Multi-Court Facility Lighting (Tennis + Pickleball)
Multi-court facilities lighting tennis and pickleball together use shared sideline poles, consistent full-cutoff aiming, and a layout that meets each sport's footcandle and glare requirements — maximizing uniformity across all courts while minimizing pole count and cost per court. The core insight is that a bank of courts should be engineered as one system, not as a collection of independent courts that happen to sit next to each other. That single decision drives both the cost savings and the consistent play quality.
This guide covers the shared-pole advantage, how one layout serves two sports, and the controls and utilization that justify the project.
The shared-pole advantage
Lighting a bank of courts as one system lets each pole serve adjacent courts rather than dedicating poles to a single court. That cuts the total pole count and the foundations beneath them — often the largest cost line — while keeping aiming consistent so every court plays the same. The more courts in the facility, the larger the saving versus lighting each in isolation. It's the difference between a budget that scales painfully and one that scales efficiently.
Meeting two sports' needs in one layout
Tennis and pickleball have similar light levels — roughly 30 fc recreational and 50 fc competition — but different court geometry. A well-designed multi-court layout accounts for both, ensuring each court, whatever the sport, hits its footcandle target with even uniformity and proper glare control. Pickleball's low ball flight makes low-angle glare control especially important, so full-cutoff asymmetric optics are used throughout. The result is a facility where a player gets the same quality of light on any court.
| Sport | Recreational | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| Tennis | ~30 fc | ~50 fc |
| Pickleball | ~30 fc | ~50 fc |
Controls and the utilization payoff
Zoning lets operators light only the courts currently in use instead of the whole facility, and curfew controls turn lights off after hours — important when courts sit near homes and often a zoning condition. Beyond the energy savings, the real return comes from added evening utilization: lit courts host leagues, lessons, clinics, and rentals across both sports, generating revenue and program hours an unlit facility can't. Duvon's court series optimize pole sharing across tennis and pickleball layouts.
Frequently asked questions
How do you light a multi-court facility?
As one system — shared sideline poles, consistent full-cutoff aiming, and a layout meeting each sport's footcandle and glare needs — maximizing uniformity and minimizing cost per court.
Can one system light both tennis and pickleball?
Yes — they share similar light levels but different geometry, so the design ensures each court meets its target and glare control in one shared-pole layout.
How does sharing poles lower cost?
Poles serve adjacent courts, cutting total pole count, foundations, and cost per court while keeping aiming consistent.
What controls suit a multi-court facility?
Zoning to light only courts in use, and curfew controls for after-hours near homes. Added evening utilization drives the return.
Does sharing poles hurt uniformity?
No — consistent aiming across shared poles is designed to hold uniformity on every court, verified in the photometric study.
Request a free certified multi-court layout for your facility. Get it at duvonlighting.com/free-quote.