This historic 25-acre property is celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2007. John Gardiner opened it back in 1957, giving it the understated name of the "John Gardiner's Tennis Ranch" even as he established the nation's first luxury tennis camp. Both the programs and the property have evolved dramatically over the last half century—it's now known as Gardiner's Resort—but it remains with good reason the first place avid players think of when they want to indulge their passion for tennis while still enjoying creature comforts. The dedicated staff continues to uphold the traditions of excellence and service that have been the hallmarks of the Gardiner experience.

This little enclave has just 19 well-appointed rooms and cottages, each with a fireplace and private patio, scattered through an enchanted forest of trees and flowers. There are eight courts for those 19 rooms and an attentive, highly trained teaching staff, headed by Lori Macpherson, a former college player and USPTA pro who took over the reigns in July 2007.

Gardiner clients want—and receive—personal attention, with student:pro ratios never going above 4:1. Macpherson emphasizes that when describing her staff: "They are people who believe in doing whatever it takes to make a guest feel comfortable and welcome both on and off the court." The structured part of the program consists of a 3½-hour morning clinic, whose curriculum evolves over the course of a typical three-day camp. Day 1 focuses on groundstrokes, net play, serve and return of serve, doubles and singles strategy. Day 2 continues the stroke work but adds video analysis if that's something the group is interested in. Day 3 caps this off with a review followed by a round robin.

Afternoons are now unstructured, but the options include private lessons, a pro-supervised round robin, or 24/7 access to the dedicated ball-machine court called "The Cage." a pro is always available. Most get enough in the morning and use the rest of the day to sightsee, swim, or relax. The staff can help with any other arrangements, including obtaining tee times at many of the local golf courses. There is also a small fitness center and rooms for a selection of body-soothing treatments, among them sports and aroma-therapy massages. Accustomed to providing personal service, the resort is now encouraging groups and teams to visit, promising custom-designed programs to precisely fit their interests.

Meals, which are included in packages, are an integral part of the Gardiner social fabric. They begin with breakfast in a glass-roofed Garden Room. That is followed by lunch, either in the Garden Room or on the patio. Then evenings begin with a no-host cocktail hour that segues into a sumptuous four-course dinner (hors d'ouevres, starter, entree, and dessert), whose centerpiece could be a duet of prawns, seared duck breast with roasted yams and ginger orange sauce, or oven-roasted veal chop with wild mushrooms—all accompanied by Gardiner's traditional popovers.

Your Call

Here's what others have had to say about Gardiner's Resort.

• "The resort is beautiful, the lodging adequate,the weather dependably gorgeous. The service personnel were superb as was the food. Tennis instruction was very average. The instructors did not adapt our lessons to our skill level well. Also, we had four instructors in three days so we felt like we repeated day #1 three times."—K.B., Adv. Int., September 2008

• "In July of 2007 my wife and I enjoyed a three-day stay at Gardiner's (there were eight tennis players making group instruction very personal). This year we went to Kapalua so we have two resorts to compare.
  Gardiner's is the much more laid back of the two and and offers more hours of instruction but is not as good at game matching (just because of the numbers of players available). We are both 3.5 players and were there with 3.0 to 4.5 players - a healthy mix. If you love hitting lots of balls in a romantic, secluded but picturesque setting and getting good pointers and help with weaknesses, you will enjoy Gardiner's. The incomparable meals and wine are the crowning touch. The history of the resort is on the walls of the breakfast area in photos and news articles - quite interesting."—G.L., Int., September 2008

• "My wife and I attended Gardiner's for the weekend in 2005. Located in pretty Carmel Valley, this is an ideal camp/resort if you live in Northern California or the north west. A smallish resort dedicated to tennis, it has 6-8 hard courts. Pretty main lodge and restaurant and nice (not luxurious) rooms.
  great instruction, by friendly pros. Low student to teacher ratio. We played tennis for 4 hours a day. Two in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. When we attended it was adults only.
  One thing that was distinctive was the food and gardens. Lunch each day was on the patio surrounded by flowers. The food was outstanding.
  Dinner each night is in a small dinning room. The resort is intimate, service personal and the whole setting is sort of romantic, though you do hit a lot of balls and need to like tennis.
  If you and your spouse or girlfriend like tennis, live in Northern California and want to get away for a week, long weekend or weekend this might be ideal. I like it and would recommend it."—S.R., Adv. Int., July 2008

• "the resort is pleasant in an old world style... food was good and plentiful. the tennis is not designed for upper level players 4.5 and up.. it's great for a 3.0-4.0 level... they group everyone together which was not enjoyable..."—R.P., Adv., May 2008

• ""—R.L., Adv. Int., April 2008

• "I truly enjoyed my experience at Gardiner's Resort. The tennis experience was fun even for an advanced player. The ratio of pros to students in my case was 1:3. The pros introduced us to tennis in ways that were a bit unconventional, but very good.
  The food was outstanding. Every meal was excellent. I thought that the lunches were as good as the dinners. The accomodations, while somewhat older, were very nice and just what we needed.
  Overall, Gardiner's Resort was a great experience."—M.M., Adv., April 2008

• "This is a wonderful place to go with a tennis playing group of friends. On your own, the tennis level can be all over the place although they do try hard to put comparable players together. Everyone is very nice, the pros are decent, the setting is beautiful and the food wonderful. It is an incredible value if you can take advantage of their two-for-one offers."—A.R., Int., April 2008

• "I've been to Gardiner's Resort a few times. Initially the tennis program was very strong under the direction of Rick Manning. Personally, I really appreciated the insights and humor of Don Prince, the elder statesman at that time.
  The third time I went to Gardiner's, Rick and Don were both gone and the tennis instruction program was rather uneven. The last time I went to Gardiner's, the tennis program was very weak. Some of the "instructors", although enthusiastic and friendly, were just average 3.5 level tennis players and unfortunately didn't have much to offer in the way of instruction.
  The place itself was still beautiful, the food was still great, and the atmosphere was very friendly. However, I've decided not to go back unless there's a significant improvement in the tennis instruction."—J.L., Adv. Int., April 2008

• ""—D.P., Adv. Int., April 2008

Other Recreation

Golf Courses. There is no golf at the ranch; however, the staff will arrange tee-off times at many of the local courses.

Lodging

Accommodations range from bungalows with wood-burning fireplaces and enclosed patios to a three-bedroom home with a full-kitchen and private swimming pool. All have wireless internet access.

See Also

If you're looking for a luxury tennis camp, also check out:

• New England Tennis Holidays at the Inn at Essex, Vermont
• The Inn at Manitou, Canada
• Rancho Valencia Resort, California
• Topnotch Resort & Spa, Vermont

Travel Essentials

Seasons. Although now open year-round, the height of the tennis season extends from March into November.

Gardiner's Resort
P.O. Box 228
114 Carmel Valley Rd.
Carmel Valley, CA 93924
831-659-2207
Toll-free: 800-453-6225
Fax: 831-659-2492
Web Link: Gardiner's Resort

 

Travel Instructions. By Air: The nearest major airports are San Jose, 80 miles to the north and San Francisco, 117 miles north. However, there is also a small regional gateway in Monterey Peninsula Airport, 20 miles from the resort. By Car: From San Francisco or San Jose, take Hwy. 101 South to the Monterey Peninsula Exit and Hwy. 156 West. Follow Hwy. 156 or Hwy. 1 South to Carmel Valley Road. Turn left and continue for 13 miles and watch for a small sign on the right-hand side marking the entrance to the ranch.

General Tourist Information. Visit the Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau web site or contact them at P.O. Box 1770, Monterey, CA 93942. Phone: 877-MONTEREY.

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