We have been maintaining these courts all season and its been great. Its not just mowing the grass on the border. These courts are clay and must be swept and rolled twice a week. It may sound easy enough but we cannot use blowers on the clay. we have to hand sweep the whole thing...not with a little broom though, sort of like the brooms they use on the infield of a baseball fields.
The lines are not chalk. The lines are vinal and are nailed down into the clay. They do lift up at times and we have to hit them back down.
Its not that simple to care for these courts...i'll try to take some pics of the equipment they have. The roller has to be atleast 25 years old. It is really awkwark to ride to because it has no breaks. Only forward, neutral and reverse.
I'll try to take some pics of before we clean. It doesnt look as nice.
We cant use blowers because there has to be a loose layer of clay on the surface. After we roll the courts we then have to sweep them to scratch up this layer. They dont alow us to use them because the blowers would blow it away.
I took care of clay courts for 3 years and your experience sounds exactly the same as mine. I used to sweep-roll-sweep-clean lines. Or, if it was hot out, sweep-water(but not too much OR too little)-roll-sweep-clean lines That was unless it was the fall. When they had leaves on them - blower. Yes, I used a back pack blower with no problem. Just keep your idle low and point your tube well in front of you. Raking, or using a broom does more damage than a little bit of wind. I also used one of those rollers you talk about. Phew, dangerous machine. Exposed chain drive with a lever that you push forward to go back and back to go forward. NO brakes! All in all, the courts would make a beautiful bentgrass practice green.
I took care of clay courts for 3 years and your experience sounds exactly the same as mine. I used to sweep-roll-sweep-clean lines. Or, if it was hot out, sweep-water(but not too much OR too little)-roll-sweep-clean lines That was unless it was the fall. When they had leaves on them - blower. Yes, I used a back pack blower with no problem. Just keep your idle low and point your tube well in front of you. Raking, or using a broom does more damage than a little bit of wind. I also used one of those rollers you talk about. Phew, dangerous machine. Exposed chain drive with a lever that you push forward to go back and back to go forward. NO brakes! All in all, the courts would make a beautiful bentgrass practice green.
the roller that we use is exactly the same and you you go from forward to backward to fast the chain comes off. Same lever. Did yopu aslo have to steer by pushing the front drum with your feet??
Yep same one. Want to hear a scary story???? The first time I was on the machine, the secretary for the courts told me to get use to it. So as I took it around the courts the hitch seperated and the front roller went about 50 ft berore i could catch up to it. It was quite scary. The machine is so old the hitch needs to be tightened before and while using it.
The funny part is that when the guy came over to me and we got the machine turned off he said to me, "gee, that never happened before."
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