The Standard

From top surface down a properly constructed and maintained Har-Tru courts consists of

(1) a thin eight of an inch (1/8") layer of loose Har-Tru,

(2) a one inch (1") thick layer of bound Har-Tru, called the "base,"

(3) an underlayer of fine stone.

These were the elements in the construction when the courts were built in the early 1980s. The one inch thick base serves to retain water and provide a good playing surface. As this base becomes thinner, it retains less water.

The Har-Tru Problem

Over the years the weather, six floods, and six ensuing clean-ups have eroded the loose playing surface and the bound base. Every year, before opening the courts for the season, our contractor has patched up worn spots and replenished the loose Har-Tru playing surface but did not rebuild the base. This pre-season preparation adds 2 tons of Har-Tru to each court and costs a total of $23,000. After every flood IHTC has elected to have our contractor only patch up worn spots and replenish the loose Har-Tru playing surface and not to rebuild the base. After Hurricane Irene the courts were thus minimally replenished at a cost of about $25,000.

Over the intervening 30 plus years the base has become thinner, and has worn unevenly so that some spots are thinner than others. This has resulted in spots so thin that the underlying stone is no longer covered by the base. The uneven thickness causes tennis balls to bounce erratically, and the courts to lose the tilt that they had when they were constructed. 

The Irrigation System

A second reason for not performing a full restoration has been that the galvanized piping irrigation system used to water the courts, also installed in the early 1980s, needs to be replaced. If it this is not done, IHTC may have to pay for having areas of the courts dug up to replace clogged or broken pipes. The logical approach is to replace the irrigation system before or at the same time as the courts are restored.

Cost

In recent years we have obtained quotes for the repair and replenish of the courts. The magnitude of these has been the primary reason for deciding each time on minimal restoration. The options are:

A. Irrigation system replacement - $32,000 total

B.   1. Installation of a 1/2" base, 18 tons of Har-Tru                per court - $5,000 per court, $70,000 for 14                        courts

2. Installation of a full 1" base, 36 tons of Har-       Tru per court, at $10,000, or $140,000 for all 14 courts

Court Preservation in Event of Floods

As many members are aware IHTC has been experimenting with the use of tarps to protect the courts in the event of non-flash floods. Courts 1 and 2 were covered over the winter to assess effect on the environment. Although the test did not include flood conditions, the well-secured tarps successfully prevented erosion and other damage to the covered courts. Now that the design and the deployment of the tarps has been tested, it is the logistics of deploying, removing and storing the tarps which need to be resolved. The cost estimate of the tarps to protect our investment is about $20,000.

A second means of preventing flood damage is the restroation of the berms on the north side of IHTC. Although a final cost has not been determined, the estimated amount is about $20,000. The concurrence of the township has to be obtained. 

Membership Approval

After Hurricane Floyd in 1999, an emergency fund was established, which, upon approval by the membership, could be used to defray most or part of these costs.