Education

Williams College Outdoor Tennis Courts

The Torrence M. Hunt ’44 Tournament Courts at Williams College have long served as a cornerstone for collegiate tennis in Williamstown, Massachusetts. This acclaimed facility boasts 18 hard courts, with six designated premier competition courts for home matches. However, the passage of time had begun to reveal the signs of wear and aging within the facility. The project’s primary objective was to modernize the courts to withstand weather conditions better, reduce maintenance, and enhance the overall playing and spectator experience.

CHA designed the new courts using post-tensioned concrete. Post-tensioned concrete tennis courts offer distinct advantages over traditional asphalt courts. High-strength steel cables embedded within the concrete enhance durability and stability. Post-tension concrete improves performance by reducing deflection, minimizing vibration, ensuring superior crack control, and extending the lifespan compared to standard asphalt courts, which typically last around a decade. Williams College’s courts also incorporate top-quality urethane surfacing and a sophisticated subgrade drainage system.

These revitalized courts are a crucial recruitment tool and uphold the facility’s reputation as a premier destination for collegiate tennis. This modern, accessible, and attractive facility will serve Williams College, its tennis teams, and the surrounding community well into the future.

Project summary

6

Six premier competition tennis courts underwent an extensive makeover.

18

Acclaimed facility boasts a total of 18 hard courts.

$1.9M

$1.9 million project to add courts and enhance spectator experience.

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Ed O'Hara, RLA*

Ed O'Hara, RLA*
Sports Business Line Director

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Ed is one of the country’s premier sports designers. He has designed and overseen the installation of over 350 synthetic turf fields as well as over 400 natural grass turf fields, many of which are located at colleges and universities across the country. He has 34 years of progressive sports facility planning, landscape architecture and project management experience, including 1,200 projects since joining CHA in 1988.