Boar's Head Resort

Charlottesville, Virginia

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By Roger Cox, Editor

With 26 hard and clay courts, 12 of them indoors, and a six-court stadium for the UVA tennis teams, Boar's Head appears as a very bright blip on any tennis vacationer's radar. That's a huge complex for a resort with only 168 rooms, and the fact that it sits in the foothills of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains near such historic sites as Thomas Jefferson's mountaintop home Monticello and the handsome University of Virginia campus that he founded only adds to the allure.
The entire resort, including its expansive Sports Club, is owned by the University of Virginia Foundation. As a result, the club also serves as the home site for the University of Virginia's tennis teams. They can play, train, and host tournaments outdoors on their dedicated complex of six hard courts or indoors at the Boar's Head Sports Club. What's more, there are ATP and WTA Pro Challenger events that take place during the spring and fall which provide opportunities to see great tennis up close at no cost (Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek are past participants).

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Boar's Head Sports Club, which has long served local members and the University of Virginia teams magnificently, also has an interest in the needs of hotel guests. With a deep roster of tennis professionals under head pro Troy Porco, it has the staff to mount a broad program of weekly events, including several weekly clinics of various sorts—Beginner/Intermediate, Advanced, Cardio, and "Drills For Thrills"—every day of the week. There are also year-round junior camps/clinics (available to the children of hotel guests), run by Ohio State University standout and former ATP touring pro Ralf Steinbach, and an adult tennis academy—with customized programs offered most weekends—headed by seasoned ALTA coach Brian Glass.

Tennis Staff. Troy Porco oversees the entire Boar's Head Tennis Club program. He played collegiate tennis at Florida International University and then went on to coach the Auburn University women's team and helped to coach the UVA women's team before joining the Boar's Head staff.

Courts & Fees. There are 14 outdoor (10 hard, 4 clay) and 12 indoor hard courts as well as 6 pickleball courts (2 indoor, 4 outdoor). That does not count the new stadium with 6 hard courts reserved for UVA tennis teams and competition. Court fees: $20/hour outdoors, $15-$35 indoors.

Ratings (241 Reviewers)
Tennis Overall Tennis Staff Instruction	Game Matching Junior Tennis Pickleball	Cuisine Lodging Spa & Fitness	Dollar Value Other Recreation Setting	Kids' Programs Romance Solo Travelers
Boar's Head Tennis Academy Ratings ( 84 Reviewers)
Tennis Overall	Tennis Staff	Instruction	Junior Tennis	Pickleball

Sponsor

Ratings (241 Reviewers)
Tennis Overall Instruction Tennis Staff Lodging Spa & Fitness Dollar Value Kids' Programs Solo Travelers	Game Matching Junior Tennis Pickleball Cuisine Other Recreation Setting Romance
Boar's Head Tennis Academy Ratings ( 84 Reviewers)
Tennis Overall Instruction Tennis Staff	Junior Tennis Pickleball

Other Recreation

Golf Courses. Davis Love II recently redesigned the resort's championship Birdwood Golf Course creating what is, in fact, a brand-new golf course, to the degree that some of its holes are on new land and others are now played in the opposite direction. Six sets of tees mean the par-71 course plays from 4,000 to 7,200 yards. Its signature 16th, 17th, and 18th fairways wrap around the historic Birdwood Mansion. In addition, there is a 6-hole, pad-3 course.

Spa & Fitness Center. The Boar's Head Spa is once again open following a complete renovation. The tennis courts are part of the Sports Club, a sprawling complex comprising a Junior Olympic swimming pool and two other pools, a state-of-the-art fitness center with a Cardio theater and Cybex weight-training, a climbing wall, squash and racquetball courts, some 55 weekly classes (among them Pilates and water aerobics), kids' programs, and child care.

Lodging

The 170 rooms occupy four four-story buildings in stone and cafe-au-lait-colored clapboard with gables on their shingle or metal roofs. The decor runs to four-poster beds and brass lamps, typical of a country estate, but with modern amenities like high-speed Internet access. Some have fireplaces and balconies. Views tend to be of the lake or verdant countryside.

Restaurants

There are four food outlets at the Boar's Head, chief among them the recently renovated Mill Room in the restored 1834 grist mill. It focuses on fresh, local ingredients and has a lounge and outdoor seating. In addition, you have the choice Racquets Restaurant and the outdoor Deep End Bar & Grill, both located at the Sports Club, as well as the Birdwood Ba & Grill in the golf clubhouse.

See Also

For comparison's sake, also check out:

• Four Seasons Resort and Club, Texas
• The American Club, Wisconsin
• Wintergreen Resort, Virginia

Rates and Reservations

Boar's Head Resort

Rooms range from standard in the inn to those with lake views or fireplaces and finally to full suites. See their web site for current rates.

Boar's Head Resort
200 Ednam Dr.
Charlottesville, VA 22903

Boar's Head Tennis Academy

Boar's Head Tennis Academy
Charlottesville, VA 22903

Travel Essentials

Season. Year-round.

Travel Instructions. The nearest airport is Charlottesville-Albemarle Regional Airport (CHO), which is 10 miles from the resort.

General Tourist Information. Among the local attractions are Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, James Monroe's Ash Lawn-Highland, and the Historic Michie Tavern, where you can have lunch. For more information about these and other local sites, visit the Charlottesville/Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau website or contact them at P.O. Box 178, Charlottesville, VA 22902. Phone: 804-977-1783.