Drysdale Tennis School
Stratton Mountain, VT LEGENDS Weekends from $295
www.cliffdrysdale.com
Swarthmore Adult Camp
Affordable 5-Hour/Day Sessions Scenic Campus/Day & Resident
swarthmoretenniscamp.com
Here's what others have had to say about Stratton Mountain Resort and Cliff Drysdale Tennis at Stratton.
"This weekend clinic was just the thing to jump start my game. Instruction covered all the bases and was tailored to individual needs. There were varying levels within the group and they were all addressed and treated equally well. Atmosphere was fun and focused. Tennis experience was outstanding. Lodging was disappointing and if improved would make for a great get away."—D.G., Low Int., June 2009
"I would highly recommend Cliff Drysdale Tennis at Stratton. The instruction was excellent and fun. The pros were attentive, gave constructive lessons, ran fast-paced, useful drills, and provided helpful feedback. I appreciated the fact that they did not try to completely change my game, but instead gave me key pointers for small changes I could easily make to improve my level of play. They taught with good cheer and good humor!"—S.S., Adv., June 2009
""—S.A., Adv., May 2009
"Scott is a terrific instructor and put together a great program specifically tailored to our group (4.5+) -- the quality of instruction/feedback and structure of the drills was on par/better than any major tennis resort."—J.H., Adv., May 2009
"The instruction was phenomenal. Scott was one of the best instructors I have ever had and I have taken lessons at all of the major Florida academies. He had fun drills that made us work on the issues that each person in the group needed to work on and provided lots of feedback.
The main weakness I would say was with the food. Breakfast at the lodge consisted of 2 choices of cereal, a muffin, yogurt and fruit. We had to fend for ourselves for lunch and dinner. There were very few places open in the area in May."—J.R., Adv., May 2009
"Our 4.5 USTA team just came back from a intensive weekend of training at Cliff Drysdale Tennis at Stratton with the head pro Scott Colebourne to get ready for the upcoming season. Our team has been to the best adult programs in the U.S. and Scott's program is as good if not better than those. We played 5+ hours of tennis each day and Scott customized a program for our team's needs. Whether it was live ball drills or the fed drills, Scott was always giving us helpful tips to improve our games. You could tell Scott was really interested in helping us improve and not just there to feed balls. Before you book any other adult tennis trip, I urge you to consider Scott's program - we will definitely be back."—R.K., Adv., May 2009
"It is sad to think that the Gunterman Tennis School will no longer be at Stratton. That is the main reason why me and my gourp of friends went to Stratton. It was Kelly Gunterman that added the "touch" that made us feel special. The setting is great - Facilities could use an upgrade but we went for memories and experience and to have fun! He and his talented staff provided that for us. I will be on the look out for he future sites. It is a lost for Stratton."—E.S., Int., January 2009
"My experience at Gunterman's Tennis School's was nothing short of amazing! The instructor's were full of great tips and they were all very enthusiastic! This was my first year at Stratton but it will not be my last. All the pro's were amazing and the overall experience exceeded my expectations!"—D.C., Adv. Int., August 2008
The big news at Stratton this summer is the arrival of the Cliff Drysdale organization to operate the tennis complex and offer its own Tennis School programs. 
I'm making plans to visit now; however, the early reviews have been very positive. With 15 courts—two of them indoors—this is one of the largest tennis facilities in New England and one of the most complete four-season resorts. In summer, the grassy slopes of 3,936-foot Stratton Mountain, the tallest peak in southern Vermont, funnel down to an Alpine-inspired village, whose shops, restaurants, and lodges line a single cobblestone street open only to pedestrian traffic. At the far end, that street passes beneath an archway topped by a clock tower and ends in an open plaza, site of the base lodge, the Family Fun Zone (see Children's Programs), and the gondola to the top of the mountain. The gondola passes over slopes covered with grass and carries not skiers but sightseers, mountain bikers, trail runners, and hikers.
Stratton consists of a village of shops, restaurants, two inns, a small general store, a chapel, and several clusters of condominiums, a four-story condominium hotel called Long Trail House chief among them. All of this is five-minute walk from the Sports Center, where the tennis courts can be found. Add 27 holes of golf, horseback riding, children's programs, a lake for water sports, numerous hiking trails, and summer music festivals, and you have the most dimension-rich summer resort in all of Vermont.
Pro Shop: 802-297-4230
Stratton has a long if episodic association with tennis. The John Newcombe organization ran tennis camps there in the 1970s and '80s and during that period it was the site of a Grand Masters tournament. Later, Andre Agassi first burst into national 
consciousness in 1987 when as a qualifier he reached the semifinals of the former Volvo International Tennis Championships, which was held at Stratton from 1985-89 (the event moved to New Haven when local property owners refused to allow the construction of a permanent tennis stadium), and Stratton briefly hosted the Acura U.S. Women's Hardcourts Championships. In the 1984, it further enhanced its tennis credentials by building an impressive sports center with indoor courts, two racquetball courts, a complete fitness area, massage rooms, an indoor lap pool, and a fully equipped tennis and fitness shop. And now, of course, they've brought in the Cliff Drysdale organization.
Scott Colebourne has been brought in to run the Drysdale School. A ranked junior in his native New Zealand and former All American at Vincennes University in Indiana, he has laid out basic midweek and weekend options, with the flexibility to tailor either to suit individual campers or groups. On weekdays, sessions consist of a 2½-hour morning camp focusing on live-ball drills, strategy, and tactics. Those wanting more can add afternoon lessons, match play, or group instruction. On weekends, their Getaway packages begin with a Friday event mixer, followed on Saturdays by a full day of work on groundstrokes, serves, and volleys culminating in a tournament. The weekend concludes with a Sunday morning doubles clinic. Colebourne and his staff also run a summer junior tennis camp.
Courts & Fees. The 15 outdoor courts—8 clay and 7 hard—are laid out mostly in pairs in a grassy plot just behind and below the sports center. None have water and few have shade. The Sports Center itself houses two newly resurfaced indoor courts as well as a snack bar. Court fees: none for those on tennis school packages; otherwise, $20/day for use of the Sports Center, including in the outdoor courts.
Caveat: Make sure you have a water bottle to take to the courts (there's a water fountain on the deck overlooking the courts) or pick up something to drink at the Snack Bar.
Golf Courses. Stratton has 27 holes of golf designed by Geoffrey Cornish, who named each nine for its features: Mountain, Lake, and Forest. There is also a well-regarded 22-acre golf school.
Fitness Center. A feature that dramatically enhances the tennis complex at Stratton is its Sports Center. It contains an indoor lap pool, whirlpool, two workout rooms—one in a windowed rooms on the main floor with 10 or so stations of Paramount and Trotter Nautilus equipment and some free weights, the other upstairs with an array of cardiovascular 
machines and a few Cybex stations. There is also am aerobics studio, two racquetball courts, tanning beds, and several massage rooms. The full-service pro shop sells both tennis and fitness clothing and equipment.
And ... In addition to everything else, Stratton has a skate park (with inline skate and skateboard rentals), a climbing wall, mountain-bike rentals, gondola rides to the top of 3,936-foot Stratton Mountain, fly fishing on the Battenkill River, and canoe and kayak rentals. There are also trail rides on horseback, an overnight junior riding camp (two sessions a summer), overnight trail rides to a rustic lodge, wagon rides, and group and private riding lessons.
During the summer, Stratton runs a daily KidsKamp and Little KidsKamp for children ages 3-12. It operates from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. from late June into early September, includes some junior tennis, and is complimentary to anyone booking Stratton lodging. There is also a KidsKare program for those ages 6 weeks to 3 years, available on a half day or full day basis. In addition, the resort has a Family Fun Zone, a multi-activity indoor play area with musical instruments, arts and crafts supplies, computer games, and an indoor climbing wall, all intended mainly for kids ages 4 to 10. Admission for kids is $5 but adults who want to participate pay nothing when accompanied by their child.
Junior Tennis Camp. From mid June to early September, the Drysdale staff now also offers a summer tennis camp program for juniors, consisting of more than four hours of tennis, other sports and games, swimming, mountain hikes, carnival days, and tournaments, lunch and snacks included. The format emphasizes having fun. It's available on a half-day or full-day basis.
Although there are two lodges at Stratton—the 125-room Stratton Mountain Inn, which has an outdoor pool and its own tennis courts, and the Liftline Lodge, which has one tennis court—you may be able to strike a better deal by booking a condominium through the tennis school, since it gets preferred rates at Stratton's condos. Individually owned and furnished, these vary in size and quality. The newest is Long Trail House, just across the access road from the village. This four-story building contains 75 very handsomely decorated studios, 1- and 2-bedroom units, all with fireplaces, full kitchens, convertible sofas, decks or patios, and its own outdoor swimming pool and whirlpools. Every floor has a washer dryer and there is a two-story-high lobby with a stone fireplace. Coffee and muffins are laid out for guests each morning and there is a concierge to book dinner reservations, ski lessons, massage appointments, or whatever other services guests need.
Otherwise, I have often stayed in a complex called Obertal, whose spacious one-bedroom, one-bath came with a fully equipped kitchen (down to microwave, coffeemaker, and dishwasher), a large living room with a fireplace and two fold-out sofas, a small deck, and a washer-dryer.
If you're looking for a tennis school in a resort setting, check out:
Stratton Mountain Resort
Stratton offers everything from lodge rooms and studios with Murphy beds to four-bedroom condos. The newest and most appealing units are the studios and one- and two-bedroom units in Long Trail House, which opened in 1999. The rates below include tax and service. If you book a tennis package, you'll get the shoulder-season rate even in peak season.
Cliff Drysdale Tennis at Stratton
Midweek and weekend tennis camp packages available.
Summer 2009
Weekend packages from $250, instruction only
Seasons. The outdoor tennis season runs from early May to mid October.
Travel Instructions. By Air: Although there is a regional airport in Rutland, Vermont, the nearest major airport is Albany, New York, 81 miles to the southwest. By Car: Stratton is 139 miles from Boston, 295 miles from New York City, and 210 miles from Montreal. The resort is four miles from Bondville, which is on Rt. 30.
General Tourist Information. Visit the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing web site or contact them at 6 Baldwin Street, Drawer 33, Montpelier, VT 05633-1301; Phone 800-VERMONT (800-837-6668).