game, more 

 space is devoted in this chapter to tennis courts than to most of the other 

 play areas. Four of the most important factors in the construction of 

 tennis courts are drainage, orientation, grading and surfacing. Unless there 

 is natural drainage, special provision must be made for it. Low, swampy 

 places, or places where there is a tendency of adjacent ground to drain 

 upon the court should be avoided. The question of subdrainage should be 

 given special attention. If the ground drains readily, the amount of exca- 

 vation necessary will be greatly reduced. 



The court should be laid out from north to south so that the morning 

 or late afternoon sun will not be in the eyes of any of the players. A dark 

 background is desirable, but plantings which cast shadows across the court 

 should be avoided. 



There are several ways of grading tennis courts, but in all of them 

 uniformity in grade of surface is essential. For a court constructed alone, 

 Mr. Taylor recommends the gable roof type in which the drainage is from 

 the long axis of the court to both sides. For courts in batteries he sug- 

 gests the end to end pitch with but one plane surface. In many courts the 

 drainage is from the ends of the court to the net. 



Turf courts. Many of the principal tournaments are played on turf 

 courts, but continuous attention is required to keep them smooth and free 

 from bare spots and weeds. In some parks large lawns are used for tennis, 

 but because it is generally impossible to play a fast and accurate game 



