Marblehead, MA · Sports and Recreation Lighting
Dark Sky Friendly Tennis Court Lighting
for the Corinthian Yacht Club
Project Overview
Club-Level Illumination on Existing Wood Poles — with a Neighbor Next Door
The Corinthian Yacht Club in Marblehead, MA needed to upgrade the lighting on their two side-by-side tennis courts. The existing system used 1,000-watt metal halide lamps mounted on four 30-foot wood poles — one at each corner of the two courts, aligned with the inbound lines. The club wanted to replace those with high-performance LED sport lights capable of delivering club-level illumination for recreational through competitive play.
The project came with a specific constraint that shaped the entire lighting design: light trespass was a concern for a neighboring property. That single requirement drove the fixture selection, the optic choice, and a deliberate Dark Sky friendly design approach — zero upward light ratio, backlight shielding on every luminaire, and an optional partial baffle to further control the light boundary.
David Titus, General Manager of the Corinthian Yacht Club, worked directly with Steve Rothschild, senior lighting specialist at Access Fixtures, from initial specification through delivery. The result was a photometric-engineered, Dark Sky friendly LED system that hit 33 average footcandles across both courts at a 2.15 max/min ratio — with light trespass data confirmed and documented in the IESNA study.
"Your APTI 600s have been produced and are shipping now."
— Steve Rothschild, Senior Lighting Specialist, Access Fixtures
The Challenge
Club-Level Light. Zero Upward Spill. One Neighbor to Protect.
Replacing 1,000-watt metal halide fixtures with LED sport lights on existing wood poles sounds straightforward — but this project required a design that achieved two goals that usually pull in opposite directions: deliver enough light for competitive club-level tennis, and keep that light off a neighboring property.
The existing poles were already in the right positions — one at each corner of the twin courts, aligned with the inbound lines, 10 feet from the sidelines at 30-foot mounting height. The challenge was selecting and configuring fixtures that could use those positions effectively while containing the light boundary. That meant specifying the APTI 600 with backlight shielding as standard, plus an optional partial baffle for additional cutoff control — and running a full light trespass calculation grid in the photometric study to confirm the design before any order was placed.
Fixture selected
APTI 600 AF72XFLE600-T4M1-V5 50K — backlight shielding standard
Light trespass control
Backlight shielding + optional partial baffle — 0% upward light ratio
Pole compatibility
AF99XW2-P-10-13 twin arm mounts — designed for 10"–13" wood poles
Photometric validation
Full IESNA study including dedicated light trespass calculation grid
Photometric Performance
Measured Results — Both Courts and Light Trespass Zone
The IESNA photometric study calculated illuminance across both tennis courts and a dedicated light trespass calculation grid surrounding the site. All values were calculated using IESNA-recommended methods via DIALux with a maintenance factor of 0.80 and a 0% upward light ratio.
Court 1
Tennis Court 1 — Perpendicular
Court 2
Tennis Court 2 — Perpendicular
Light Trespass Zone
Surrounding Site — Trespass Grid
Calculated using DIALux per IESNA-recommended methods. Maintenance factor: 0.80. Actual performance may vary based on voltage variation and dirt accumulation.
How We Got There
From Specification to Delivery — Through a Global Supply Chain Delay
The project moved efficiently from specification through photometric study and order — but encountered a COVID-19-related supply chain delay that pushed the delivery timeline. Steve Rothschild communicated proactively with David Titus throughout, keeping the club informed at every step.
November 2020
Site specifications confirmed; photometric study completed
David Titus provided the pole configuration details — 30-foot height, approximately 10.5" diameter, 10 feet from the sidelines — along with the existing lamp specification (1,000W metal halide Metalarc BT56 E39 mogul base). The Access Fixtures lighting engineer completed the full DIALux photometric study including the light trespass calculation grid.
November 5, 2020
Quote issued — 8 APTI 600 fixtures with twin arm wood pole mounts
Access Fixtures issued the quote for 8 APTI 600 AF72XFLE600-T4M1-V5 50K fixtures with backlight shielding, optional 90+ CRI upgrade, optional partial baffles, and 4 AF99XW2-P-10-13 twin arm wood pole mounts. Custom-built luminaires required payment upfront before entering production.
January 12, 2021
Order placed; production begins
The Corinthian Yacht Club placed the order. Production began with an estimated 8–10 week lead time, targeting delivery around late March 2021.
March 10, 2021
Production delay — COVID-19 supply chain impact on optic lens materials
Steve Rothschild proactively emailed David Titus to advise of a delay. Production was waiting on optic lens materials affected by COVID-19 supply chain disruptions. Steve pushed the production facility to expedite and committed to providing updates as soon as available.
March 18, 2021
Production complete — fixtures shipping
Steve confirmed that all APTI 600 fixtures had been produced and were shipping. He shared a photo of one of the APTI 600s with the partial baffle installed so the club's installation team could see what to expect.
March 30, 2021
Fixtures arrive on site; installation questions addressed
David Titus confirmed the lights had arrived. He followed up with a question about baffle installation directions. Steve responded the same day, noting the installation is intuitive and sharing a reference photo. David confirmed the installation team would figure it out.
Results
What the Corinthian Yacht Club Got
Club-level illumination on both courts
Both courts achieved 33 average footcandles at a 2.15 max/min ratio — appropriate for recreational through club-level competitive play, engineered and verified by photometric study before a single fixture was ordered.
Dark Sky friendly design — neighbor concern resolved
The APTI 600 with backlight shielding and partial baffle delivered a 0% upward light ratio. A dedicated light trespass calculation grid in the photometric study confirmed the design addressed the neighboring property concern.
Existing poles retained
The AF99XW2-P-10-13 twin arm wood pole mounts were specified to fit the club's existing 30-foot wood poles — avoiding the cost and disruption of new pole installation while maintaining the correct fixture positioning.
Dramatic energy reduction
Eight 609.7W LED luminaires replaced eight 1,000W metal halide lamps — cutting fixture wattage by roughly 39% while delivering superior lumen output, better uniformity, and improved color rendering at 5000K bright white.
Proactive communication through a supply chain delay
When COVID-19 disrupted optic lens supply, Steve Rothschild contacted David Titus immediately — before being asked — explained the situation plainly, and followed up again the moment the fixtures were back on track and shipping.
IESNA-validated photometric design
The full DIALux study — including 3D rendering, false color rendering, court illuminance grids, and a dedicated light trespass grid — gave the club a complete picture of the lighting outcome before any commitment was made.
Ready to Start?
Light Your Next Tennis Court or Outdoor Sports Facility
Whether it's a single court or a full athletic complex — Access Fixtures delivers Dark Sky friendly, photometric-engineered LED sport lighting built for your specific site.
Request a Quote Request a Photometric Study