Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the United States, and California has quietly become one of the most exciting states in the country to play it.
The luxury sports vacation has evolved. Travelers are no longer content to spend a week in a beach chair. They want mornings of competitive drills, afternoons of doubles, and evenings of farm-to-table dining with a mountain view.
Few states in America have cultivated such a storied, year-round tennis culture, and fewer still can claim a concentration of world-ranked resorts like the Palmetto State.
Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the United States, and California has quietly become one of the most exciting states in the country to play it.
The luxury sports vacation has evolved. Travelers are no longer content to spend a week in a beach chair. They want mornings of competitive drills, afternoons of doubles, and evenings of farm-to-table dining with a mountain view.
Few states in America have cultivated such a storied, year-round tennis culture, and fewer still can claim a concentration of world-ranked resorts like the Palmetto State.
This 25-acre enclave on Antigua’s southern coast has a long reputation for caring deeply about wine, amiable service, and tennis. Its 72 rooms and suites trail along a rocky peninsula that separates two bays, each lined with a glorious beach.
On paper, the small number of courts—four—seems to suggest a perfunctory interest in tennis. In fact, they’ve been allotted a prime location, right along the sea, and the staff of local pros choreograph a nonstop series of matches—mostly doubles in the high season—that make the courts an epicenter of social activity. The tennis enthusiasm reaches a zenith during Antigua Tennis Week in May, which began in 1975 as an island-wide professional tournament and has evolved into a pro-am tennis festival, featuring Fred Stolle and a bevy of other Grand Slam greats.
Curtain Bluff's tennis center features four championship hard courts and two pickleball courts, all in pristine condition, lit for night play and set against breathtaking views of the Caribbean Sea. A pro shop nearby carries everything you need, and private lessons are available at $90 per hour. Each November, the resort hosts its renowned Tennis Challenge Week, where guests of all skill levels join former Davis Cup player Dick Stockton, former Curtain Bluff pro Robert Raedisch, and other world-class instructors for a week of play, strategy clinics, and pro-ams. The package includes approximately $1,000 in tennis activities (based on double occupancy) at no extra charge, along with full access to the resort's five-star amenities — including a spa, two pristine beaches, water sports, and nightly live music dining under the stars. Spaces fill quickly, so be sure to notify the hotel of your plans to join Tennis Challenge Week before depositing and book early to secure your spot.
Off Court
Curtain Bluff's all-inclusive rate covers an exceptional array of activities and amenities, including a swimming pool with two 75-foot lap lanes, waterskiing, beach toys such as Hobie Cats, kayaks, and windsurfers, snorkel equipment and reef trips, and a fully equipped fitness center. Guests can also enjoy squash, bocce and shuffleboard courts, water aerobics, yoga, Pilates classes, and relaxing on the beach with chairs, hammocks, and sun floats. Families will appreciate the Cee Bee Kids Club, playground, Creative Camp, and tennis clinics for children. Additional services available at an extra charge include spa and salon treatments, tennis and squash lessons, cooking and wine-appreciation classes, and off-property island excursions.
Accommodations
Curtain Bluff offers a range of beautifully appointed accommodations to suit every preference, from beach front rooms that blend contemporary luxuries with classic Caribbean influences and place the beauty of the sea at your doorstep, to blufftop rooms where open-air layouts, elegant coastal furnishings, and the gentle lull of crashing waves make waking up a pleasure. For the ultimate in indulgence, our exclusive Pool Suites feature private plunge pools, marble fixtures, and unparalleled views of the sparkling Caribbean — the crown jewel of the resort's accommodations.
Getting there
Seasons: Curtain Bluff is open from late October to late May, always concluding the season with a weeklong tennis festival featuring Fred Stolle and a number of other former touring pros.
My husband and I went to this highly ranked tennis resort in April. We had been looking forward to it for years! It was an absolutely beautiful resort with beautiful hard courts. The rooms were great and the food outstanding!! Their employees really make the difference as they as always available and more then helpful. But when it came to tennis (the whole reason for going), we were very disappointed. There was NO matching services available and ended up playing only one time during our week. We took a lesson from a seemingly uninterested instructor which felt like a waste of time and money. After waiting years for this very anticipated trip, it was disappointing to say the least.
SW
Best tennis experience Ive ever been to
TH
This year I went for the second year to the Antigua Tennis Week hosted by Fred Stolle and managed by the capable Steve Contardi. While the event is tailored to couples, I had a simply wonderful time, in spite of horrible weather. The tennis is great. They do a great job of getting all skill levels involved. The instruction Fred, Owen Davidson, Ross Case and the other pros (both from the resort and brought in) was simply great. They seemed to have a great time teaching. There was a team competition, multilevel doubles competition tournament, and a shootout (tournament where each round is a 7 point tie breaker with the weaker player given a handicap. The food, drink and camaraderie is stellar. There is a great sense of community. Both the staff and other participants made a great effort to make sure I was invited to join them at meals. Coming as a single male, this meant a lot. The resort is great. The accommodations, food, and service are excellent. The resort is all inclusive and includes tennis, snorkeling, water skiing, sailing, etc. Was a great experience. The second year was better that the first even with the bad weather. By this year, I had made a lot of friends. Strongly recommended.
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3 Reviews on “Curtain Bluff Resort”
My husband and I went to this highly ranked tennis resort in April. We had been looking forward to it for years! It was an absolutely beautiful resort with beautiful hard courts. The rooms were great and the food outstanding!! Their employees really make the difference as they as always available and more then helpful. But when it came to tennis (the whole reason for going), we were very disappointed. There was NO matching services available and ended up playing only one time during our week. We took a lesson from a seemingly uninterested instructor which felt like a waste of time and money. After waiting years for this very anticipated trip, it was disappointing to say the least.
Best tennis experience Ive ever been to
This year I went for the second year to the Antigua Tennis Week hosted by Fred Stolle and managed by the capable Steve Contardi. While the event is tailored to couples, I had a simply wonderful time, in spite of horrible weather.
The tennis is great. They do a great job of getting all skill levels involved. The instruction Fred, Owen Davidson, Ross Case and the other pros (both from the resort and brought in) was simply great. They seemed to have a great time teaching. There was a team competition, multilevel doubles competition tournament, and a shootout (tournament where each round is a 7 point tie breaker with the weaker player given a handicap.
The food, drink and camaraderie is stellar. There is a great sense of community. Both the staff and other participants made a great effort to make sure I was invited to join them at meals. Coming as a single male, this meant a lot. The resort is great. The accommodations, food, and service are excellent. The resort is all inclusive and includes tennis, snorkeling, water skiing, sailing, etc. Was a great experience. The second year was better that the first even with the bad weather. By this year, I had made a lot of friends. Strongly recommended.