If you visited Naples Tennis Club & Resort—or as it was then known, the Naples Bath & Tennis Club—during the 1970s and '80s, you probably remember it as one of the great tennis havens, a place where all of the activity focused on its 37 clay courts and where seemingly every condo owner or renter was an avid player. If you visited during the 1990s, you may have wondered what all the hype was about as resort lost its way as it passed through a series of owners. But if you go back now, you'll find, as I did, a concerted effort being made to return to its old glory.

The rebirth began in May 2000, when its then new owners sank more than $6 million to refurbish the clay courts and thoroughly modernize the clubhouse and its amenities and the surrounding landscaping. That included the addition of a 3,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art fitness center, new locker rooms with sauna and steam, new massage rooms, and a new pub with an indoor dining room adjacent and an outdoor patio overlooking the courts. Then in the late spring of 2005, another set of owners, all of them passionate players, bought the property with plans to continue that transformation. So far their most dramatic act has been to lure Spain's renowned Academia Sánchez-Casal to set up a branch at Naples Tennis.

The new owners have plans to add terraced seating below the clubhouse to create a stadium court, where they want to stage high-profile exhibitions and ATP Tour events. Plans also call for a new pro shop, a full-service spa, and 30-room upscale boutique hotel. I'll keep you posted as plans progress.

Tennis Features

Pro Shop: 239-261-5524

The white clubhouse with a blue tile roof sits atop a grassy knoll overlooking a sea of 38 tennis courts, all but one of them clay. The clubhouse itself is a semicircular building embracing a vast patio on the court side. At one end is the Palm Restaurant, the Pub, and a card rooms; at the other, the fitness center, aerobics room, and offices. The pro shop occupies space in the open lobby at the center of the clubhouse at the moment but will eventually take over what are now offices.

Tennis Staff. Curly Davis, the sharp and personable coach who formerly ran the adult programs at the Hopman Tennis Program at Saddlebrook Resort, is now running the adult programs for Academia Sanchez-Casal, adopting their methodology. "They focus more on movement on the tennis court," says Davis of the change. The program has thus altered to emphasize movement for two hours in the morning and then stroke production during the two-hour afternoon sessions. The highest-end packages bundle in massages, Pilates and physical training, stretching, and lunch with the on-court work. "It's going to be like a Bollettieri or Saddlebrook," says Davis of the change. Meanwhile, Bill Beverly, who was the glue that held Naples Bath together during its heyday as a tennis haven, is back, this time as membership director.
Junior Programs: The Academia Sanchez-Casal brings a new level of junior development to Naples Tennis. Preliminary plans call a small number of live-in juniors—perhaps 10 to 20—from all over the world to train there year-round while offering short-term camps and day camps for other aspiring young tennis players. As I get more details I'll post them here.
Courts & Fees. There are 37 clay courts (10 with lights) and 1 lighted hard court and during temperate times of the year you'll still find every court in use at 9 a.m. Court fees: None.

Your Call

Here's what others have had to say about Naples Tennis Club & Resort and Academia Sanchez-Casal Adult Camp.

• ""—A.G., Int., April 2008

• "This facility is simply beautiful. Well kept, and groomed har-tru courts. Have not been there since the Sanchez folks have arrived with the world class training program but I hear good things."—R.K., Adv., April 2008

• "My three girlfriends and I went to Curly Davis's tennis program at Naples Bath and Tennis Club this last March for a week. We rented a 3 bedroom condo right by the tennis courts which had just been updated. It was a bargain! It cost each of us appox. $450 for the week in accommodations because we were enrolled in the 10 hour tennis program.
  The tennis courts and workout facility were unbelievable. The tennis pro was great and really helped all of us with our game but there really wasn't any interaction with any other tennis players. I would say that the biggest weakness is that there was nothing going on as far as involving us in any round robins, matchplay, social tournament or even drilling with any other players.
  Also, There really isn't any breakfest, lunch or dinner place on the premises that we could even socialize with any other tennis players. They had one little lunch place which was totally empty. I know that the tennis program is new and maybe they will be able to draw more tennis players looking for what we were looking for which is an atmosphere of tennis comraderie."—S.W., Adv., April 2008

• "The other 3 guests who were supposed to be in the adult program when I was there in October 2007 pulled out at the last minute. Their loss was my gain. I ended up with private tennis sessions with Curly in the mornings and pilates/stretching training with Anna in the afternoons for the week I was there.
  It's one thing to read tennis advice in a magazine or book, or even view it on video, and a whole other thing to have a top flight instructor who happens to also be a gifted communicator, guide you until you get it, internalize it and repeat it on court.
  Curly Davis made a huge impact on my game, which started via email weeks before my arrival when he asked what my goals were. I left Naples having accomplished all of them-- which for me were learning to hit with more topspin and power off both sides, improving my lobs and developing a reliable and effective second serve. Perhaps my favorite part was just talking with Curly during the breaks about playing pros he's worked with or knows, or squeezing his brain for more tennis tips; take a look at his office when you are there, he just may own every tennis book ever written in English.
  Another highlight was the fun, intelligent and challenging workouts with Anna, through which I learned stretching and core strengthening exercises specific for tennis. I stayed at a hotel, so can't rate the condos, but the fitness center, endless courts and entire grounds are impeccable. In short, I had a great tennis vacation."—T.V., Adv. Int., January 2008

• "Wonderful facility. Great game matching. You can play as much as you like even if you don't bring partners. Plenty of har-tru courts. Exhibitions, socials, clinics, you name it. Highly recommend it for tennis buffs."—P.J., Int., January 2008

• "We decided at the last minute to attend tennis camp/ mornings and stay at the resort. our condo was very old and dated/ rugs and windows were dirty. bedding old.... after attending one a.m. session our daughter pulled out for private lessons...there were no high school age kids during the xmas session. We definitely would not return to this resort."—A.H., Int., January 2008

Other Recreation

Spa & Fitness Center. The new 3,000-square-foot fitness center has cardiovascular and weight-training equipment as well as free weights. Windows along one side face an outside deck that overlooks the swimming pool, while windows on the opposite side look out toward a lake. Personal trainers are available as are classes in Pilates and aerobics. Stairs from the fitness center lead down to locker rooms with sauna and steam and to a suite of massage rooms.

And ... NBTC has a junior Olympic swimming pool, a kiddie pool, and jogging and biking trails.

Lodging

At the moment there are roughly 50 units in the rental pool, ranging in size from one to three bedrooms. All have fully equipped kitchens and washers and dryers. Some of them have been thoroughly refurbished and are owned by the resort, others have individual owners and thus can vary in decor and upkeep (though owners with units in the rental pool are being encouraged to upgrade if they haven't already).

Restaurants

Greg Revener, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of Florida, oversees the Royal Palm Room, the main dining area, which specializes in traditional and Continental fare. It is open for dinner. The Banyan Grille, which extends outside onto the patio beneath, what else?, a banyan tree, serves sandwiches and salads.

Calendar

See Also

The other resorts where tennis is the most important diversion are:

• Colony Beach & Tennis Resort, Florida
• La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, California
• Shadow Mountain Resort & Club, California
• TOPS'L Beach & Racquet Resort, Florida

Travel Essentials

Seasons. Year-round though summers are hot in this part of Florida.

Naples Tennis Club & Resort
4995 Airport-Pulling Rd. North
Naples, FL 34105
239-261-5777
Toll-free: 800-225-9692
Fax: 239-261-6998
Web Link: The Naples Tennis Club & Resort

 

Travel Instructions. By Air: The nearest airport is Southwest Florida International Airport in Ft. Myers, 35 miles to the north. By Car: From I-75 North or Alligator Alley take Exit 16. Proceed west on Pine Ridge Road for approximately 2 miles to Airport Road and turn left to head south to the first traffic light. Go through the light and NBTC is on the right about ¼ mile along.

General Tourist Information. For information about this region, visit the Tourism Alliance of Collier County web site.

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