There are tennis vacations. And then there are tennis retreats.
The difference matters. A tennis vacation means decent courts somewhere warm. A tennis retreat means courts that make you play better, instruction that stays with you, and a resort good enough that you don’t resent the hours you spend off the court.
I’ve been sending clients to tennis resorts for fifteen years. The ones on this list are the ones I come back to. They’re spread across the country and each has its own character, but they share key factors I look for in a luxury tennis destination: serious infrastructure, coaching that meets you where you are, and a setting that makes the whole thing feel like more than just a sport.
Whether you’re planning a focused skills week, a group trip with a competitive edge, or simply a few days with people who love the game, here’s where I’d start.
Kiawah Island Golf Resort, South Carolina
Mood: Barrier island. Palmettos and clay. Frequently ranked as the number one tennis resort in the world.
If you’re serious about tennis, you already know the name. Kiawah has held the top ranking from Tennis Resorts Online so consistently that other directors have occasionally questioned whether something was rigged. It isn’t. They’ve just built something the others haven’t caught up to.
The Roy Barth Tennis Center sits at the heart of it: 22 courts, including 10 Har-Tru clay courts, dotted around the island’s landscape with palmettos and oleander running along the fencing. The instruction program goes deep. More than a dozen pros are on the island during peak season, daily clinics are structured by skill level, and a matchmaking service that actually works. You show up, tell them what you need, and they build around it.
The resort beyond the courts holds its own. Ten miles of private beach, five championship golf courses, The Sanctuary hotel with its Forbes Five-Star rating. Evening options: drive into Charleston. It’s 21 miles and worth it.
Why It Works for a Tennis Retreat: Nothing on the East Coast touches the depth of the program here. The courts are exceptional, the instruction is serious, and the island does the rest.
Images courtesy of Kiawah Island Golf Resort.
Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa, San Diego, California
Mood: California hacienda. Orange groves. Year-round sun.
Southern California’s number one tennis resort, ranked by Tennis Magazine since 2008. Forty-five bougainvillea-draped acres in the hills above Rancho Santa Fe, 49 casita-style suites, and one of the most serious court setups in the western US: 12 Plexipave hard courts, three European red clay courts (a genuine rarity in this part of the country), three padel courts, four pickleball courts. All immaculate.
The coaching staff here skews former ATP and WTA. People who played at the highest level and still teach like it matters. Daily clinics adapt to whoever shows up that morning. If you want to drill your backhand for three days straight, they’ll arrange it. If you want match play with someone three levels above you, they’ll find someone.
The spa is exceptional. The restaurant, Veladora, is the kind of place that makes team dinners feel like an occasion. And the San Diego climate means this works in January as well as July.
Why It Works for a Tennis Retreat: Surface variety, coaching quality, and sheer beauty of setting. It’s also a Relais & Châteaux property, which tells you something about the standard.
Images courtesy of Rancho Valencia.
The Breakers, Palm Beach, Florida
Mood: Italian Renaissance. Palm Beach glamour. Brand new courts.
Founded in 1896, independently owned, and modelled on the Villa Medici in Rome – The Breakers is one of those addresses that needs no qualifying language. What’s new is the tennis.
A $12 million renovation completed in December 2024 produced a 104,000-square-foot racquet complex that is, by any measure, one of the most impressive resort tennis facilities in the country. Twelve tennis courts across three surfaces: four hydroponic grass courts (the first installation of this underground irrigation technology in the world), six hydro clay courts, and two cushioned hardtop courts. Plus two padel courts and two pickleball courts, each with its own shaded pergola and comfort station. Ken Thompson has directed the program since 1987 and has assembled a staff of 14 pros, including former Wimbledon champion John Lloyd. Daily clinics run from 9am. Match arrangements can be turned around within the hour.
Beyond the courts: a private beach, four oceanfront pools, 36 holes of golf, ten restaurants, and the Flagler Club, a private-access boutique hotel sitting atop the main building for those who want a quieter address within the address.
Why It Works for a Tennis Retreat: The renovation makes this one of the freshest facilities on the list, and Palm Beach adds an atmosphere that’s hard to replicate anywhere else in Florida. The surface variety alone, grass, clay, and hardtop, sets it apart.
Images courtesy of The Breakers.
Sea Island, Georgia
Mood: Grand. Southern. Har-Tru and golden light.
Sea Island has been welcoming guests since 1928. Nearly a century in, the Cloister still carries itself with the ease of a place that knows its history. The tennis infrastructure is worthy of that confidence.
Sixteen Har-Tru courts total: eight at the Cloister Tennis Center, including a sunken stadium court, and eight more at the Retreat Tennis Center. All clay, all beautifully maintained. The Academy runs clinics and drills daily, and the matchmaking here is unusually good. Guests consistently note that pros will arrange competitive play at the right level, staying late if that’s what it takes. That kind of care is harder to find than it sounds.
Off the courts: five miles of private beach, three championship golf courses, a 65,000-square-foot spa, squash courts, a shooting school, horseback riding on the beach. For a multi-day program, the resort has enough to fill every hour without anyone feeling like they’ve run out of options.
Why It Works for a Tennis Retreat: The clay court program is exceptional, the Southern setting is unmatched, and the scale of Sea Island means a group never tips the balance of the place.
Images courtesy of Sea Island Georgia.
The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Miami
Mood: Tropical. High-energy. The best racquet facility of any Ritz in the world.
Five miles from downtown Miami, on a seven-mile barrier island that operates at a completely different pace from the city. The Cliff Drysdale Racquet Garden was designed by Cliff Drysdale himself and holds that distinction: the largest and most complete tennis and padel venue of any Ritz-Carlton property worldwide. Eleven courts, plus three padel courts that were the first of their kind in the United States when they opened.
Max Mangones leads a team of up to ten international pros during the season. The daily 90-minute clinics are known for their energy and live-ball format. Evening sessions, doubles match setups, a ladies’ retreat program that has people booking the same week year after year.
For a group that’s earned a reward, or one that wants Miami available at the end of a hard day on court, this is the answer. The hotel side: 1,200 feet of Atlantic beachfront, a 20,000-square-foot spa, five dining venues. The formula works because the two sides don’t compete with each other.
Why It Works for a Tennis Retreat: The instruction program is among the most structured in the country, the courts are excellent, and the Miami access makes evenings their own reward.
Images courtesy of The Ritz-Cartlon Key Biscayne.
The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Mood: Legendary. Mountain air. Year-round, rain or shine.
Opened in 1918, set at 6,230 feet against Cheyenne Mountain, on the Top 25 Tennis Resorts list for 20 consecutive years. The Broadmoor has hosted presidents and world leaders and more group retreats than probably any other single address in the country. The tennis program has earned eight facility awards over the resort’s lifetime.
Four tennis courts (two cushioned hard, two Har-Tru), six dedicated pickleball courts, and a heated indoor bubble that covers the hard courts through winter for year-round play. The number is smaller than the others on this list, but the program quality more than compensates. The private camp format, which runs groups of four to eight players with one or two pros over three days, is particularly well-suited to groups who want a structured, immersive experience. Teams rebook the same dates year after year.
Beyond the courts: three golf courses, a full spa, mountain biking, fly fishing, falconry, rock climbing. The Rockies as backdrop. For a group that wants the grandeur of the American West with the certainty of world-class instruction, The Broadmoor rises to the challenge.
Why It Works for a Tennis Retreat: The bubble courts make it all-weather. The private camp format is ideal for smaller groups. And nothing else in the western US comes close to the overall standard of the resort.
Images courtesy of The Broadmoor.
Planning the Perfect Tennis Retreat
Six luxury tennis destinations. Kiawah for depth of program. The Breakers for surface variety and Palm Beach glamour. Rancho Valencia and Key Biscayne for warmth and beauty. Sea Island for Southern grandeur with serious clay credentials. The Broadmoor for altitude, mountain air, and a year-round setup that doesn’t bend to weather.
The right match depends on the group, the level of play, and what the week is actually for. A group of 4.0+ players trying to sharpen a specific part of their game needs a different setup than a mixed group doing social clinics with long dinners afterward. Getting that match right is where the planning starts, and it makes all the difference.
This is the kind of trip I love putting together. I know these properties, I know their tennis programs, and I know what each one actually delivers versus what the brochure says. If you’re thinking about where to take your group, please reach out. I’d love to help you figure it out.
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