Longboat Key Club/Resort
On Florida's SW coast;home of New 20-court Tennis Gardens
www.longboatkeyclub.com
TOPS'L Resort
Top 10 U.S. Tennis Resort Tennis pkgs: 888-248-4964
www.topsl.com
Here's what others have had to say about Pinehurst Resort & Country Club.
""—A.Q., Adv. Int., June 2010
""—G.S., Int., May 2010
"My wife and I went down for our 15th anniversary. Had a great, great time. Great meals, wonderful staff, didn't get in our car all weekend. The tennis instruction was fantastic. Lars is a great guy who makes the instruction enjoyable and informative. He went out of his way to make our instruction a lot of fun. Would highly recommend this to any tennis enthusiast."—M.S., Int., May 2010
"I have been to Pinehurst several times for a week of tennis instruction. The head tennis pro there, Matt Downing, is excellent. He works you hard, but keeps it light, and tailors new instruction each day so that the lessons do not get routine. I strongly recommend the Pinehurst facility and their tennis pros."—F.K., Adv. Int., May 2010
"Great venue for a combination of tennis, golf and spa. Top notch instruction and beautiful location. Tennis program is broad enough to satisfy the true beginner through the advanced club player."—C.N., Adv. Int., May 2010
"I've been playing tennis for 3-1/2 years & I'm currently at the 3.5 level. This was my 1st group tennis camp, and I found it very beneficial in improving aspects of my doubles game. I would definitely recommend the teaching staff of Matt & Kevin to help improve your game."—M.S., Adv. Int., April 2010
"I have attended many tennis camps and clinics at Pinehurst with many tennis friends. Their Adult tennis weekend package cannot be beat for the price and what you receive in tennis instruction, lodging and meals!!! There is nothing negative to report."—E.P., Int., April 2010
""—P.W., Int., April 2010
"I just recently attended a day clinic with 10 other women from Johnston and Wake Co.(Raleigh, NC area). I think all of us had a great time and really appreciated Matt's and Kevin's clinics and stradegy. We look forward to doing it again, probably in the fall of 2010 if not before. Thanks for your help and now I will try to put it to good use. Gloria Rowe"—G.R., Int., April 2010
""—P.M., Adv., March 2010
"A very good experience. The instructor was great and the woman arranging our clinics etc. was very efficient to work with."—J.L., Int., March 2010
"It was a lovely, relaxing weekend. Our tennis pro was terrific and we all considered the trip a huge success. The only negative was that one of us wanted to buy a new tennis racket and the person running the pro shop didn't know pricing, how to order one, or anything else to do with a racket purchase. It's too bad as my friend would have bought the racket she demoed on the spot."—L.W., Int., March 2010
Rate Pinehurst Resort & Country Club
What am I doing at Pinehurst, 
the largest of all the country's golf resorts? I'm the guy, after all, who when asked whether he ever takes a set of clubs and heads for the fairways replies, "Excuse me? Golf is a four-letter word." The last place I ought to be spending a weekend is in a North Carolina village synonymous with g--f.
Pinehurst does, of course, have good tennis credentials. From 1994-96 this was the site of the U.S. Clay Court Championships, an era that drew Patrick Rafter, David Wheaton, Todd Martin, Mats Wilander and the Woodies, among others. Club Corporation of America, which owns it, built a new tennis clubhouse, in the same white clapboard as the historic hotel, and has encouraged Wolf in his desire to expand the tennis membership—which now numbers over 400—and to bring in other tennis events, including the National Men's 70 and 85 Championships. And the weekend I was there, so were several hundred USTA league players competing in the North Carolina championships.
The golf notwithstanding, tennis has an ever-strengthening foothold on guests' time. "We see our resort tennis business growing," tennis director Matt Downing told me. A North Carolina native himself, he has been a part of Pinehurst for a decade, having started out as head pro. Since taking over the directorship he has doubled the number of daily clinics—there's one at 9 a.m. for beginners and a second at 10 a.m. geared to 3.5 players who want faster-paced drills and doubles strategy. 
He's also been even more focused on game matching: "We try to contact people in advance to set up matches if we know they're coming down," he says. "We try to go the extra mile." He has about 350 active members to draw on. The Friday and Saturday round robins provide an additional opportunity to meet other players.
Meanwhile, the resort has added a spa, a large children's playground next to the hotel, and new children's programs. The 6 hard and 18 conscientiously maintained clay courts are a five-minute walk from the historic hotel and so is the historic village of Pinehurst and its shops and restaurants. There's also a swimming pool at the hotel, croquet courts adjacent to the main golf clubhouse, an equestrian center, and even a lake with a beach and marina.
In a peculiar way there are actually advantages to being at a resort most of whose guests are golfers. Court time is much easier to come by—and free on tennis packages. Granted, the infatuation with golf is inescapable, from the paintings of professional golfers, past and current, lining the walls to a rich wood-paneled bar called the Ryder Cup Lounge. But rather that sit inside and eavesdrop as golfers lament their performances on the fabled Donald Ross-designed No. 2, one of the top-ranked courses in the nation, I took my beer out onto the broad covered porch and relaxed in one of the many rocking chairs. You can spend a weekend here and never have to utter that four-letter word once.
Pro Shop: 910-295-8558
Golf Courses. Pinehurst has 8, including the legendary No. 2, which is considered Donald Ross's masterpiece.
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Lodging at Pinehurst consists of the main old hotel, two inns (Manor and Holly) and condos.