Getting access to lit tennis courts can be a real pain. Even when the tennis courts actually have lights, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ve been implemented according to any standard. This means that the light quality could be very poor.
It’s often the case that the company or people installing a tennis court lighting system have no idea what it takes to create good lighting. The standards followed by professional players are outlined by the ATP tour, but can be used as an effective guideline even for recreational players.
The most important aspect to remember when designing a professional lighting system is the minimum intensity of 70 foot-candles. This is a measurement of light intensity that is inside a 1 foot radius sphere. A system that that achieves this amount of illumination should also try to make the distribution of light as even as possible. This can be measured by taking a series of measurements at different locations around the court.
This series of measurements should be about three feet off the ground, or in the general playing area. Take fifteen of these measurements and compare the ratio of the highest to the lowest. The goal is to keep this ratio within a factor of two. This test insures that the dispersion of the light is even enough and does not produce any dark spots on the court.
For the most efficient results when it comes to power consumption be sure to take plenty of time to come up with a thoughtful design. One of the best designs involves the traditional four poles on each side. Depending on the facility, the poles may be as low as 20 feet or as high as 60. Most recreational courts will have much shorter lighting poles.
For tennis players, it is extremely important to be able to see the ball at all times. This means that all of the ball should be lit and there cannot be any angles from which the ball is not illuminated. In order to do this, there must be even spacing between the poles. While the system may be more efficient with the poles spaced very far apart, the quality of the lighting should always be a consideration.
Plan a solid design and consult the necessary professionals before building a lighting structure. If you do all the necessary research, the end result will be a well-lit and playable court environment. For more tennis information visit
Once you’re familiar with everything about tennis court lightingspend some time making your design. Before taking action though, you should again go over the tennis court lighting requirements.