If you are a tennis fan, you have most likely been in awe of the grass courts at Wimbledon. These grass courts are meticulously maintained throughout the year to ensure they look their best and perform well. The grass courts play from May to September (excluding courts used for the championships). One aspect that makes this a truly unique lawn is that the soil base of the courts must be hard and dry. This helps allow the ball to bounce correctly. The courts are rolled and kept covered throughout competitions to ensure they are kept dry and firm for play.
There is a strong sense of tradition in all aspects of the preparation, with the turf surfaces maintained to an astonishingly high calibre. All the courts to this day are still marked out manually using string lines. The grass surfaces are made up of a combination of four different strains of ryegrass. The strains are reviewed and changed every single year in collaboration with the team at the Sport Turf Research Institute (STRI) to ensure the courts can perform at the highest standards possible. All courts are hand-mown using DeWalt Cylinder Mowers at a cut height of 8mm for Championship play.
Membership at the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club (AELTC) is notoriously exclusive. Head of Courts and Horticulture, Neil Stubley stated that the easiest way to become a member is to win The Wimbledon Championship. Even as a champion player like Rafael Nadal, if the practice courts are booked by AELTC Members, you must wait your turn to play. All members are required to reserve their practice court times. Maintaining control over the use of all turf surfaces is critical to delivering grass courts of the highest standard in world tennis.
