Tennis Collectables

Tennis Court Construction & Maintenance Books

The following books all contain technical information about building and maintaining tennis courts. The books are listed in alphabetic order of title.

All books are British hardback editions without dustwrapper (D/W) unless otherwise stated. A description of the condition of each book is given using the following terms/abbreviations:
Mint - as new; VG - very good condition; Good - obviously used but complete with no major faults; Ex library - from a public or school library and may contain the occasional stamp or label but in many cases this is the only indication.

As stock is continually changing please email Tennis Collectables with a list of the item(s) you are interested in. We will then get back to you with details of postage costs. All prices include postage within the UK; overseas customers will be charged postage – it costs around $6 to send an average hardback book by Priority Airmail to the USA. We can accept payment by PayPal, Sterling cheques and Postal Orders, and International Money Orders in sterling.

HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN TENNIS COURT – S BLACKWELL DUNCAN. TAB Books; 1979 1^st US Edition; 249 pages. A comprehensive manual on building your own tennis court. Guides you clearly step-by-step from the beginning of construction to the first game of tennis you play on your finished court.
VG (light edgewear to covers and small area of surface damage to front board) £25.00 (approx $42.50)  SOLD OUT


ITF APPROVED TENNIS BALLS & CLASSIFIED COURT SURFACES. Softcover booklets detailing approved tennis balls and court surfaces. Approved Tennis Balls are listed with manufacturers contact details, plus test procedures and regulations. Court surfaces are also classified with a listing of manufacturers and test procedures and regulations.
January 2001 Edition; 40 pages. VG £5.00 (approx $8.50)

KNOTTING AND NETTING – LESLIE WOOLLARD. W & G Foyle Ltd; 1953 Edition; 87 pages. Practical handbook on knotting and netting techniques which includes a description on how to make sports nets – lawn tennis, badminton and table tennis nets. Illustrated by line drawings.
VG in edgeworn D/W £10.00 (approx $17.00)


LAWNS AND SPORTS GREENS: A MODERN GUIDE TO LAWN MAKING AND MANAGEMENT – A J MACSELF. Collingridge; ?1932 1^st Edition; 134 pages. Comprehensive manual on growing the perfect lawn with some advice relating to lawn tennis courts and croquet lawns. Illustrated with b&w photos and line drawings.
VG in edgeworn D/W £12.50 (approx $21.25)  SOLD OUT


LAWNS AND SPORTS GROUNDS – MARTIN SUTTON. Sutton & Sons; 1962 1^st Edition; 248 pages. Comprehensive manual on the establishment  and management of  lawns including chapters on tennis lawns, bowling greens, cricket grounds. Illustrated by b&w photos.
VG in edgeworn D/W £12.50 (approx $21.25)


LAWNS, GREENS AND TENNIS COURTS: HOW TO MAKE THEM AND KEEP THEM. John Knight & Son; not dated but early 1940s Softcover Edition; 32 pages. Booklet issued by the Wolverhampton based grass seed specialists John Knight & Sons. Advice on how to make a lawn – preparation, drainage, levelling uneven ground, seed or turf?, when to sow, methods of sowing, watering, cutting, nourishment, watering etc etc. Includes details on preparing tennis courts. Illustrated by b&w photos and line drawings.
VG (staples rusting) £15.00 (approx $25.50)  SOLD OUT


PRACTICAL LAWNCRAFT - R B DAWSON. Crosby Lockwood & Son; 1949 Revised Edition; 315 pages plus adverts. A comprehensive reference book covering the construction of lawns and the maintenance of various kinds of turf, with many photographic illustrations. Includes chapter covering lawn tennis courts, bowling greens and croquet lawns.
VG but cover very faded at spine £12.50 (approx $21.25)  SOLD OUT

TURF – I G LEWIS. Faber & Faber; 1948 1^st Edition; 141 pages. A book about the making and maintenance of tennis courts, golf greens, bowling greens and playing pitches. Written in 1948 it looks at how to restore lawns and courts from the neglected condition they were in immediately post war. Illustrated by b&w photos.
VG (ex college library copy with usual inkstamps) £7.50 (approx $12.75)

TURF CULTURE – IAN GREENFIELD. Leonard Hill; 1962 1^st Edition; 364 pages. Authoritative reference book on turf culture aimed at professional groundsmen and those interested in the many aspects of turf culture. Includes chapters on Soils, Grass, Turf Formation, Turf Nutrition, Machinery, Turf Management, Diseases, Pests, Weeds and Turf Abroad. Illustrated by b&w photos.
VG in worn D/W (ex library copy with usual inkstamps etc) £12.50 (approx $21.25)