Tennis Court Lighting: 4 Things To Know Before Buying

admin 10 Sep 2025

https://www.seslighting.com.au/blog/2025-ultimate-guide-to-tennis-court-lighting-layout-and-design

If you own a tennis court or manage a club getting new lights for the court is a major choice. A good lighting system improves how players perform, allows for longer games, and makes the space safer and more enjoyable. But picking the right lights takes more than just choosing ones that are super bright. To make sure your investment is worth it and the project goes , you need to understand the important basics behind an efficient lighting setup.

At SES Lighting, we bring decades of experience in top-tier sports lighting. We've outlined five key things you should learn before buying tennis court floodlights or installing a brand-new system.

1. Choosing the Right Lighting Based on Play Level

Start by thinking about how the court will be used. Are you a homeowner who wants a setup to enjoy relaxed recreational games, or are you managing a club with competitive events in mind? The type of play determines the amount of brightness needed. This brightness, called illuminance, is measured in lux or foot-candles.

 

• Relaxation Play: To enjoy casual games, you only need lower lighting levels around 200 to 300 lux. This helps you see while avoiding the high energy demands of professional setups.
• Club or Competitive Play: Playing in competitions or tournaments requires more brightness between 300 and 500 lux or even higher. This amount of light helps players follow fast balls and make accurate shots.
• Professional or Broadcast Play: Televised matches have stricter demands, needing high lux levels and very specific lighting uniformity to meet television standards.

 

A setup that is bright may cause glare and waste energy. If it's too dim, players might struggle to perform well and stay safe. So, picking the correct lighting system matters a lot in sports.

2. Advantages of LED Lights for Tennis Courts

LED technology has brought about a revolution in the world of sports lighting. When it comes to upgrading or building new lights, adding LED options for tennis courts is the best solution for many important reasons.

 

• Energy Efficiency: They consume much less power than metal halide lights or halogen lights. This reduces your energy expenses by a good amount.
• Lifespan: LED bulbs have a long lifespan that is an average of above 50,000 hours. And now you never need to replace bulbs frequently, and it won't waste too much energy for you.
• Light Up Instantly: LED lights up instantly without requiring time to warm up. Your court is full of brightness just seconds after you turn on the lights.
• Excellent Light Quality: LED natural light illumination provides even light distribution, higher CRI, and the perfect amount of light for skin tone.

 

Choosing an LED lighting system for a tennis court is a smart move to save money over time and improve how it works.

3. Uniformity and Glare Control Are Non-Negotiable

How evenly light covers the court and how much glare it causes play an important role in how enjoyable playing feels. Uniformity means the light spreads across the court. When lighting is uneven, you get dark spots and areas that are too bright, which can distract players and even make games less safe. Good lighting plans make sure brightness stays steady all over the court.

Bright lights often cause glare making it uncomfortable to see . This issue can distract, reduce visibility, and make it hard for players to follow the ball. Choosing tennis court lights with advanced optics or anti-glare designs helps focus light on the court while keeping it out of players' eyes. Setting up light poles at the right height and places is just as important to fix the problem.

4. The Benefits of Smart Control Tennis Court Lighting

In today's connected world, a modern lighting system offers more than just illumination. Smart control of tennis court lighting allows you to manage and optimise your system with unprecedented ease and efficiency.

• Customisable Settings: With smart controls, you can set different lighting scenes for various needs—a lower setting for practice and a brighter one for a match.
• Energy Savings: Features like motion sensors and scheduling allow you to automate your lighting, ensuring the lights are only on when a court is in use, drastically reducing energy waste.
• Remote Management: Manage your lighting system from a smartphone or computer, adjusting settings or turning lights on/off from anywhere. This is particularly beneficial for clubs with multiple courts.

Implementing smart control tennis court lighting is a key step towards a more sustainable and cost-effective facility.

Conclusion

The best way to get the right tennis court lighting system is to work with a trusted lighting specialist like SES Lighting. Experts create detailed lighting plans. We consider your court's size, where the poles go, and what your lighting needs are. We guide you through technical details, help your system meet local rules, and give you lux plots made on a computer to ensure the brightness and consistency you want. Solutions designed by professionals give you better results that match what you need, your budget, and your goals.

 

If you follow these five things, you can pick the correct LED lighting system for tennis courts giving you safe and enjoyable play for years.

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