AstroTurf Corporation has named racquet sports industry veteran Luke Burden as National Director of Racquet Sports, putting him in charge of the continued growth of its Laykold court-surfacing business. The appointment is part of AstroTurf’s strategy to offer schools, municipalities, clubs and sports organizations a broader facility solution spanning Laykold courts, AstroTurf synthetic fields and Rekortan track systems.
Burden brings more than 20 years of experience across tennis operations, events, player development and sports business. He previously led brand strategy for Laykold before moving into Eastern U.S. sales, where he worked with tournaments, facility operators and racquet sports organizations. His new remit will include developing partnerships and helping facility owners navigate court construction, resurfacing, maintenance and long-term capital planning.
His operator background includes overseeing a City of Atlanta tennis system with more than 200 courts, five tennis centers and 600-plus league teams. As Director of Athletics at Horseshoe Bend Country Club, Burden also led operational and programming changes that, according to AstroTurf, doubled revenue over three years. His career has additionally included directing ITF and ATP events and working with national tennis organizations.
The appointment comes as AstroTurf builds a more integrated sports-surfacing portfolio around Laykold, which is used for both tennis and multi-sport courts and currently serves as the official surface of major professional events including the US Open. AstroTurf Bringing Burden into a national leadership role gives the company an executive with experience on both sides of the facility business—as a court-surface supplier and as an operator responsible for programming, revenue and infrastructure.
