Stratton Mountain Resort

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 1986 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 the resort subsequently brought in the Cliff Drysdale Tennis (CDT) organization to manage the racquet-sports programming.

Tennis Staff: CDT’s Robert Menzies has run the racquet sports program since 2013. took over as tennis director late in 2013 after spending part of the summer there familiarizing himself with the program. A native New Zealander, he grew up playing tournaments, even qualifying for a national ranking, before committing to academics. He studied Sport and Recreation at the Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, with a particular emphasis on coaching, nutrition, and sports psychology, and then joined CDT becoming head pro at the Omni Amelia Island Resort in Florida before taking over at Stratton.

The roster of summer tennis option is diverse. There are daily clinics, open play session, and group and private lessons. Those looking for a more structured program can opt for the midweek or weekend tennis camps, which variously devote from 2½ to 5 hours a day of group instruction, live-ball drills, and match play. Groups and teams can tailor their own program.

Junior Tennis Camps and Academy: During the summer months, the facility hosts a large junior rackets camp that features tennis, pickleball, swimming, group games, and other activities. Targeted to 5- to 14-year-olds, the program runs midweek and weekends and is open to players of all levels (the on-court sessions are divided by age group and ability). Juniors who take there tennis more seriously can opt for the Stratton Mountain Academy. Geared to players 11 to 18, it takes a more focused approach, with lower student:pro ratios, private lessons, and instructive match-play sessions. Finally, Menzies has addressed underserved population of players: the 14 to 18-year-olds, especially those hoping to make their high school tennis team. Rather that funnel them into an adult camp, he created a Mountain Strong program specifically for them. It follows the same format and low student:pro ratios as the adult program, while giving teens an opportunity to get together with other teens, with tennis as the common language. “It proved very popular,” Menzies told me.

Court Complex: The sports complex consists of six red-clay courts, four outdoor with blended lines for pickleball, and two indoor tennis courts.