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SPECIAL REPORT

The West's Top Tennis Resorts

If you’re into tennis and travel, choosing the perfect tennis resort is almost as difficult as finding the perfect partner (on and off the court). There are many factors when it comes to finding an ideal match between the tennis traveler and the resort. The relative importance of these factors to the individual traveler will lead to a tennis vacation match made in heaven.

Of course, the location of a tennis resort is very important to most travelers. You don’t need a visa to stay and play at some of the world’s finest tennis resorts. The options include the mountains, the beach, the desert, and many other settings. This is a personal preference and the choices below provide a range of locations.

The style of a resort is also important to most tennis vacationers, whether it’s a modern new complex, a sprawling resort with much more than tennis, a tennis-intensive campus, a family-oriented property, or an historic tennis haven. Again, there are many excellent options in each category.

The tennis program is obviously another primary reason for choosing a destination. The number and types of courts, instructional programs, drills, matchmaking capabilities (on the court, of course!), round robins, exhibitions, and tournaments are all of possible importance. Be sure to ask about the tennis amenities that you desire.

Off the courts, factors to consider include types of lodging offered, dining, and non-tennis amenities. Do you want a basic hotel-style room or a condominium with room to roam? Is one casual restaurant all you need between matches or do you want a cornucopia of cuisine choices within walking distance of the courts? If you like lots to do after playing or are traveling with a spouse or other family members who don’t share your tennis passion, are there many other amenities and activities?

Of course, price comes into play when choosing any vacation and a tennis resort is no exception. Again, the U.S. (and the following overview) offers a wide range of price ranges for lodging, dining, tennis, and amenities. Many of the properties offer great tennis packages that include court time, clinics, tournaments, and much more.

The following overview is provided in alphabetical order, in that rankings of the top tennis resorts seem useless (we’ve gone for a variety of tennis vacation experiences). For further tennis resort ideas, www.tennis.com and Tennis magazine are great resources (all of the top picks below are inevitable favorites in their ‘Top 50’ listings).

THE BROADMOOR--If you’re looking for the best of tennis in the western mountains, this is it. Located in Colorado Springs at the foot of the Rockies, The Broadmoor provides unparalleled beauty and luxury, surrounded by the mountains and overlooking shimmering Cheyenne Lake. One of the few resorts in the U.S. to have earned the Mobil Five Star and the AAA Five Diamond ratings every year since the awards were established, “The Grande Dame of the Rockies” provides tennis-playing guests with the finest in service on and off the courts.

Built in 1891 as a gambling casino and transformed into a ‘grand resort’ in 1918, The Broadmoor has a long history of great tennis, but the opening of The Tennis Club in 1994 made it one of the top tennis resorts in the world. The Club includes 12 nicely landscaped Plexi-cushion courts, including a stadium court. Two courts are covered by a heated bubble in the winter months (generally mid-October to May). A sprawling clubhouse services the tennis, golf, and spa facilities.

Tennis instruction is run by the legendary Dennis Ralston, a U.S. Davis Cup Captain and member of the Tennis Hall of Fame. His program includes tennis clinics, private instruction, group tournaments, and a wide range of popular tennis camps (4:1 student-to-teacher ratio) for adults and juniors. The ‘Premiere’ camps, specifically run by Ralston, are highly recommended. The Broadmoor, POB 1439, Colorado Springs, CO 80901-1439; Tel: (800) 634-7711, Website: www.broadmoor.com.

GREEN VALLEY SPA & TENNIS RESORT--This is one of the ultimate tennis and spa combinations. Guests can take advantage of the Vic Braden Tennis College and then head to the Spa for an incredible array of massages and other services.

Located amidst Utah’s red rocks, the Vic Braden Tennis College offers three-day programs starting on Mondays and Fridays. The popular program includes video analysis, drills, simulated match play, and unlimited use of the Tennis Training Center, which includes four indoor courts, 15 outdoor courts, a color-coded instructional court, 13 programmable hitting lanes, high-speed color cameras for slow-motion viewing of your strokes, and a large-screen TV for showing the latest instructional videos. Vic Braden’s 50-plus years of experience will definitely make you a better player (he personally conducts some camps here and elsewhere around the country).

Along with the ‘New Age’ Spa Treatment Center, there are five swimming pools, two racquetball courts, 10 indoor golf driving stations and a Golf Learning Center, hiking, fitness classes, and rock climbing. The top place to stay is the new Coyote Inn, where every room has a four-poster feather bed, a fireplace, a private patio, and unique amenities like whole-bean Starbucks Coffee and grinder. Las Palmas two- and three-bedroom condominiums are another option. Green Valley Spa & Tennis Resort, 1871 West Canyon View Drive, St. George, UT 84770, Tel: (800) 237-1068, Website: www.greenvalley.com.

JOHN GARDINER’S TENNIS RANCH--This popular California Carmel Valley resort was the evidently the world’s first ‘tennis camp’ and is still one of the top picks for a tennis-intensive vacation. It was opened in 1957 by John Gardiner, a local tennis teacher who was convinced that people would take a vacation where the main activity was tennis. He was right, because, after more than four decades, it’s still one of the most exclusive tennis resorts around (including an astounding one court for each guest room--14 of each!).

The basic clinic runs four hours a day, supplemented by optional sessions and as much tennis as you can play (two common phrases are, “Repetition is the law of learning” and “Never have so many tennis balls been hit by so few”). The student-to-teacher ratio is 4-to-1, so guests get plenty of individual attention. At the end of each week, a graduation ceremony includes champagne, prizes, and diplomas.

Guest rooms are in cottages of varying sizes, located in a garden setting just steps away from the courts. All rooms have fireplaces and private patios and many of them are booked well in advance by repeat guests, celebrities, and many well-to-do couples. There are two heated swimming pools, saunas, and an outdoor whirlpool, as well as nearby golf. Breakfast and lunch are casual, while dinner is formal (food is taken quite seriously here). John Gardiner’s Tennis Ranch, 114 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley, CA 93924; Tel: (800) 659-2207, Website: www.jgtr.com.

KAPALUA RESORT--This sprawling property (a pineapple plantation) combines two diverse Hawaii tennis resorts. Situated on the island of Maui, Kapalua Resort gives tennis trippers a choice of Kapalua Bay Hotel and the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua. Tennis is featured at both resorts, with a history of tennis vacationing that dates back to the 1920s.

The Kapalua Tennis Club is known as one of the finest clubs in America. The two facilities, The Tennis Garden and The Village Tennis Center, each feature 10 plexi-pave courts for day & night play. Also available are full-service pro-shops, snack bars, and lounge areas. The tropical Tennis Garden is within walking distance of the Kapalua Bay Hotel, while the Village Tennis Center is just steps from the Ritz-Carlton. The combined tennis staff is the largest in Hawaii, with daily ‘Hit with the pro’ sessions, round-robin tournaments, clinics, private instruction, and frequent camps among the many offerings.

Each of the Ritz-Carlton’s 548 guest rooms and suites is airy and spacious with private lanais and, depending on orientation, commanding vistas of the Pacific Ocean, the neighboring island of Molokai, lush tropical gardens, or the majesty of the West Maui Mountains. For a different type of stay, Kapalua Bay Hotel offers 191 standard guest rooms. Of course, both resorts feature every expected activity and amenity. Kapalua Bay Hotel, One Bay Drive, Kapalua, Hawaii 96761-9099; Tel: 800-367-8000, Website: www.kapaluabayhotel.com. Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, One Ritz-Carlton DriveKapalua, Island of Maui 96761; Tel: 800-241-3333, Website: www.ritzcarlton.com.

LA COSTA RESORT AND SPA--This legendary ‘total resort’ located in the heart of Southern California and, though it’s not totally for tennis, it can be. The 400-acre luxury resort offers two 18-hole PGA championship golf courses, renowned men’s and women’s separate spas, a 21-court Racquet Club, exercise gyms, seven restaurants and lounges, heated swimming pools, and perfect year-round climate.

The La Costa Racquet Club offers 21 courts in all, featuring grass, French clay and hard surfaces (seven are lighted for night play). The La Costa Tennis School is renowned and respected for its professional instructors to improve or enhance your game. La Costa is also the site of the Acura Classic for women tennis professionals--a prelude to the U.S. Open, and a past host site of the Davis Cup men’s competition.

Long renowned for its health spa, La Costa Spa offers a variety of programs, with each aimed at revitalizing the vacationer by providing immediate benefits and the foundation for a long-range fitness program. Spa amenities include the use of saunas, whirlpool baths, rock steam rooms, and Roman pools. Treatments include massages, facials, manicures, pedicures, and a slate of exceptional European body treatments. In addition, the resort offers a choice of several swimming pools, sun decks, and a water complex. Accommodations options include deluxe rooms bordering the golf courses, Racquet Club, Spa, or courtyard, one- and two-bedroom suites, and two-, three-, four-, and five-bedroom executive homes. La Costa Resort and Spa, Costa del Mar Road, Carlsbad, CA 92009; Tel: 800-854-5000, Website: www.lacosta.com.

LA QUINTA RESORT & CLUB--Built in 1926 and located in a spectacular setting among orange and lemon groves at the base of California’s Santa Rosa Mountains, La Quinta Resort & Club guests are pampered on and off the courts.

La Quinta’s 23 courts include 18 hard courts (10 lighted for night play), three clay courts (Har-Tru), and two grass courts. There’s a weekly tennis calendar of drills, clinics, aerobics, video schools, and pro exhibitions, as well as ‘perfect match’ game arranging. Be sure to ask about the ‘Wimbledon Tennis Package.’

Opened in 1998, the 23,000-square-foot Spa La Quinta™ provides the perfect after-match retreat. Available exclusively to resort guests and members, Spa La Quinta features 19 massage treatment rooms and a complete range of services and facilities. Resort accommodations are in Spanish Colonial-style casitas, with 640 rooms and suites. In addition to unmatched tennis and spa facilities, guests enjoy premier golf on four nearby courses, 25 private pools, 38 whirlpool spas, and The Plaza--two stories of shops and restaurants. Along with tennis packages, a wide range of golf, spa, and family packages are also popular. La Quinta Resort & Club, POB 69, La Quinta, CA 92253; Tel: 800-598-3828 (760-564-4111 in California), Website: www.laquintaresort.com.

MARRIOTT’S DESERT SPRINGS RESORT & SPA--This is a tennis oasis in the midst of the California desert. The sprawling Desert Springs Resort & Spa offers 20 tennis courts, 36 holes of championship golf, nine swimming and whirlpools, 13 restaurants, a 30,000-square-foot Spa (including one of the largest resort gyms in the U.S.), and more than 400 acres of lush gardens and soothing lakes. With great tennis and numerous amenities and activities, it’s easy to spend an entire vacation here without ever leaving the property.

The resort is located in Palm Desert, in the vast Coachella Valley, and is framed by three majestic mountain ranges. With more than 400 acres to explore, the resort’s famous Venetian-like waterways begin in the lobby and transport guests throughout the resort, as gondolas drift past cascading waterfalls in this desert oasis. A variety of buildings surrounding swimming pools, lakes, fairways, and gardens feature 884 deluxe accommodations, including 51 varied suites. Dining is definitely another highlight, with Mikado Japanese Steak House, Ristorante Tuscany, and SeaGrille among the many specialty options.

Though the gondolas don’t make it all the way to the Lawn & Tennis Club, it’s worth the short walk. Managed by Peter Burwash International and obviously dedicated to service, the array of daily clinics, drill sessions, private instruction, the ‘PBI Tennis Show,’ round robins, player matching, and more matches the amount of other resort amenities. Of the 20 courts, there are 15 hard, three clay, and two grass surfaces. Marriott’s Desert Springs Resort & Spa, 74855 Country Club Lane, Palm Desert, CA 92260; Tel: (800) 331-3112, Fax: (760) 341-1872, Website: www.desertspringsresort.com.

THE PHOENICIAN--Though it’s hard to believe that Scottsdale could be home to two of the nation’s top tennis resorts (see The Ranch on Camelback Mountain below), a verdant oasis in the heart of the rugged Sonoran Desert awaits tennis players at The Phoenician. Situated on 250 lush acres at the base of majestic Camelback Mountain, The Phoenecian offers vacationing tennis players a retreat unlike any other resort.

With 654 expansive rooms, The Phoenician offers a full spectrum of accommodations, yet still manages to retain the more personal atmosphere and stellar service of a boutique hotel. The resort’s main building offers 454 beautifully appointed guestrooms and 12 luxury suites, as well as two presidential suites. The Canyon Building is more secluded and intimate, with 20 guestrooms, 38 luxury suites, and two presidential suites. For absolute privacy and seclusion, seven roomy villas offer luxurious suite accommodations. In addition, 107 casita guestrooms and 12 casita suites are nestled along the edge of the necklace lake, with doorstep parking, fireplaces, and panoramic views. Other Phoenician amenities include: three distinctive dining venues, along with several casual options and their famous afternoon tea; numerous pools (including a 165-foot water slide for kids and kids at hear); croquet; lawn bowling; biking and hiking; and the full-service Centre for Well-Being to soothe the mind and body (see below for special golfer programs). In addition, The Funician Kids Club offers younger guests a myriad of hand-on activities and projects.

The Tennis Garden’s 12 courts offer four different surfaces, including two with the revolutionary Rebound Ace from Australia, a Prestige 2000 Cushion Court, and a Wimbledon-style championship grass court. The facilities also include an automated practice court, with daily clinics and private instruction a priority. The Phoenician, 6000 East Camelback Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85251; Tel: (800) 888-8234, Fax: (480) 947-4311, Website: www.thephoenician.com.

THE RANCH ON CAMELBACK MOUNTAIN--Formerly John Gardiner’s Tennis Ranch, The Ranch On Camelback Mountain changed it’s name and added a ton of new non-tennis amenities, but it’s still a classic Arizona tennis resort. The property is the only resort in the Scottsdale area located high on the northern slope of Camelback Mountain, but just eight miles from the airport and five minutes from downtown Scottsdale.

A popular tennis getaway for celebrities since the 1950s, the original Paradise Valley Racquet Club attracted many of the area’s tennis pro residents, including Pancho Seguero, Ken Rosewall, and Pancho Gonzales. The resort now features 17 hard courts and Gardiner-inspired tennis instruction as clinics and private lessons. Though there’s less concentration on tennis overall, that doesn’t affect an individual guest’s experience.

The new ownership is making changes in non-tennis areas, including newly renovated guest rooms (100 one- and two-bedroom options in 41 mountainside casitas, all with fireplaces and small kitchen alcoves). Other amenities include 3 swimming pools, access the area’s phenomenal golf courses, hiking trails and nature walks, and a fitness center. To further improve the offerings, The Ranch On Camelback Mountain closes(d?) in May for a master renovation to complete the transformation of the resort. It’s scheduled to reopen in early-2001. The Ranch On Camelback Mountain, 5700 East McDonald Drive, Paradise Valley, AZ 85253; Tel: 800-245-1051, Website: www.theranchoncambelback.com.

RANCHO VALENCIA RESORT--In the time honored tradition of early California’s finest inns, Rancho Valencia Resort is a year-round tennis retreat of the highest caliber. Nestled amidst the rolling hills of Rancho Santa Fe, just 25 miles north of downtown San Diego and minutes from the beautiful communities of Del Mar and La Jolla, all guests are treated to gracious Southern California hospitality in a casually elegant setting. However, tennis-playing guests will feel even more welcome.

Rancho Valencia has 18 beautiful hard courts situated in a magnificent garden setting. Courtside amenities include pitchers of iced lemon water and fresh towels. Every morning Rancho Valencia features clinics with their renowned teaching staff, including stretching, serves, groundstrokes, net play, overheads, and doubles and singles strategies. Along with regular tournaments, other features include a unique ‘Ladies Tenniscize’ program, and a state-of-the-art ball machine that eliminates the need to pick up balls.

In recent years, Rancho Valencia has started catering to guests with non-tennis interests as well. Thus, there’s a fitness center (and access to the nearby Paragon Club, a health and fitness training center), a variety of spa services, hiking, biking, access to four nearby golf courses, and much more. All of the ‘casita suites’ accommodations include whitewashed beams, ceiling fans, cathedral ceilings, earth-tone stucco walls, clay tile roofs, paver tile floors and counters, Berber carpets, glazed tile bordered fireplaces, plantation shuttered windows and French doors leading to a private patio shaded by market umbrellas and flanked by flowers year-round. Rancho Valencia Resort, 5921 Valencia Circle, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067-4126; Tel: 800-548-3664, Website: www.ranchovalencia.com.

SHADOW MOUNTAIN RESORT & RACQUET CLUB--Set against a backdrop of California’s San Jacinto Mountains, but within walking distance of the distinctive El Paseo dining, shopping, and cultural district, Shadow Mountain is first and foremost an outstanding tennis resort. Generally lower prices (compared to other resorts of the same caliber) make this property a very good value.

There are 16 all-weather tennis courts, with six lighted for night play. Life for many guests here revolves around the tennis courts, with a wide variety of personalized instruction available through the Desert Tennis Academy (stroke-of-the-day and daily three-hour clinics) and a wide range of tennis-related activities (e.g., matchmaking, tournaments, and clinics).

Off the courts, other amenities include paddle tennis, four pools, an exercise room, saunas, golf privileges at nearby courses, and tours to many local attractions and activities (e.g., celebrity home tours). Accommodations are in keeping with the resort, with 120 condominium units offering a total of 170 bedrooms. All one-, two-, and three-bedroom units have kitchens and balconies or patios, with surprisingly low prices. Shadow Mountain Resort & Racquet Club, 45-750 San Luis Rey, Palm Desert, CA 92260; Tel: 800-472-3713, Website: www.shadow-mountain.com.

SUN VALLEY RESORT--When one of the nation’s top ski resorts turns green, something unique happens in this Idaho valley. Long summer days under 15 hours of luxurious western sunshine allow for unlimited play on and off Sun Valley’s 18 courts

Founded in the late-1930s, Sun Valley was an immediate hit with the Hollywood set, including its first summer season in 1938, when movie stars and productions (including Claudette Colbert’s ‘I Met Him in Paris’) became regular fixtures there. Built in 1936, the Sun Valley Lodge has become the symbol of ‘roughing it in luxury.’ A tennis vacation in Sun Valley now presents a wide array of accommodations, dining, and other activities. Along with the Lodge, other lodging options incldue the European-style Sun Valley Inn, Deluxe Lodge Apartments, Wildflower Condos, and Village Condominiums. Everything is within walking distance in the village, including upscale and casual dining, great golf, mountain biking, and more.

As for tennis, Sun Valley is one of the best in the west. With 18 hard courts, there’s always tennis time available. The Sun Valley Tennis Club features a large staff headed by Sun Valley veteran pro Kie Forman. Options include private lessons and an array of clinics, including the popular clinics hosted by Wilson and Nike. The setting for a casual match or some serious instruction is definitely distracting. Sun Valley Resort, POB 10, One Sun Valley Road, Sun Valley, ID 83353; Tel: (800) 786-8259, Fax: (208) 622-2070, Website: www.sunvalley.com.