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Tennis Resorts Online

Tennis Bucket List

Unable to travel during the pandemic, I tried to satisfy the urge to get away by dreaming of the places I've always wanted to visit. I've been luckier than most since my work has taken me to hundreds of tennis resorts and camps and all four Grand Slam Championships, but still I keep a running tennis bucket list. As a travel writer, I'm often asked what's my favorite place, and my answer is there's nothing so exciting as visiting someplace you've never been. For me, that applies to tennis resorts and camps, too. So here are the Top 3 on my bucket list, the first of which I've been fortunate to cross off.


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No. 1. For decades, the Roy Emerson Tennis Weeks at the Place Hotel in Gstaad, Switzerland occupied the No. 1 spot on my tennis bucket list. The very outline of the program inspired dreams. Where else can you spend five hours a day on historic red-clay courts—the former site of the Gstaad Open—coached a legend who'd won 28 Grand Slam titles, 12 of them in singles? Jagged peaks and forested slopes backdrop a grand and itself historic family-run hotel perched just above the courts and a short walk (or free shuttle ride) from the town of Gstaad. The hotel kitchens prepare multi-course lunches and dinners, supplemented, if you wish, by wines from a well-stocked cellar. Every aspect of the week is enchanting, so much so that many guests leave vowing to come back the next year. I did too, though circumstances and the pandemic delayed that return until last year, this time with my partner. That trip and her delight convinced me more than ever that it had deserved its place at the top of my bucket list. Tennis Resorts Online visitors agree, having crowned it the No. 1 tennis camp in the world almost since we started publishing rankings.

You can see my top 3 that remain on my list by visiting Jan. 2023 Newsletter and I encourage you to let us know what's on your bucket list. You can share it by checking out What's On Your Bucket List?.

The Guide To Taking Your Tennis Or Pickleball Racquet On the Road

Since 1999, Tennis Resorts Online has been helping vacationers decide where to go on their next tennis holiday. I've made a career of giving such advice, initially as Tennis magazine's travel and resorts editor and since 1999 as the founder of this website. What you see here are not paid listings but the descriptions—provided without cost to resorts and camps—of those properties I feel are worthy of your attention. Over the course of several decades, I've visited more than 350 resorts on five continents and participated in some 50 different tennis camps, many more than once. It is that personal experience—supplemented now by reviews submitted by vacationers like you—that underpins this website.

Finding the Tennis Resort or Camp That's Best For You

What you'll find on these and the following pages is a suite of tools to help you make an informed choice on where to go. Start by checking out the rankings of the Top 100 Tennis Resorts and Camps, which we base solely on the reviews submitted by people like you. For more personal advice, use the "Tailored Search" form that lets you specify precisely the features you're looking for in a resort or camp. Those results link to my personal descriptions, which are supplemented by the reviews—good or bad—of others who themselves have been there. There are also maps of what can be found in six different regions of the U.S. and one for Europe. Every property we list appears in a master index, listing both alphabetically and by state, region, or country. There is also a section devoted to junior camps, though since I'm a little old to participate in any of those I've had to settle for writing a description and let those juniors who've attended or their parents write personal reviews. To supplement all of this I've included a calendar of events taking place at tennis properties across the globe. We also ask resorts or camps to put together packages that offer special discounts or perks to Tennis Resorts Online readers. You can contact me at . See you on the courts. —Roger Cox, Editor

Your Recent Reviews

Here's a sample of recent critiques of resorts and camps by other vacationers, followed by a link where you can post your own.

  • 4½-Ball Rating Omni Amelia Island Resort, Florida
    "Want to take your doubles game to the next level ... spend a few days at the Cliff Drysdale Tennis Academy (CDT) on Amelia Island. Instruction and match play with Rob (Director), and any of his teaching pros (Elliot, Sam, Brian, and Thien) and you will not be disappointed...caution, not for the "couch potato" crowd."—G.M., Adv. Int., February 2023
  • 4½-Ball Rating Hanalei Bay Resort, Hawaii
    "The tennis at Hanalei Bay was amazing! Mary the tennis pro was extremely warm and welcoming. My 8 year old son and I took a private lesson on our last day and Mary was amazing at teaching both of us!! We had a blast and wish we had taken lessons from day 1! My son says 10/10 and 20 stars!"—K.W., Low Int., March 2023
  • 3-Ball Rating Saddlebrook Tennis (Hopman), Florida
    "Saddlebrook Hopman is a great place if you want to work on your tennis skills. Steve and Ed were very technical and helpful in improving my game, and were teaching me all the things to move me from a 4.0 to 4.5 player. They were patient and proactive in letting me know my areas of improvement so I appreciate that! I love Warren's energy and fun-loving nature, a must when you are playing tennis 5 hours a day! The resort is going through a transition and needs some improvements. There was only 1 restaurant open for dinner and many of the amenities (e.g. game room, spa) were unavailable. If you can stick to the tennis aspect of your trip, Saddlebrook is fantastic!"—V.E., Adv. Int., September 2022
  • 5-Ball Rating Roy Emerson Tennis Weeks, Switzerland
    "Last summer I had the great pleasure of attending The Roy Emerson Tennis Week at the Place Hotel in Gstaad, Switzerland and plan to return again this year, to this very in demand Superb tennis experience, consisting of top class coaching and instruction by Roy and his world class pros. It was priceless spending time with Roy and his wife and hear him in the evening regale stories from his glory days on the circuit. Afternoons, we played beautifully organized games with new friends from all over the world and daily we enjoyed the most delicious meals, a true gastronomic, paired with excellent wines. The hotel is set in this very beautiful and charming Swiss town of Gstaad where we enjoyed visiting and world class shopping."—J.T., Adv. Int., February 2023
  • 4½-Ball Rating Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii, Hawaii
    "Great tennis resort. Rudy, the owner, gives personal service making sure the clients needs are known and addresses. Great adult and children’s private lessons. Thanks Rudy, we will be back next year."—J.F., Beg., December 2022

Your Recent Reviews

Here's a sample of recent critiques of resorts and camps by other vacationers, followed by a link where you can post your own.

  • 4½-Ball Rating Omni Amelia Island Resort, Florida
    "Want to take your doubles game to the next level ... spend a few days at the Cliff Drysdale Tennis Academy (CDT) on Amelia Island. Instruction and match play with Rob (Director), and any of his teaching pros (Elliot, Sam, Brian, and Thien) and you will not be disappointed...caution, not for the "couch potato" crowd."—G.M., Adv. Int., February 2023
  • 4½-Ball Rating Hanalei Bay Resort, Hawaii
    "The tennis at Hanalei Bay was amazing! Mary the tennis pro was extremely warm and welcoming. My 8 year old son and I took a private lesson on our last day and Mary was amazing at teaching both of us!! We had a blast and wish we had taken lessons from day 1! My son says 10/10 and 20 stars!"—K.W., Low Int., March 2023
  • 3-Ball Rating Saddlebrook Tennis (Hopman), Florida
    "Saddlebrook Hopman is a great place if you want to work on your tennis skills. Steve and Ed were very technical and helpful in improving my game, and were teaching me all the things to move me from a 4.0 to 4.5 player. They were patient and proactive in letting me know my areas of improvement so I appreciate that! I love Warren's energy and fun-loving nature, a must when you are playing tennis 5 hours a day! The resort is going through a transition and needs some improvements. There was only 1 restaurant open for dinner and many of the amenities (e.g. game room, spa) were unavailable. If you can stick to the tennis aspect of your trip, Saddlebrook is fantastic!"—V.E., Adv. Int., September 2022
  • 5-Ball Rating Roy Emerson Tennis Weeks, Switzerland
    "Last summer I had the great pleasure of attending The Roy Emerson Tennis Week at the Place Hotel in Gstaad, Switzerland and plan to return again this year, to this very in demand Superb tennis experience, consisting of top class coaching and instruction by Roy and his world class pros. It was priceless spending time with Roy and his wife and hear him in the evening regale stories from his glory days on the circuit. Afternoons, we played beautifully organized games with new friends from all over the world and daily we enjoyed the most delicious meals, a true gastronomic, paired with excellent wines. The hotel is set in this very beautiful and charming Swiss town of Gstaad where we enjoyed visiting and world class shopping."—J.T., Adv. Int., February 2023
  • 4½-Ball Rating Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii, Hawaii
    "Great tennis resort. Rudy, the owner, gives personal service making sure the clients needs are known and addresses. Great adult and children’s private lessons. Thanks Rudy, we will be back next year."—J.F., Beg., December 2022