Though upstaged by the high-profile Sea Pines Racquet Club in another part of the development, the South Beach Racquet Club deserves consideration, especially if you simply love to play. Its welcoming clubhouse resembles a Lowcountry cottage, with a porch that wraps around two sides. Rocking chairs on the porch, which overlooks Court 1, a 1,000-squarefoot deck at one end, and free morning coffee (except in summer) all encourage people to drop by and hang around. “Many of our members have their own rocking chair,” notes Don Sigmon, who owns and operates the club with his wife Rachel. Those avid members account for much of the activity; however everyone is welcome, whether or not they’re staying within the resort. Or as Sigmon puts it: “To play here you need to like tennis and enjoy having a good time.”
The club is just a few steps from the shops, restaurants, and watersports center at South Beach Marina and about 300 yards from the beach. Bicycles can be rented at the racquet club, and at the end of the day lots of people wander over to the Salty Dog Cafe, a favorite place for beverages and snacks.
Tennis Staff: Owners Don and Rachel Sigmon take an active part in the club’s operation. The very popular Brian Kiggins, who had been head pro in the past, has returned after a stint at another Hilton Head Island resort, this time as Director of Tennis.
Tennis Programs: Apart from private lessons, South Beach runs stroke-of-the-day clinics for adults and, in summer, a variety of clinics for children (ages 5-8), pre-teens, and teens. With roughly 175 members—about half of them full-time residents—to draw on, the staff can often put together competitive matches for anyone who asks. Another way to meet players—apart from just dropping by—is to attend one of the twice-weekly round robins, which attract anywhere from a few to 16 players. Beyond that there are adult clinics and drills and several junior sessions (by age or ability) every Monday through Friday.
Court Complex: South Beach has 13 clay courts, six of them in a cluster anchored by the clubhouse and another seven among the trees across the road. Fees are $20/hour walk-in, $25 with a reservation (although those who rent through certain agencies get free or discounted rates—check with the pro shop for up-to-date information).
223 Reviews on “South Beach Racquet Club”
I come here with my family each year and take lessons from Don and Rachel. They are awesome teachers and I have improved my tennis game immensely and now I am undefeated in pickleball.
Whenever we are in Hilton Head this is our first stop. We plan our whole vacation around playing pickleball and tennis at this club. The tennis and pickleball courts are kept in fabulous shape and the staff are all accommodating regardless of our needs. We prefer this location versus any other.
This is an excellent tennis and pickleball club. I love the resort. the owners are very special and attentive. We can’t wait until we come back again!
Multiple activities going on each day for all types of players. Well organized. Accommodations we stayed in at big bear lodge were not ideal. But otherwise a great tennis vacation.
Had a blast doing tennis clinics. Rob gave great instruction and kept us moving. Justyn was awesome, instructional and fun. Sam did my pickleball clinics. Laughed a lot, learned a lot! The best time!
Tennis and Pickleball on site with great instructors for both. Sam did a great pickleball clinic and it seems like everyone is excited for the new outdoor pickleball courts (which is good, because those hard courts are worse than the ones at public park’s). Rob lead a full weekend of activities with his team on gorgeous clay courts. I really appreciated Joe’s attention to my game while on court and his obvious years of experience really showed. Laura was the sweetest and an outstanding player! Will be returning and excited to see the new programming on those pickleball courts
Beautiful red clay courts, horrible hard courts (but being repaired according to Stratton) and a nice fitness center. Great long weekend of tennis at at great price ($220 for 10 hours of group activities) and looking forward to coming back for another weekend this summer. Rob and his team did a great job of looking after large numbers and it’s nice to see a pro that really cares about his guests having a nice experience, always asking if there was anything he could do for us.
The pro team at Stratton was amongst the best I have ever worked with!!! Rob, Joe and Sam clearly had many years of experience between them and they made my Memorial Day Weekend trip memorable. Great instruction, wonderful tips and well organized clinics, and I got to take part in an afternoon social doubles tournament that Robert puts on for the resorts guests every Saturday afternoon. Such fun! I recommend the program at Stratton to anyone.
My wife and I headed to Stratton Mountain over Memorial Day Weekend for a start of summer trip and planned a lot of the trip around the tennis program. Our first impression when we pulled into the Training and Fitness Center wasn’t great as we looked down at old and tired hard courts with fences down. We were put at ease when we walked into the center and was greeted by Rob and his team at the front desk and saw the beautiful red clay courts. We started with a pickleball clinic Friday morning with Sam and Rob which was held inside. Good clinic with a good bunch of people taking part. The weekend tennis package we signed up for had a fair amount of people and the pro team of Rob, Sam, Joe and Laura did a great job at splitting up the levels and courts. Fun drills, Laura seemed a bit shy but she was complimented nicely with Rob’s energy. Rob set up a fun doubles tournament on Saturday and Sunday afternoon, mixing up partners every match and with some drinks on offer afterwards, it was a great way to spend the day before the resort’s music concert that evening. We look forward to returning this summer!
Rob Menzies Director of Tennis runs a terrific program. Friendly, Welcoming & Instructional The Tennis Staff make us all feel like we are getting great individual attention in a group setting. Also, the court maintenance on the red clay was great! This was our 4th visit to Stratton tennis camp. Looking forward to our next visit. Stratton Mt needs to provide a Tennis & Lodging package. Vrbo a condo, many to choose from. Black Bear Lodge is dated.
The Cliff Drysdale Tennis program at Stratton Mountain is the best! Rob Menzies, the Director has an incredible energy, he’s creative, passionate and very charming! He’s an exceptional teacher and I’ve learned to fall back in love with tennis again because of him. The clinics are informative and a lot of fun. Cardio tennis is an awesome workout but also inclusive (all levels can play). Rob is a master at accessing tennis level and putting groups together. Houston, another pro is also very good. He is kind, patient and fun. The social mixers are a great way to meet other people and play against different levels. I’ve also learned how to play pickleball as well. Again, Rob does a great job of organizing social mixers and providing opportunities to play. He has taught me everything I know about pickleball and I have to say, I’ve gotten pretty good this past year. Overall, Rob and his team run a superior program. I plan to keep coming back every year.
Rob, the director, is exceptional. Great teacher. High energy and very fun. He runs a great program. The assistant pro Houston is also excellent. Great teacher and has lots of games for the clinics. Can point out tennis technique issues very well. The Drysdale program is really exceptional and be of my favorites.
Year after year we enjoy participating in the Cliff Drysdale Tennis Program at Stratton. We never hesitate to recommend it to friends and family. Rob, Houston, Valeria and the other instructors always remember us by name and consistently pair us with other players of the same ability. The quality of instruction is exceptional. We’re huge fans! The facility, however, needs significant investment as well as basic maintenance.
We love the tennis program at Stratton. The instructors are friendly and give great advice on improving your game. There are many time offerings so it can fit into your schedule. Our children love participating in the summer camps and improved their game doing so. The tennis center could use some cleaning/ upkeep, esp the outdoor hard courts, but the clay courts are very nice and there’s a good number of them.
Rob and team make everyone feel very welcome. Their clinics are extremely well run with well chosen drills that enables everyone. Love the cardio sessions!
I’ve participate in numerous tennis camps, drills, and sessions over the years and have found Rob Menzies at Cliff Drysdale Tennis at Stratton Mountain to be the top pro in both valuable instruction and drills that are lively and fun.
The tennis program is exceptional especially during the summer. My son played tennis there since the age of 6years old. The last couple of years, he played Stratton Open Tournament; he and his friends are always looking forward to play there! The junior tennis camp is excellent. The Pros are full of energy, have good skills and very funny! The environment is absolutely beautiful! It’s such a pleasure to watch tennis on red clay courts surrounded by mountains! A special mention about the Program Director: with his energy, attitude, manners, he makes everyone feel like they are in a big tennis family!
Rob and his team are always very welcoming. My friends and I look forward to coming every Memorial Day Weekend. We hope to be back for 4th of July
I went down to Stratton for a long weekend trip and it turned out to be a great experience. My first impression of the facility was disappointing as the hard tennis courts you see when you arrive are very run down and need some serious work done, but the clay courts and setting out back was very nice! The clinics were all on the clay courts and the instructors did a fantastic job with the twenty or so people that were there this weekend. Good, varied drills, energetic pros and I learnt a little something from each of them. Houston gave some great pointers and I got a lot from him. There seemed to be something happening all the time on the tennis courts whether it is people playing, lessons taking place or an organized round robin tournament. I’ll be interested to see how much busier it can be in the middle of the summer.
It was my first time at a tennis clinic. It proved to be so enjoyable, I will return and in the meantime try other clinics
This place is a gem, wasn’t expecting such a solid setup in Stratton and our activities went from pretty much all outdoor and a little bit of tennis to mostly tennis and some hiking here and there. Rob is an exceptional player and manager. He’s very quick to reply and flexible to accommodate last minute requests. He keeps the whole place alive and together. The surroundings offer a lot, you can play gold next door, mountain is right there, restaurants in Manchester are really amazing, that whole place offers a lot of culture and activities. Facilities also great, pro shop surprisingly had more than enough for what we were looking for. We’ll keep coming back.
Recently attended the Memorial Day Weekend Camp that Rob and his team put on. The Friday Night round robin was well attended and a large crowd was out for what turned out to be their first mixer of the season. The morning clinics were great, Cardio tennis was a fun warm up before the 2.5 hour drills and match play clinic. Courts were split up by level and pros rotated around after a set period of time; very organized and time went by very quick as each pro bought their own spin on things. There was an afternoon doubles tournament that was well attended, albeit a bit on the short side, that focused on fun more than competition. I was able to take a private lesson with Valeria who was informative and helped my one handed backhand a lot in the hour we had together. A great tennis program that I will look to attend again soon.
The pros are excellent! Rob runs a fantastic program. The clinics offer a variety of fun drills and games. You are matched with players of similar ability. As a 4.0 player, I always take away good information from these clinics.
This beautifully located club near the uncrowded foot of the island offers the perfect combination of friendliness and efficiency, carefully groomed courts yet ease of access, serious team play but also relaxed informal groups. Rachel and Don keep a watchful and supportive lookout on the many activities, including now a perky pickleball contingent. Brian and other coaches offer top-notch instruction at every level. The team of courteous and skilled staff ladies handling bookings somehow always comes up with a free court even when the club seems at its busiest. The pro shop carries the best racquets and gear at reasonable prices. The whole setup is ideal for all who want to enjoy tennis during their stay, however long, on Hilton Head Island. I could not imagine being here without this facility.