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Here's what others have had to say about Mission Hills Country Club and Ralston Tennis.
"It is not often I see or expect to have my "expectations" exceeded. Dennis and the team went well beyond "mechanics" - more even into new strategies and approaches that will absolutely lift my game. We maximized play time, and learned tips, techniques and stories from a Tennis Hall of Famer! This was FANTASTIC!"—L.A., Adv. Int., October 2009
"Dennis and his staff to a fantastic job at breaking down your game and building back up. We were looking for a nearby camp that would help with improving various aspects of the game including basic strokes, specialty shots and strategy in a variety of situstions. THe staff are all expert, and great to work with."—A.K., Adv. Int., October 2009
""—D.M., Int., October 2009
"I had a great one-hour lesson with Mike Fedderly, the current 50+ USTA grass court champion. He gave me some valuable volley tips. I was only at the Club for a couple hours, but the facilities (e.g., courts, grounds, fitness center, pro shop, locker room) were all top notch."—C.L., Adv. Int., October 2009
"Program was listed as 4.0 Clinic but this was not the case. There were all kinds of levels from 2.5 to a couple of 4.0 players(not many 4.0 players)
The instruction was good to very good but the quality of players was poor for a clinic that was advertised as 4.0 Dennis Ralston and crew have to do a MUCH better job at making sure that if they say you are attending a 4.0 Clinic that you will actually be playing with 4.0 players, the clinic is not cheap and you should get your moneys worth and i beleive that I did not."—C.C., Adv. Int., April 2009
""—C.R., Adv. Int., April 2009
As the site of two Davis Cup ties—most recently the U.S. vs. Chile 
in 2006—the annual host for three National senior tennis events, and a the Mission Hills Country Club has long had a very high tennis profile. Its tennis complex consists of a whopping 34 courts: 20 hard, 4 clay, and 10 grass. Yet until relatively recently, in order to play there you needed to know a member or book one of the very limited number of rental units available to outside guests.
To some degree that is still the case; however, there are now ways to get yourself waived through the guard gate and onto these historic courts. One method is to put together your own group and ask the staff to tailor-make a program for you. Another is to book the tennis camps former U.S. Davis Cup Captain 
Dennis Ralston runs on selected weekends from October to April. In either case, the staff can arrange lodging nearby (they often use the hotel at the Aqua Caliente Casino about half a mile away) and you become in essence a temporary member.
Pro Shop: 760-324-9400
The day-to-day operations now fall to tennis director Stephen Welt. "If anyone comes for camps, we treat them as members," he told me when I visited. Welt came to Mission Hills after stints coaching the WTA Tour and training high-performance competitors at the Evert Tennis Academy in Florida. He's joined by former touring pro Eric Allen, whose title is director of spa and sports. Together their goal has been not only to increase the weekly roster of activities for members but also to recruit teams and small groups with tailor-made programs. Also on staff is former touring pro Tommy Tucker, who such players as Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Roscoe Tanner, Michael Chang, Larry Stefanki, Jose Higueras, and Richie Reneberg. His title is now Tennis Pro Emeritus.
Mission control for the tennis operations is an 16,000-square-foot two-story Spa & Sports Center. Recently enlarged, it now contains a state-of-the-art fitness center and boutique spa. The entrance hallway is lined with Murray Olderman caricatures of such players as Arthur Ashe, Dennis Ralston, and Jim Courier, while the second floor cafe overlooking the stadium court has been decorated black-and-white photos of Andy Roddick, Ralston, the Bryan brothers, Jose Higueras and others. The courts themselves bear such names as Pancho Gonzalez, Ralston, Chris Evert, Michael Chang, Mark Woodforde (who lives there and occasionally hosts fantasy camps of his own), Higueras, and others. Tennis history abounds, and no doubt partly for that reason it won the USTA's 2009 Featured Facility Award.
Tennis Programs. Ralston's camps runs three hours/day, with Ralston himself roving from court to court assuring thus that every camper gets the benefit of his expertise. Former Australian Open finalist Sharon Walsh joins his team this season. In a sense this is a homecoming for Ralston, who was director of tennis at Mission Hills during the 1970s.
Courts & Fees. 34 hard, clay, and grass courts, one of them a sunken stadium adjacent to the clubhouse.
Golf Courses. Tennis aside, Mission Hills is renowned for its three golf courses, variously designed by Arnold Palmer, Pete Dye, and Desmond Muirhead. Muirhead's 7,240-yard Dinah Shore Tournament Course annually hosts the LPGA's Kraft Nabisco Championship.
Spa & Fitness Center. The boutique spa offer a modest selection of massages, facials, and waxing treatments as well as hair and nail care. There is nothing boutique about the fitness facilities, however, which span multiple rooms on two levels. The lower level houses free weights and Italian-made TechnoGym equipment while the second floor stands out for a large cardio theater and a Kinesis studio (a pulley system designed to afford 360 degrees of motion while providing a combined cardio and strength-training exercises). Personal trainers and Pilates Reformer and yoga classes are also available.
And ... There are also croquet and bocce courts.
Mission Hills has a handful of two- and three-bedroom casitas in a complex called "The Champions Club," which is a short walk from the main club and the Sports and Spa center.
The Café on the second floor of the tennis clubhouse overlooks the sunked stadium court. There is also a restaurant in the golf clubhouse and the Main Dining Room.
Mar. 19-21, 2010: Dennis Ralston Premier Camp
www.ralstontennis.com Phone: 760-636-4055
For all levels
Apr. 2-4, 2010: Dennis Ralston Premier Camp
www.ralstontennis.com Phone: 760-636-4055
For all levels
If you like the sound of Mission Hills, you also ought to look at:
Mission Hills Country Club
Although this is a private country club, there are a few 2 and 3-bedrooms units available for rent on a nightly basis through the country club's website, and you may find others available through individual owners. The rates quoted below do not include 10% tax or a cleaning fee on departure of $80-$95, depending on the size of the unit.
Year-round, 2010
2-bdrm: $350/night. 3-bdrm: $425-$450/night
Ralston Tennis
These three-day camps comprise 12 hours of on-court instruction and drills (ratio of 4:1) personally supervised by Dennis Ralston. The package also includes lunch with Ralston on Friday, a tennis bag, and Ralston's personal notebook. Lodging packages are also available.
For information and reservations:
Ralston Tennis
40093 Corte Los Orlanos
Indio, CA 92203
Phone: 760-636-4055
3-day packages, instruction only
$425/person
Seasons. Year-round; however, best tennis season from October into May.
General Tourist Information. Visit the Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention & Visitors Authority web site or contact them at 69-930 Hwy. 111, Suite 201, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270. Phone: 760-770-9000 or 800-967-3767 or Fax: 760-770-9001.