I have been practicing tennis in my spare time for about two and half years now. I play exclusively on hard courts at area tennis facilities, parks and schools. Although I have never played on clay or grass, I would like to try. My joints take a pounding and sometimes the heat is unbearable. Grass and clay options are close by or being developed in the valley though. Here is a breakdown of the most popular types of surfaces to play on, the magor tournaments by surface type, the advantages/disadvantages of the surface and where to play locally:
Hard court: US Open, Australian Open, most parks, schools and tennis facilities in the Boise area. A concrete slab covered by paint and a mixture of sand. More sand slows the ball down as do bigger pieces of sand. Hard courts are faster than clay but not as fast as grass. Hard courts are considered a neutralizer amongst different types of players. . Fort Boise is rebuilding its 6 courts starting in July and will use post tensioned concrete courts.
Grass court: Wimbledon. Grass is the fastest type of court and provide quick points not long drawn out rallies. The big servers in tennis have the advantage on grass. Wimbledon changed its grass to 100% perennial rye in 2001 and it slowed the ball down and made it bounce higher. In general, grass play allows for sliding ball and lower bounce then concrete. Players must get to the ball faster. Grass is also much easier on your body but much more expensive to maintain the concrete or clay. Baker City, Oregon has the only public grass (4) courts, with lights, in the Pacific Northwest and is two hours away. It costs $20-$30 an hour to play.
Clay court: French Open. The ball slows way down on clay and bounces high. Clay is often made up of crushed brick. Big serves are neutralized. Raphael Nadal is the best clay court player of all time having just won his 8th French Open. The slower, higher bouncing ball gives Nadal even more time to run around his punishing top spin forehand and hit winners. Coming new to the area is the Eagle Tennis Club. Owners are aiming for a Spring 2014 opening with 6 indoor courts, 6 outdoor courts and 2 clay courts.
