There is a certain breed of tennis player who cannot be stopped by the weather, and the debate over winter tennis in Florida vs. summer tennis in New England resorts is one they live rather than argue.
From the prominent Coachella Valley to the breezy coastlines of San Diego and Santa Barbara, this guide covers seven standout properties that have made California one of the most celebrated tennis destinations in the world.
Kiawah Island Golf Resort has been serving unforgettable match moments from the time its first guests stepped onto the tennis courts in 1976. Fifty years later, that legacy continues to rally. In late 2025, the acclaimed Roy Barth Tennis Center added two new padel courts to its award-winning lineup.
There is a certain breed of tennis player who cannot be stopped by the weather, and the debate over winter tennis in Florida vs. summer tennis in New England resorts is one they live rather than argue.
From the prominent Coachella Valley to the breezy coastlines of San Diego and Santa Barbara, this guide covers seven standout properties that have made California one of the most celebrated tennis destinations in the world.
This guide covers six padel resorts in Italy, from a family-friendly all-inclusive village on the Calabrian coast to a five-star lakeside retreat in Veneto.
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: 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.
Mike and Tim were great – high energy and a lot of fun
NP
Mike Sneller and Tim Boyer were an absolute riot in the best possible way. These two don’t just teach pickleball — they live it, breathe it, and somehow pull you right into their pickleball universe the second you step on the court. I picked up so many clever tips, including one gem about really watching the ball on the paddle… which, let’s be honest, I was definitely not doing before.
Their vibe was the real magic. Mike and Tim totally understood our group’s “seasoned‑but‑still‑spicy” energy and kept us laughing nonstop. They cheered us on, reminded us to lift each other up, and made sure the whole experience stayed light, fun, and full of those “did that seriously just happen?” moments.
And Sea Colony? What an incredible place to play. The courts, the atmosphere, the whole setup — it’s the perfect backdrop for a camp that mixes learning with pure joy.
Couldn’t recommend the camp — or these two legends — more.
SS
Mike Sneller and Tom Boyer were our best instructors. This was our third year with Mike. They made the instructions and feedback fun and relatable. They adjusted the time according to what we wanted to learn as well as reminders of what we should do. I will definitely do this again next year. Looking forward to working with them again. Love them and Sea Colony
SB
Mike Snelling and Tim Boyer were terrific pickleball camp advisors/teachers/instructors. They clearly love the game, and enjoy helping/teaching folks how to improve their game. I received lots of specific advice that will help me become a better player and I’ll certainly try to employ those tactics immediately, especially the idea of tracking the ball on your paddle – which I don’t think I was doing at all. And that I need to work on staying balanced. Mostly, Mike and Tim were having fun and sort of “got’ us and our old lady vibe (without making us feel old, ofc). Their emphasis on encouraging each other, even when our partners might mess up – was so important because after all, it’s all about having fun.
Highly recommend the camp and these two fellas.
RF
Loved everything about the camp – instructors, drills, critique, variety – but was sad that the outdoor courts were being resurfaced. The next group coming in are so lucky to have beautiful outdoor courts!
BM
We had a great weekend at Sea Colony. The tennis instruction was excellent and they were very responsive to working on the things that we requested. They gave constant feedback and tips and I left with several useful things to think about and work on. The drills were very useful and during the doubles play they coached us to use the things we had been working on. Overall, it was excellent and I would come back again.
VR
This was my first visit to Sea Colony and I was very pleased with the team weekend clinic. Gene and Michael gave excellent, detailed lessons without making it overwhelming. I learned and had fun!
We received a follow-up email when we got home that reiterated strategies and points covered over the weekend.
KG
The 3-day weekend tennis clinic with Gene was super fun and informative. He listened to our needs, was always attentive and his drills were on-point and focused on exactly what we requested. I liked the fact that we never rushed through a drill to move on to the next drill. A good amount of time was spent on each drill and sometimes additional drills to reinforce a certain skill or strategy. I hadn’t attended a tennis clinic at Sea Colony in years and my return to the facility was the best tennis training session I’ve ever had. I look forward to returning soon to Sea Colony for another fun and beneficial trip with my USTA Team. Many thanks to Gene!!
BE
The pickleball camp is well organized. Bill progressed us through drills that the entire group was able to accomplish and learn from. His knowledge of the game is good and he was able to relay and reinforce these skills through fun, effective drills. I would recommend this camp to all levels.
SU
Concise, usable techniques and tips. Not overwhelming, and tailored to our group. Gene is a pleasure to work with! He gets his points across so clearly and the drills reinforce
BB
We held a 10 person 4.0 women’s camp with Gene Cutter. Our season lasted 3 days. The facility was clean and comfortable with great lighting. Gene is an amazing instructor with excellent easy to follow instruction. He kept us moving while providing feedback. We all felt we gained so much from Gene’s instruction. This is our second visit and we will be back!!!!
DB
I have attended sooo many tennis clinics but this one was by far the best!! I left feeling immediate improvement with my serve and strategy. The pros were knowledgeable, and just a delight to work with. Highly recommend to anyone looking to improve their game.
HH
I really enjoyed the tennis camp I recently attended. Gene was fantastic with great instruction. I learned a lot and had a blast.
JK
The pros were good. We learned a lot of valuable things. But… there was way too much time standing around watching other people do drills. The first three hour session was perfect: well organized, hitting lots of balls, with a useful summary at the end. The second day involved a lot of confusing instruction, such as pointing at the racquet with the ball, asking where on the racquet the ball should hit it during a serve, and having a firm, loose grip on the racquet during a drop shot. (?). The third day was exceedingly frustrating, being the third in line to do a doubles drill that took three points before rotation, and only one of the active player would get involved in the point. (I hit in one or two of every six points). That two hour session ended 15 minutes early. Very expensive for the experience.
EK
My experience for the first time at the adult camp was fantastic. Instructor (Michael) was excellent, nothing negative to say about the whole experience…thanks…if I’ll get another chance to comeback and answer will be definitely yes!!
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666 Reviews on “Sea Colony Racquet Sports”
Mike and Tim were great – high energy and a lot of fun
Mike Sneller and Tim Boyer were an absolute riot in the best possible way. These two don’t just teach pickleball — they live it, breathe it, and somehow pull you right into their pickleball universe the second you step on the court. I picked up so many clever tips, including one gem about really watching the ball on the paddle… which, let’s be honest, I was definitely not doing before.
Their vibe was the real magic. Mike and Tim totally understood our group’s “seasoned‑but‑still‑spicy” energy and kept us laughing nonstop. They cheered us on, reminded us to lift each other up, and made sure the whole experience stayed light, fun, and full of those “did that seriously just happen?” moments.
And Sea Colony? What an incredible place to play. The courts, the atmosphere, the whole setup — it’s the perfect backdrop for a camp that mixes learning with pure joy.
Couldn’t recommend the camp — or these two legends — more.
Mike Sneller and Tom Boyer were our best instructors. This was our third year with Mike. They made the instructions and feedback fun and relatable. They adjusted the time according to what we wanted to learn as well as reminders of what we should do. I will definitely do this again next year. Looking forward to working with them again. Love them and Sea Colony
Mike Snelling and Tim Boyer were terrific pickleball camp advisors/teachers/instructors. They clearly love the game, and enjoy helping/teaching folks how to improve their game. I received lots of specific advice that will help me become a better player and I’ll certainly try to employ those tactics immediately, especially the idea of tracking the ball on your paddle – which I don’t think I was doing at all. And that I need to work on staying balanced. Mostly, Mike and Tim were having fun and sort of “got’ us and our old lady vibe (without making us feel old, ofc). Their emphasis on encouraging each other, even when our partners might mess up – was so important because after all, it’s all about having fun.
Highly recommend the camp and these two fellas.
Loved everything about the camp – instructors, drills, critique, variety – but was sad that the outdoor courts were being resurfaced. The next group coming in are so lucky to have beautiful outdoor courts!
We had a great weekend at Sea Colony. The tennis instruction was excellent and they were very responsive to working on the things that we requested. They gave constant feedback and tips and I left with several useful things to think about and work on. The drills were very useful and during the doubles play they coached us to use the things we had been working on. Overall, it was excellent and I would come back again.
This was my first visit to Sea Colony and I was very pleased with the team weekend clinic. Gene and Michael gave excellent, detailed lessons without making it overwhelming. I learned and had fun!
We received a follow-up email when we got home that reiterated strategies and points covered over the weekend.
The 3-day weekend tennis clinic with Gene was super fun and informative. He listened to our needs, was always attentive and his drills were on-point and focused on exactly what we requested. I liked the fact that we never rushed through a drill to move on to the next drill. A good amount of time was spent on each drill and sometimes additional drills to reinforce a certain skill or strategy. I hadn’t attended a tennis clinic at Sea Colony in years and my return to the facility was the best tennis training session I’ve ever had. I look forward to returning soon to Sea Colony for another fun and beneficial trip with my USTA Team. Many thanks to Gene!!
The pickleball camp is well organized. Bill progressed us through drills that the entire group was able to accomplish and learn from. His knowledge of the game is good and he was able to relay and reinforce these skills through fun, effective drills. I would recommend this camp to all levels.
Concise, usable techniques and tips. Not overwhelming, and tailored to our group. Gene is a pleasure to work with! He gets his points across so clearly and the drills reinforce
We held a 10 person 4.0 women’s camp with Gene Cutter. Our season lasted 3 days. The facility was clean and comfortable with great lighting. Gene is an amazing instructor with excellent easy to follow instruction. He kept us moving while providing feedback. We all felt we gained so much from Gene’s instruction. This is our second visit and we will be back!!!!
I have attended sooo many tennis clinics but this one was by far the best!! I left feeling immediate improvement with my serve and strategy. The pros were knowledgeable, and just a delight to work with. Highly recommend to anyone looking to improve their game.
I really enjoyed the tennis camp I recently attended. Gene was fantastic with great instruction. I learned a lot and had a blast.
The pros were good. We learned a lot of valuable things. But… there was way too much time standing around watching other people do drills. The first three hour session was perfect: well organized, hitting lots of balls, with a useful summary at the end. The second day involved a lot of confusing instruction, such as pointing at the racquet with the ball, asking where on the racquet the ball should hit it during a serve, and having a firm, loose grip on the racquet during a drop shot. (?). The third day was exceedingly frustrating, being the third in line to do a doubles drill that took three points before rotation, and only one of the active player would get involved in the point. (I hit in one or two of every six points). That two hour session ended 15 minutes early. Very expensive for the experience.
My experience for the first time at the adult camp was fantastic. Instructor (Michael) was excellent, nothing negative to say about the whole experience…thanks…if I’ll get another chance to comeback and answer will be definitely yes!!