Kelly Gunterman's Tennis School takes place on the 17 hard and clay courts (2 of them indoors) at Stratton Mountain Resort in southern Vermont. A former college and satellite player, Gunterman later worked for Peter Burwash International, Nick Bollettieri, and several John Newcombe camps, including the one that used to take place at Stratton. Out of that diverse experience he has carpentered together his own school, which avoids rigid methodology in favor of a chameleonlike approach to teaching. "We don't have a set style that we think is right," says Gunterman. Instead he adapts his instruction to their style of play and then focuses on making the experience enjoyable. "People are here on vacation so they not only want to learn to play tennis but also to have fun while they do it."

Over the years—he's been there since 1987—Gunterman has found that those who come on weekends or for just two days during the week want an intensive 5-hour-a-day program, whereas midweek campers on longer stays prefer to have afternoons free to take advantage of everything else Stratton and the surrounding area has to offer, including gondola rides, a golf school, horseback riding, mountain biking, canoeing or kayaking on Stratton Lake, a summer arts festival, or the factory outlets in nearby Manchester. Gunterman's relaxed, dogma-free approach and the resort's location in southern Vermont makes his school a popular choice, especially with those in the New York City-Boston corridor.

Overview

Once known mainly for its skiing, Stratton has evolved into a four-season resort. The ski slopes on 3,936-foot Stratton Mountain, the tallest peak in southern Vermont, funnel down to an Alpine-inspired village, whose shops, restaurants, and lodges line a single cobblestone street open only to pedestrian traffic. At the far end, that street passes beneath an archway topped by a clock tower and ends in an open plaza, site of the base lodge, the Family Fun Zone (see Children's Programs), and the gondola to the top of the mountain. In summer, that gondola passes over slopes covered with grass and carries not skiers but sightseers, mountain bikers, trail runners, and hikers.

Stratton has been in the throes of a major expansion, adding even more shops and restaurants to the village and constructing several new complexes of condominiums. The most significant of this new lodging is a condominium hotel called Long Trail House, whose two four-story wings stand immediately across the access road from the village and adjoin two inns, a small general store, a chapel, and still more blocs of condominiums. All of this is five-minute walk from the Sports Center, where the Gunterman Tennis School takes place. Add 27 holes of golf, horseback riding, children's programs, a lake for water sports, numerous hiking trails, and summer music festivals, and you have the most dimension-rich summer resort in all of Vermont.

Tennis Features

Pro Shop: 802-297-4230

Stratton has a long if episodic association with tennis. The John Newcombe organization ran tennis camps there in the 1970s and '80s and during that period it was the site of a Grand Masters tournament. Later, Andre Agassi first burst into national consciousness in 1987 when as a qualifier he reached the semifinals of the former Volvo International Tennis Championships, which was held at Stratton from 1985-89 (the event moved to New Haven when local property owners refused to allow the construction of a permanent tennis stadium), and Stratton briefly hosted the Acura U.S. Women's Hardcourts Championships. In the 1984, it further enhanced its tennis credentials by building an impressive sports center with indoor courts, two racquetball courts, a complete fitness area, massage rooms, an indoor lap pool, and a fully equipped tennis and fitness shop. It redid its 15 hard and clay courts and in 1987 brought in Kelly Gunterman to run a tennis school.
Then the resort inexplicably lost interest in conducting a full-scale tennis program and suspended the school. Gunterman tried to keep it alive by using the Stratton Mountain Inn, but when that did not work out, the school closed only to reopen in 1991 after Gunterman convinced Stratton to let him run the school independently. Since then, it has continued to grow in popularity, drawing as many as 20 campers during the week and nearly 30 on some weekends (though to his credit Gunterman runs the program even if only two or three people show up).

Tennis Staff. Tennis director Kelly Gunterman played his junior tennis in Indiana and then competed for Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee while working on a business administration and marketing degree. He also took a shot at the satellite circuit until, he says, "I found out I was either going to be real skinny or do something else." He subsequently taught for Peter Burwash International in Hawaii, for the John Newcombe organization in Texas, North Carolina, Mexico, and here at Stratton, and for Nick Bollettieri in Florida. He heads a staff of eight pros, who range from very experienced to relatively new (though almost all are now USPTA certified).
Tennis Programs. The program Gunterman started in 1987 at Stratton was, he admits, very similar in format to the original Newcombe camps. Gradually, however, his own methodology evolved. On weekends, the camps last five to six hours a day. Moderately intense in their demands, they stop well short of boot camp. His midweek program, on the other hand, gives you two options: book a two-day program and you'll still be on the court roughly five hours a day. Book a five-day program, and you're looking at morning sessions that last three hours and thus leave afternoons free for other activities at the resort, trips into Manchester's factory outlets, social tennis, or if you really haven't had enough an optional afternoon clinic (at extra cost).
Both start by working on volleys and include daily videotape sessions. Gunterman has campers stay with the same pro throughout the entire morning or afternoon period. Although that does allow the pro get to know campers better and thus adapt his drills and instruction to he or she feels will be most effective, it also means that you can get stuck with a junior pro for longer periods.
What Gunterman does not do except for a Saturday evening cocktail party is organize social gatherings after the on-court work ends. A buffet lunch at a restaurant/bar in the village is included in the package, and so it is then that campers most easily get to know one another. In general, he gets mostly couples, teams, or groups of friends—it is not a camp I recommend for those traveling alone.
In addition to his adult programs, Gunterman runs a solid junior program. Five-day midweek packages include breakfast, lunch, tennis, use of the sports center, and other physical activities, including the climbing wall and admission to the skate park.
If you opt not to take the Gunterman school, your tennis options are rather limited. There are private lessons, a daily stroke clinic, and some effort at game matching (though those who've taken advantage of it say this has not always been very satisfying). Stronger players in particular (4.0 and above) have complained to note being able to find good competition.
Courts & Fees. The 15 outdoor courts—8 clay and 7 hard—are laid out mostly in pairs in a grassy plot just behind and below the sports center. None have water and few have shade. The Sports Center itself houses two indoor courts. Court fees: none for those on tennis school packages; otherwise, $20/hour outdoors, $28/hour indoors.
Caveat: Make sure you have a water bottle to take to the courts. You can fill them at any of several dispensers in the Sports Center.

Your Call

Here's what others have had to say about Stratton Mountain Resort and Gunterman Tennis Schools.

• "Great. A very professional yet personable staff. Good individual attention from several points of view. Kelly is actively involved in the instructions and there were instructors on both sides of the courts at any given time."—J.M., Int., October 2007

• "Well rounded staff with a great enthusiasm for the game, friendly and fun. We'll be back!"—H.S., Low Int., September 2007

• "The tennis instruction was very good, with plenty of individual attention. The video sessions were very helpful and the pros did a good job of helping you see areas for improvement without making you feel bad about your weaknesses.
  The pace of the drills was about right - plenty of action, but leaving you able to come back for more the next session. It might have been nice to mix the players around a little bit more during our sessions, but I'm not sure they knew we wanted to do that. Overall, a great experience with plenty of pointers and tips to take home and work on.
  The lodging was fabulous - beautiful condos across from the village. The lunch food was plentiful and delicious. We liked the ability to go out on our own for dinner."—F.H., Int., September 2007

• "This school does an excellent job of picking up aspects of your game that need small tweaks and applying drills to improve them. It is a fast paced day with drills emphasizing various aspects of tennis. Each day brings a new area(s) of emphasis. The final day is normally devoted to bringing it all together.
  I wish they did more to help find games, but I would have probably been too tired to play well after the 5 hours of drills anyhow! I highly recommend this school."—G.B., Int., September 2007

• "I keep coming back for many years. This program is excellent! Well designed and balanced."—I.B., Adv., August 2007

• "Tennis camp in a beautiful setting! Very accommodating to meet individual scheduling needs. Can choose between intensive 5 hours of instruction for 2 days, 3 hours for 5 days (or fewer days), 2 hour afternoon clinics, or individual lessons. My husband and I selected different levels of intensity to meet our needs. We both found the staff experienced, helpful, and friendly. We combined our tennis with hiking and kayaking to make a wonderful relaxing Vermont vacation!"—A.S., Adv. Int., August 2007

• "I really enjoyed the 2 day camp - lots of tennis. Kelly and his team were very organized and kept things moving at a good pace - lots of drills, games, etc. I felt they did a good job of continually regrouping campers as the campers' abilities became evident to the staff. The staff did a good job on suggesting possible refinements without being discouraging. Very enjoyable!"—L.L., Adv. Int., August 2007

• "Good teaching skills, just the right intensity level, lots of hitting, and lots of fun as well. Good environment, good people, well run camp, would recommend it highly."—R.B., Int., August 2007

• "Although I have played tennis for more than 20 years my week at Gunterman's in Vermont were my first ever tennis lessons. I was quite nervous about how I would be treated and what awaited me. The instructors were patient with my numerous faults (LOL). They explained, demonstrated and reinforced better technique and strategy. I enjoyed every minute and was totally satisfied. There were people there at higher levels and people who were beginners. Everyone seemed to feel as I did."—G.K., Int., August 2007

• "The camp was a great experience. I had been "playing" tennis for 30 years but never had a formal lesson. Kelly and his staff helped me begin to undo years of bad habits and build on what I could do. It was very well organized without feeling like I was in boot camp. They kept everything fun and light as well as helpful."—R.K., Low Int., August 2007

• "This was my first time at Stratton Tennis Camp. The instructors were all patient,affable guys, who were able to suggest and demonstrate many major and minor changes in technique to enhance performance on the court -- and the enjoyment of the game. I would thoroughly recommend this camp to all levels of players."—B.C., Low Int., August 2007

• "Here with the family and a great experience. We will be back!!!"—H.H., Low Int., July 2007

Other Recreation

Golf Courses. Stratton has 27 holes of golf designed by Geoffrey Cornish, who named each nine for its features: Mountain, Lake, and Forest. There is also a well-regarded 22-acre golf school.

Fitness Center. A feature that dramatically enhances the tennis complex at Stratton is its Sports Center. It contains an indoor lap pool, whirlpool, two workout rooms—one in a windowed rooms on the main floor with 10 or so stations of Paramount and Trotter Nautilus equipment and some free weights, the other upstairs with an array of cardiovascular machines and a few Cybex stations. There is also am aerobics studio, two racquetball courts, tanning beds, and several massage rooms. The full-service pro shop sells both tennis and fitness clothing and equipment.

And ... In addition to everything else, Stratton has a skate park (with inline skate and skateboard rentals), a climbing wall, mountain-bike rentals, gondola rides to the top of 3,936-foot Stratton Mountain, fly fishing on the Battenkill River, and canoe and kayak rentals. There are also trail rides on horseback, an overnight junior riding camp (two sessions a summer), overnight trail rides to a rustic lodge, wagon rides, and group and private riding lessons.

Children's Programs

During the summer, Stratton runs a daily KidsKamp and Little KidsKamp for children ages 3-12. It operates from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. from late June into early September, includes some junior tennis, and is complimentary to anyone booking Stratton lodging. There is also a KidsKare program for those ages 6 weeks to 3 years, available on a half day or full day basis. In addition, the resort has a Family Fun Zone, a multi-activity indoor play area with musical instruments, arts and crafts supplies, computer games, and an indoor climbing wall, all intended mainly for kids ages 4 to 10. Admission for kids is $5 but adults who want to participate pay nothing when accompanied by their child.

Lodging

Although there are two lodges at Stratton—the 125-room Stratton Mountain Inn, which has an outdoor pool and its own tennis courts, and the Liftline Lodge, which has one tennis court—you may be able to strike a better deal by booking a condominium through the tennis school, since it gets preferred rates at Stratton's condos. Individually owned and furnished, these vary in size and quality. The newest is Long Trail House, just across the access road from the village. This four-story building contains 75 very handsomely decorated studios, 1- and 2-bedroom units, all with fireplaces, full kitchens, convertible sofas, decks or patios, and its own outdoor swimming pool and whirlpools. Every floor has a washer dryer and there is a two-story-high lobby with a stone fireplace. Coffee and muffins are laid out for guests each morning and there is a concierge to book dinner reservations, ski lessons, massage appointments, or whatever other services guests need.
Otherwise, I have often stayed in a complex called Obertal, whose spacious one-bedroom, one-bath came with a fully equipped kitchen (down to microwave, coffeemaker, and dishwasher), a large living room with a fireplace and two fold-out sofas, a small deck, and a washer-dryer.

See Also

Although this is a tennis school in a resort setting, Gunterman's gets a relatively large turnout more typical of dedicated camps. That makes comparisons somewhat more difficult; however, worth looking at are:

• Litchfield Golf & Beach Resort, South Carolina
• New England Tennis Holidays, New Hampshire
• Sea Pines Resort, South Carolina
• Van der Meer Shipyard Racquet Club, South Carolina
• Wintergreen Resort, Virginia

Travel Essentials

Seasons. The Tennis School season runs from early May to mid October.

Rates.

Reservations:

Stratton Mountain Resort
Stratton Mountain, VT 05155
802-297-4000
Toll-free: 800-787-2886
Fax: 802-297-2939
Web Link: Stratton Mountain Resort

NEW!

Book Online: Stratton Mountain Resort

Gunterman Tennis Schools
P.O. Box 1633
Manchester Center, VT 05255

Toll-free: 800-787-2886
Fax: 802-867-0382
Web Link: Gunterman Tennis Schools

Travel Instructions. By Air: Although there is a regional airport in Rutland, Vermont, the nearest major airport is Albany, New York, 81 miles to the southwest. By Car: Stratton is 139 miles from Boston, 295 miles from New York City, and 210 miles from Montreal. The resort is four miles from Bondville, which is on Rt. 30.

General Tourist Information. Visit the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing web site or contact them at 6 Baldwin Street, Drawer 33, Montpelier, VT 05633-1301; Phone 800-VERMONT (800-837-6668).

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