More than 30 people were already on the teaching courts when I joined one of the morning drop-in clinics Sea Colony runs on weekdays. It was approaching July, when every one of some 2,200 condominiums and homes fill up with summer guests and homeowners. While the beach is unquestionably the biggest draw, tennis with 34 hard and clay courts, 6 of them indoors, could easily lay claim to being the No. 2 reason people opt to vacation at Sea Colony.
Many owners told me that the deciding factor in their purchase of a home At Sea Colony was the quality of the tennis, both for them and their kids. Apart from those midweek clinics, Sea Colony’s summer roster lures players to the courts with Live Ball and Cardio sessions, doubles clinics, Nike Adult Camps, Sea Colony’s own tennis camps, custom-designed tennis getaways with optional mental-toughness component, social pro-run round robins, and a mix of junior programs running the gamut from drills and games for 4- to 7-year-olds to Nike tennis camps and tournament tough training. And the year is otherwise peppered with exhibitions, junior tournaments, demo days, and more. At any season the staff is there to help set up games, aided now by the ability of guests and members to sign up online. All of this is designed to keep tennis in the forefront of people’s consciousness.
Sea Colony dates to the early 1970s and has something of a split personality. Route 1 divides two completely different neighborhoods. On one side is the beach—a broad boulevard of soft sand bordered by dunes over which looms a phalanx of frankly rather stark 10-to-14-story towers, their harshness somewhat relieved by long dune-fronting boardwalks, broad patios, and the occasional swimming pool, one of them indoors. On the opposite side of the highway, a tiny marketplace of shops and restaurants marks the entrance to a leafy and altogether tranquil community of residential streets with low-rise condominiums and homes, lakes, ponds, swimming pools, and a $7.5 million fitness and aquatics center, linked to one another and the beach by trams and dedicated bike paths.
Sea Colony boasts a top-tier tennis and pickleball facility—a three-time winner of the USTA Outstanding Facility of the Year award, most recently in 2022—and a wide range of programs that serve as a tremendous asset. This excellence is further enhanced by the friendly and always-helpful staff. With a talented team of professionals, including college and former college players, Sea Colony continues to deliver exceptional racquet sports experiences for players of all levels.
Tennis Programs: During the busy summer season, there are daily adult clinics, daily Cardio sessions, and a variety of junior clinics for various ages from Monday through Friday. There are as many as five round robins weekly during the busy summer. At any season the staff is there to help set up games, aided now by the ability of guests and members to sign up online (see Sea Colony Tennis for a detailed overview of all things tennis). And roughly once a month from April to October, some sort of special event—a professional, sanctioned, or social tournament, a visiting pro, or an exhibition—rounds out the program. And during the summer months of June to August there are two or three NIKE adult tennis camps each month (ALERT: these tend to sell out early). Beyond that, Sea Colony offers tailor-made weekend camps for small groups.
On paper, this all appears to be rock-solid choice of tennis options, but what sets them apart is the number of participants. On a day in August when temperatures had soared above 95 degrees, more than 30 adults and juniors turned out for the 10 a.m. intermediate clinic and another 30-plus attended the advanced clinic. I also counted 20 beginners in afternoon junior clinic, which had astutely been scheduled for the indoor courts.
Tennis aside, Sea Colony has also made the move into pickleball with four permanent courts and blended lines on 14 of the tennis courts and an additional 4 permanent courts, a total of 8 with lights. Certified pickleball instructors are available for clinics and private lessons, supplemented by pickleball and hybrid tennis and pickleball camps for adults (including some for advanced pickleball), and NIKE camps for juniors. Instruction aside, Sea Colony stages pickleball clinics, social round robins, and a variety of morning and evening Open Plays sessions for all levels. Court Complex. Although there are four lighted hard courts at the beach, the real tennis action takes place at the main tennis center. It comprises six indoor hard courts with sandwiched between another six outdoor courts and 14 Har-Tru courts. There are and additional four hard courts in the trees across the road, two of those now sporting blended lines to accommodate pickleball. Grand Central Station for tennis is the pro shop on the ground floor of the indoor building. Above it, a long viewing area overlooks the indoor courts and has a bar for use in special events. It opens in back onto a broad deck with a panoramic perspective on the Har-Tru courts, where The Vacasa Pro Women’s Open, a $25K Pro Circuit event, takes place in May. Although the pro shop closes at 7 p.m., those well-lighted indoor courts remain open on a first-come, first-served basis until 10 p.m.
Court fees: None, not even for the indoor courts.
Off Court
Beach: Sea Colony fronts ½ mile of Bethany Beach, a broad boulevard of soft sand washed by the Atlantic Ocean. A free shuttle takes guests from Sea Colony West (where the tennis center is) across Route 1 to the beach.
Fitness Center:Â A short walk from the tennis center is $7.5 million multi-use fitness and aquatic center with indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a snack bar, gymnasium, and a well-equipped workout room. Personal trainers are available as are a variety of classes, including spinning, Zumba (both aquatic and dry land), yoga, Barre toning, and water aerobics.
Bike paths lace Sea Colony West making it easy for kids to get from houses and townhomes there to the tennis courts, fitness center, or marketplace (though to reach the beach they have to cross busy Route 1).
Children's programs: Colony Kids and Club Sea Colony take kids for 2 and 4 hours respectively for a mix of swimming, games, crafts, and other diversions.
Dining: The Marketplace at the entrance to Sea Colony has two restaurants: several restaurants, Fin’s Ale House and Armand’s Pizza among them, but there are numerous other choices within easy driving distance in Bethany and Fenwick Beaches.
Accommodations
Lodging consists of 1-to-5 bedroom condos and houses, some oceanfront, others near the tennis complex. During the summer, one-week bookings are required.
Getting there
Seasons: Year-round thanks to its indoor courts.
Travel Instructions: The nearest major airports are Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) and Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), each roughly a 2½-hour drive from Bethany Beach. The alternative is to fly into Salisbury Regional Airport (SBY) in Salisbury, MD, which is approximately 45 minutes’ drive south of Bethany Beach.
The facilities have everything we need. Great staff and great clinics! They do a wonderful job of balancing the different ability levels. Lastly, Gene is fantastic at teaching and is always so supportive!
TH
Gene is great, and the whole tennis organization is top notch. The clinics are a great workout.
KQ
Love Sea Colony Tennis. This is my 5th coming here for lessons and clinics and it never disappoints! Alex Justiniani is the Director and he’s terrific. He also has a great staff of pros.
We visited this time over the 4th of July week and even though the resort was crowded, we were able to get the court time we wanted.
Kudos to Alex, Tommy, Mitchell, Ben, Chuck and Jayden.
SM
Excellent instruction
SK
JN
If you are a tennis player, you must visit Sea Colony. The staff is incredible and create fun, highly instructional programs. I have played at a number of East Coast resorts and no other location offers the engaging atmosphere that the Sea Colony team has constructed. Highly recommend.
CW
JB
ME
AS
JG
Exceptional Tennis and Pickleball programs and pros. Highly recommend!
EM
If you like tennis, pickleball, pool activities and a gorgeous beach, Sea Colony at Bethany Beach is the place to go.
DB
PM
Great Pros on staff. Love the facility. Love the Har Tru courts
KF
Played at 4 pickleball clubs last summer while my new house was being built. Sea Colony was the best. High level of play and the teaching staff is excellent. Pro Mike Sneller is the absolute best instructor and he is very nice about playing with lower level players. He also runs an excellent open play group on a daily basis in the summer.
KA
TN
The Sea Colony staff and atmosphere is second to none. Everyone including staff is welcoming and inclusive. The pros have exceptional patients working with new players and have multi styles of coaching. An absolute must experience
KS
RK
Sea Colony remains as the best Tennis and Pickleball resort in the Mid Atlantic. Recent upgrades (16 permanent courts) to the pickleball facilities make this one of the best pickleball designations on the East Coast.
NP
Took my first pickleball lesson with Mike and he was excellent. He was able to see what level you are at and what your skills are and teach you that. It was interesting how he was able to see everyone’s strengths and weaknesses and work on that. Mike is outstanding. I recommend more pickleball courts at Sea Colony.
SK
Only suggestion is MORE indoor Pickleball courts are needed. They are in high demand and people want to play at this resort with the great instructors. Mike, Alex, and Tim know how to teach Pickleball to all levels. Their clinics and lessons are excellent!
SS
Sea colony pickleball is the best around. Especially the staff. Girls weekend with Mike Sneller and Alex as our instructors made it fun and constructive. They specifically ask what we want to work on and hone our skills to our needs. They evaluate and give constructive instructions. Have done a camp and private lessons with girlfriends.
MN
I came for the first time September 2023, this is my third time back. Mike, Alex and the staff are the best professionals. The personalized assessments directly improve my game. The approaches are transferable and individual attention is very worth the price. Now there are so many courts I hope I do jinx myself thinking Ill always have court time. I want to come up monthly and take more lessons or clinics. Love it at Sea Colony!!!
SC
JS
JD
Great positive environment. Plenty of activities. Consistently high quality accommodation.
RZ
DY
EK
Excellent clinic! Highly recommend booking with Mike Sneller. He is engaging and provides great instruction in a fun atmosphere.
JZ
KN
DK
Sea Colony is world class. The pros and staff are nothing short of professional, high energy and extremely skilled/knowledgeable. A+++++++++++
BF
MP
JD
Sea Colony tennis offers great clinics and one on one coaching with their staff. The energy is always high and the pros are always ready to help. The clinics they run will help with any skill you need to fix or improve on.
JK
Mike Sneller is an amazing pickleball coach!! He increased my understanding of the game, strategy and skllls in one weekend clinic!!
SD
GK
EO
MA
If an individual, family, or a set of players are looking for a place to go for a weekend or to make their routine tennis home then Sea Colony provides the solution. I live and play in North NJ but make plans often (more than 12 times per year) to get to Sea Colony tennis.
SH
Mike Sneller did a fabulous job with our Pickleball clinic!
MT
CB
Sea Colony is unsurpassed in every category!
CM
RK
Excellent facilities Superb instructor pickleball Need more indoor pickleball court time Allow members book courts or no real advantage to members Snack bar or machine drink or food
RG
AF
The tennis at Sea Colony is outstanding!
WJ
TH
One of the best tennis and pickleball resorts. The staff is exceptional!
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614 Reviews on “Sea Colony Racquet Sports”
The facilities have everything we need. Great staff and great clinics! They do a wonderful job of balancing the different ability levels. Lastly, Gene is fantastic at teaching and is always so supportive!
Gene is great, and the whole tennis organization is top notch. The clinics are a great workout.
Love Sea Colony Tennis. This is my 5th coming here for lessons and clinics and it never disappoints! Alex Justiniani is the Director and he’s terrific. He also has a great staff of pros.
We visited this time over the 4th of July week and even though the resort was crowded, we were able to get the court time we wanted.
Kudos to Alex, Tommy, Mitchell, Ben, Chuck and Jayden.
Excellent instruction
If you are a tennis player, you must visit Sea Colony. The staff is incredible and create fun, highly instructional programs. I have played at a number of East Coast resorts and no other location offers the engaging atmosphere that the Sea Colony team has constructed. Highly recommend.
Exceptional Tennis and Pickleball programs and pros. Highly recommend!
If you like tennis, pickleball, pool activities and a gorgeous beach, Sea Colony at Bethany Beach is the place to go.
Great Pros on staff. Love the facility. Love the Har Tru courts
Played at 4 pickleball clubs last summer while my new house was being built. Sea Colony was the best. High level of play and the teaching staff is excellent. Pro Mike Sneller is the absolute best instructor and he is very nice about playing with lower level players. He also runs an excellent open play group on a daily basis in the summer.
The Sea Colony staff and atmosphere is second to none. Everyone including staff is welcoming and inclusive. The pros have exceptional patients working with new players and have multi styles of coaching. An absolute must experience
Sea Colony remains as the best Tennis and Pickleball resort in the Mid Atlantic. Recent upgrades (16 permanent courts) to the pickleball facilities make this one of the best pickleball designations on the East Coast.
Took my first pickleball lesson with Mike and he was excellent. He was able to see what level you are at and what your skills are and teach you that. It was interesting how he was able to see everyone’s strengths and weaknesses and work on that. Mike is outstanding. I recommend more pickleball courts at Sea Colony.
Only suggestion is MORE indoor Pickleball courts are needed. They are in high demand and people want to play at this resort with the great instructors. Mike, Alex, and Tim know how to teach Pickleball to all levels. Their clinics and lessons are excellent!
Sea colony pickleball is the best around. Especially the staff. Girls weekend with Mike Sneller and Alex as our instructors made it fun and constructive. They specifically ask what we want to work on and hone our skills to our needs. They evaluate and give constructive instructions. Have done a camp and private lessons with girlfriends.
I came for the first time September 2023, this is my third time back. Mike, Alex and the staff are the best professionals. The personalized assessments directly improve my game. The approaches are transferable and individual attention is very worth the price. Now there are so many courts I hope I do jinx myself thinking Ill always have court time. I want to come up monthly and take more lessons or clinics. Love it at Sea Colony!!!
Great positive environment. Plenty of activities. Consistently high quality accommodation.
Excellent clinic! Highly recommend booking with Mike Sneller. He is engaging and provides great instruction in a fun atmosphere.
Sea Colony is world class. The pros and staff are nothing short of professional, high energy and extremely skilled/knowledgeable. A+++++++++++
Sea Colony tennis offers great clinics and one on one coaching with their staff. The energy is always high and the pros are always ready to help. The clinics they run will help with any skill you need to fix or improve on.
Mike Sneller is an amazing pickleball coach!! He increased my understanding of the game, strategy and skllls in one weekend clinic!!
If an individual, family, or a set of players are looking for a place to go for a weekend or to make their routine tennis home then Sea Colony provides the solution. I live and play in North NJ but make plans often (more than 12 times per year) to get to Sea Colony tennis.
Mike Sneller did a fabulous job with our Pickleball clinic!
Sea Colony is unsurpassed in every category!
Excellent facilities Superb instructor pickleball Need more indoor pickleball court time Allow members book courts or no real advantage to members Snack bar or machine drink or food
The tennis at Sea Colony is outstanding!
One of the best tennis and pickleball resorts. The staff is exceptional!
Tennis is a highlight!