Need advice or have questions about anything related to tennis travel? Post it here and take advantage of the expertise of our staff and the avid tennis vacationers who visit the site.
Written by: Roger Cox
Need advice or have questions about anything related to tennis travel? Post it here and take advantage of the expertise of our staff and the avid tennis vacationers who visit the site.
I would appreciate some help in finding resorts or camps that cater to advanced players. I’m a 4.5 player looking for a challenging, but not back-breaking tennis experience. I am aware of Saddlebrook’s 5-hour per day programs, but I’d also like other ideas. Thanks.
The Saddlebrook or IMG Academies programs are,, as you suggest, demanding; however, their advantage for players 4.0 and up is that they will have other campers at that level. The John Newcombe Tennis Ranch in Texas is not so grueling and also gets good numbers in spring and fall thus improving the chances that there will be others at your level. Also check out the advanced sessions at the Van Der Meer Shipyard Racquet Club on Hilton Head Island. You don’t indicate whether you are going alone. If not and you have others at your level who would like to travel with you, then there are numerous options in the form of a customized camp. Any 4.5s like to add their suggestions?
i am a 5.5 and the only one i can suggest is saddlebrook. when i go there i normally train with the other campers but then i ask some “tailor made” service for me (especially if other campers are weak) and normally howard moore is happy to help. I also asked some proper fitness sessions on and off courts on lake side and i ended up training with the pros on lake side. hope it helps.T
I am 57 years old and have recently started playing tennis again after a 20+ year hiatus off the courts. I am looking for a tennis camp to attend by myself to get my strokes back where the focus is not so much on the competition as much as it is to improve your game and to have a fun experience. Looking for somewhere warm and sunny to go in the winter months. Don’t mind spending $$$$$ for the experience. Can be domestic or international destination. Any suggestions from any singles?
You don’t say how many hours a day you’re interested in or how hard you want to work. One option is the Club Med Academy at Club Med, Sandpiper Bay in Florida. The academy carries a surcharge but gives you 3 hours a day of group instruction while leaving you free to do the afternoon social tennis that’s part of the all-inclusive package. Meals are included so it’s easy to find others to dine with and there are plenty of other distractions at the resort. It’s not easy to find information about this academy from the Club Med site: the best link is Club Med Academy though you may also want to phone them at 772-323-0625 to sort out your options and see what kind of total package they can put together for you. Given that you’re going alone and want someplace warm in winter, that would be my first choice. Anyone else have suggestions?
Hi Molly,
Roger is absolutely right. Club Med Academies actually offers an Adult Intensive Clinic that goes from 9-noon daily. Being that you have not played for a little while, I suggest that you start slowly. We may be able to custom make your weekly stay with the right amounts of training on and off court to get you hitting consistently as early as possible. Our program also offers tennis specific fitness programs as well as a nutritionist that helps with the planning of the right “tennis” diet! We also have a yoga program that focuses on making the body flexible and strong where it needs to be for tennis. We are situated in Sandpiper Bay, Florida and the resort does offer so many activities and nightly entertainment that you will leave having made many new friends. Please don’t hesitate to contact me so I can help you plan your “return” to the greatest sport on earth!
Hi,
Happy Thanksgiving to all who reads this. For over 20 years, I have had a terrific ‘ball clip holder’ that attached to the back of my leggings and one day it got broken. I went online to search, but nothing I found allowed me to easily remove the ball for a second serve. I have enclosed a photo of a friend’s ball holder, which was exactly like mine. If anyone knows where one might be located, I would greatly appreciate a reply. In advance, thank you.
Hi,
Do you have or know of any co-ed tennis retreats/camps for singles (not couples/not married)?
Thanks,
Jen
There are a few camps that run singles weeks during selected times of the year, including Total Tennis, NIKE Amherst Adult Camps, though not everyone who comes is unattached. There’s also a Co-Ed fantasy camp at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch in March that gets a mix of singles and couples. The issue, tennis directors telll me, is that if they run a session only for singles, they get 35 women and one man. Knowing that, I recommend going to places where meals are part of the package, so you never have to dine alone, and that provides a comfortable venue for finding and meeting those who are there on their own. You can find a list of those by using my Find a Resort form and under “How are you traveling?” check “Alone.” Anyone else have suggestions?
I want to do a 3 days tennis camp for adult in Florida in December. I’m an intermediate player (level 3.5). I hesitate between Saddlebrook and IMG Bollettieri. There is a 120 $ a day difference, does it worth to pay more for Bolletieri ?
Thanks for your reply.
You don’t indicate whether you’re looking at the cost of the camp instruction only or have factored in food and lodging. You’ll want to do that to have an accurate sense of the overall cost. As for the programs themselves, the total hours on court are about the same. At IMG you’ll change pros every 40 minutes or so throughout the day; at Saddlebrook, you’ll have one pro (or perhaps two if the first has a day off) for your entire stay. Some people like the varied perspective changing pros provides; others prefer sticking with one. Saddlebrook has more resort amenities when the day ends, including a large swimming pool (there’s a tiny one at IMG), a golf course, and bars (there’s no alcohol at IMG); both have spas and expansive fitness centers.
I will be at desert springs, palm desert, ca for the month of January. I love tennis and play al the time. I’m about a 3.2 player. Could u suggest or recommend any places in palm desert to enjoy, clinics, round robins, etc. at a reasonable price.
You have several good choices. Shadow Mountain, whose tennis courts are its principal amenity, offers solid daily camp programs as well as game matching and affordable lodging. Also check out the Reed Anderson Tennis School, which takes place at Mission Hills, a private country club with all three tennis surfaces. You can stay at the resort or elsewhere, and Reed is an excellent techician, able to get quickly to the heart of stroke problems and help correct them. Finally, the JW Marriott Desert Springs also has all three surfaces and a varied roster of weekly tennis activities, includiing clinics and social round robins.
Roger,
thanks so much. you’ve been very helpful
Like others above my concern is getting instruction and play at my level. Reading the comments above, it sounds like it is the luck of the draw to some extent. What can a camper do to improve his chances? Saddlebrook looks better but read one bad review from a 4.5 level player.
Any resort can get a bad review. Saddlebrook and IMG Bollettieri Academy tend to get more 4.5+ players than other resorts, though if you happen to be there during a slow week that may not happen. Still, for anyone looking to work hard, and particularly for 4.5+ players, I recommend those two academies.
Hi. I am a 4.0 player and I’d like to do a camp on the East Coast in April with my 7 year old son. I’m struggling to find a place where he can simultaneously camp or have a kid program that would keep him occupied. Any suggestions? Thanks.
Take a look at Palmetto Dunes on South Carolina’s Hilton Head Island. You’ll be able to choose from a schedule of drills and clinics, which if booked back to back can have you on the court as much a 4.5 hours a day; there’s also an hour a day of junior tennis for kids your son’s age and a kids program with a variety of activities (though I just checked their website and the spring/summer schedule hasn’t been posted, so I’m not sure when in spring that begins). Also take a look at Club Med-Sandpiper Bay in Florida, which will keep your son busy all day. If you want a camp there, sign up for the supplemental 3-hour-a-day academy they offer. Kiawah Island Golf Resort has an excellent kids’ program (thru Apr. 15, then starting again in May); there are adult camps on selected weekends (see their website for the schedule), with clinics and drills available daily. Wild Dunes also has a very good children’s program (though check to see what specifically will be offered for the dates you’re planning); and although it doesn’t have an adult camp as such, you can put together several back to back hours of clinics, drills, and social play.
Hi, I went to saddlebrook and had a great experience. The only problem was the heat and humidity. Comming from the UK, I found this to be a challenge. When is the best time of the year to go?
The best period is from October through April