A court should have a slope of a few inches from one end to the other to carry off water.  After the level is determined, all there is to making a court is to fill in or cut away soil and earth until the proper level space is obtained.  As a rule it is better to dig away for a court rather than to fill in, as we thus obtain a better bottom and one that will require but little rolling.  In the case of a slope, it is well so to locate the court that the amount of earth excavated from one end will be just about sufficient to fill in the other.

The final surfacing of a court is done by means of clay and sand in the proportion of about four or five to one, the clay of course being in excess.  To mix clay and sand thoroughly, the former should first be pulverized thoroughly when dry and the mixture sifted over the court carefully and evenly.  The next step is rolling and wetting, and more rolling and wetting until finally the whole is allowed to dry and is ready for play.  The slight irregularities and roller ridges that often appear in a court will soon be worn off by the players’ feet, but playing of course will not change the grade.  A new court will be greatly improved by use, but no one should be allowed on a court except with rubber-soled shoes.  Heeled shoes will soon ruin a court, and it is bad practice even to allow any one to walk over a court unless with proper footwear.

The preliminary levelling of a court can be accomplished with a rake and a straight-edged board, but after the clay has become packed and hard it will be necessary to use considerable force in scraping off the inequalities.  A metal cutting edge, such as a hoe or scraper, will be found useful.  A court should be swept with a coarse broom to distribute the fine material evenly.  Another very good sweeper can be made from a piece of wood about six or eight feet long to which several thicknesses of bagging have been tacked or fastened.  The final step in making a court consists in marking it out.  Most courts are marked so that they will be suitable either for singles or doubles or so that either two or four people can play at a time.  Where tape markers are to be used, the proper distances will appear on the tape without measuring, but if lime is used for marking a careful plotting will be necessary to secure the proper distances, after which the corners should be indicated by angle irons, so that the court may be re-marked at any time without re-measuring.

[Illustration:  A game of doubles in lawn tennis]

Considerable difficulty is often experienced by beginners in marking out a court, and, in fact, it is not a simple matter.  The first thing of importance is to determine generally one corner of the court and to get a base line and a side line at a true right angle of ninety degrees.  The same principle may be employed that is used by builders and surveyors in “squaring a building,” as it is called.  You will need a ten-foot pole with marks for the feet