David Lloyd Club Antwerp

The newly built David Lloyd Leisure Club in Edegem near Antwerp is so much more than just a sports club. In line with their British parent company's reputation, the new leisure centre offers personalised workout and training schedules, expert trainers and ultra-modern facilities. Renowned for selecting only the highest quality materials, the centre partnered with Belgian company Lano Sports for the supply of clay court materials. All eight courts have seen some great rallies already, and the first tennis ambassadors were quick to spread the praise.

Lano Sports' Grand Clay 12 system quickly gained popularity among tennis coaches and customers at the centre. General Manager Bert Vandewaetere is equally impressed with the artificial clay courts. "I already tried out the new courts on several occasions", Bert smiles. "The outdoor courts offer all the advantages of traditional clay but are slightly steadier underfoot. And the fantastic shock absorption was a huge plus."

Tennis aficionados teamed up

Early 2015, it was announced that British group David Lloyd Leisure would be opening their 93rd leisure centre in Edegem near Antwerp. In addition to a state-of-the-art fitness area, swimming pools, relaxation facilities and a spinning bike area, the new club will feature four indoor and four outdoor tennis courts. However, this time, the group wanted to steer away from traditional clay or concrete courts.

"Customers are becoming more demanding all the time", says Bert. "In order to stand out, we need to provide them with the best possible surface to play on. Our British parent company sets extremely high standards. This top-of-the-range clay was sourced locally, from Lano Sports in Belgium. It helps that the people at Lano share our passion for sports. After our first meeting, we knew they were the right choice. They were extremely easy and flexible to work with."

More time to play

The main benefit of using Grand Clay 12? "Excellent drainage, without a doubt. As opposed to traditional clay surfaces, Grand Clay 12 allows us to use the outdoor courts year round. Rainwater drains away quickly and efficiently to keep the court in optimum condition. The resilience of our indoor and outdoor tennis court surfaces is unrivalled, which not only delivers great ball bounce, but is good news for our joints as well. We recently received feedback from an older couple who were able to add another fifteen minutes to their game whereas previously, their knee pain would have prevented them from doing so!"

David Lloyd Club Antwerp
Kattenbroek 3 2650 Edegem Belgium