Grand Slam Tennis Tours
Great seat & vacation pkgs to the 2009 French Open
grandslamtennistours.com
Gunterman Tennis Schools
Amelia Island, FL; year-round Flexible pkgs; adults & jrs.
www.greattennis.com
This is your opportunity to rate and review the resorts and camps you've visited. As material comes in I'll post it here, so you can read what others think.
So far, I haven't received any written feedback on Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Spa. If you've taken a tennis vacation there, I'd like to hear your reactions.
Rate Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Spa
With 99 holes of golf, including two TPC courses,
the Sawgrass Marriott Resort ranks as the second largest golf resort in America (behind Pinehurst). It owes its tennis credentials, by contrast, less to its own facilities than to those of the ATP Tour, whose headquarters abut the resort. Anyone staying at the Marriott has playing privileges on the hard, grass, and red-clay courts of arrayed around the Tour's two-story clubhouse and to its own clay courts at the hotel.
Pro Shop: 904-285-6400
Tennis Staff. ATP Tour Headquarters general manager Brian Gottfried ranked in the top 10 in the world from 1977-80 in singles and as the No. 1 doubles team (with Ricardo Acuna) in 1974 and 1975. The day-to-day programs, aimed primarily at members and local residents, fall to Tom Salmon, who previously ran the tennis camps at Topnotch Resort and Spa in Vermont.
Beach. Though located inland, the Sawgrass Marriott does have its own beach club on the Atlantic, a 10-minute drive (or shuttle ride) away.
Golf Courses. Sawgrass is famous for its 99 holes of golf, including two TPC courses, Stadium and Valley.
Fitness Center. The hotel has a small fitness center.
If you're looking for other former touring pros who head up operations, look at:
The resort has 508 rooms, suites, and villas. In addition to basic rates, it offers Deluxe TPC Golf Packages.
Travel Instructions. By Air: The resort is a 37 miles southeast of Jacksonville Airport, which has frequent service by many major and commuter airlines. Car rentals and surface transportation are available at the airport. From the airport, take I-95 South to 9A (second exit), which veers to the right onto St. Johns Bluff Road. Follow St. Johns Bluff Rd. to Butler Blvd. (S.R. 202) and turn left (east). Butler will end at A1A. Turn right onto A1A heading to St. Augustine/Ponte Vedra (south) and continue 3.5 miles to Sawgrass. Turn right on PGA Tour Blvd. At the first stop sign take a left and the resort will be straight ahead. By car: the resort is located off A1A and quickly accessible from I-95.
General Tourist Information. Visit the Jacksonville and the Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau web site or contact them at 3 Independent Dr., Jacksonville, FL 32202; (904) 798-9148 or (800) 733-2668.