Beach: The resort lies near the southern end of the 14-mile-long white-sand beach that lines the Gulf of Mexico coast of the island of Longboat Key. The dunes remain intact at this end, so to reach the beach you use any of several walkways. Once there you’ll find beach watercraft, lounge chairs, umbrellas, and cabanas.
Golf Courses: The resort has 45 holes of golf.
Links on Longboat Course: Water hazards come into play on all 18 holes of this 6,748-yard, Par 71 course laid out along the Gulf of Mexico. Pink and white oleander and more than 5,000 palm trees line the fairways, which trail through a bird sanctuary. Harbourside Course: Willard Byrd of Atlanta originally designed the three nine-hole courses—Red Hawk at 3,314 yards, White at 3,342 yards, and the Blue Heron at 3,314 yards—that make up Harbourside. These were later reconfigured by designer Ron Garl, who added more contour and elevation and improved the putting surfaces. Situated on the Sarasota Bay side of the island, these 27 holes trail through stands of live oak, sabal palms, palmetto, and southern pine. Playing here is a different experience from Islandside, at once more open and more trap riddled.
Spa & Fitness Center: The 4,000-square-foot Fitness Centre stands just a short stroll from the Islandside lodging at one end of the building containing the golf pro shop and Spike’n Tees open-air restaurant overlooking Islandside’s Links on Longboat course. The fitness center consists of an aerobics room with windows on three sides and a mirror on other and views of the Islandside golf course. There are three adjoining rooms offering high-tech cardio equipment, free-weights, and strength training equipment.
There is a beachfront swimming pool at the Resort Center, where they occasionally screen movies outdoors. There is also a 291-slip marina on Sarasota Bay in the Harbourside development.
Dining: Several dining options are available ranging from formal to poolside casual. At The Resort you will find Sands Pointe, which merges Florida, Mediterranean, and European culinary traditions (e.g., pan-seared black grouper, veal chop with mushroom sauce, Kansas City strip loin) from its perch overlooking the pool and beach. There is also poolside and beachside service from Barefoot’s Bar & Grille, and Spike ‘n Tees, which overlooks the Islandside Links on Longboat golf course serves breakfast, lunch, and fresh fruit smoothies. Within Harbourside, the choices are Portofino Ristorante and Bar for northern Italian cuisine overlooking the marina and The Tavern & Whiskey Bar in the Harbourside golf clubhouse for farm-to-table fare.
392 Reviews on “The Resort at Longboat Key Club”
From the minute you walk in, tennis is in the air. All the courts were in play and everyone was having fun! Beautiful place.
WOW–what an outstanding tennis resort! First class all the way. I was there for 4 days in December 2013. 20 of the nicest clay courts I’ve seen. I played everyday for at least a couple of hours. Everyone was friendly and Zo was the best!! Zo went out of her way to make sure that I had a good time and was matched up appropriately. Zo’s efforts made my tennis vacation the most enjoyable I’ve ever had. Thanks Zo!
Our suite was tastefully elegant with an amazing Gulf view that included passing dolphins each day. The beach stretched on for miles. The Tennis Garden is the best facility I’ve had the pleasure of playing at. The courts are immaculate & beautifully maintained. As a hard court player, the thick clay took getting used to but the other players who reside there were gracious and patient.
The instructors are knowledgeable & enthusiastic. A real pleasure to work with. I recommend any of the group lessons offered. They’re fun, informative & great exercise.
The game arranging is top notch. Zoe, the club liason was tireless in her efforts to get us good matchups (too good sometimes!) but all of the people we played were lovely. As an added bonus, while playing on the back courts by the river, we were able to watch river otters hunting for fish!
In short, LBKC offers great accomodations, tennis, instruction & people. I can’t wait to go back!
The Tennis Gardens program is simply the best tennis experience I have ever had. I worked with two of the best teaching pros I have ever worked with in 35 years of playing tennis and traveling all over the USA and Caribbean. First of all Head Pro Sammy Aviles is absolutely phenomenal. I really don’t have enough space here to rave enough. Also tennis pro Jackie Bohannon is a joy to work with, I can’t praise her enough for her enthusiasm and expertise. Zoe Smith is absolutely dedicated to finding you a game and if you can’t find one that suits your needs, she will jump in and hit with you as well. She is awesome. Everyone at the resort works together to make your experience top-notch. I really can’t say enough about the Resort at Longboat Key Club. Everyone there is fantastic. I know I will be back again many more times.
Excellent tennis setup- courts are immaculate, instruction tailor made for the ability of the player, ambiance is warm and friendly, members are welcoming, and staff go out their way to set up matches and accomodate. I have been returning to Longboat for the past seven years, and would not go elseware,the staff treats players like family.
Perfect weather, great courts, friendly club and Zoe was great at organising and including me in a ‘Round Robin’ session on Sun morning, two tennis coaching clinics, and a mixed doubles match with club members. She matched my standard of play perfectly and lots of fun had by all! Even referred me to a local Chiropractor when I injured my back doing some kayaking (not tennis!!). Her support and enthusiasm to help will be remembered and I thoroughly recommend the Resort for anyone wanting a holiday in paradise, it had everything and more I could have wished for!
Absolutely one of BEST vacations we’ve taken. Hotel and Tennis Staff were excellent. Our tennis concierge Zo, was outstanding. Prior to our arrival she assured me that we would be pleased with the level of players and we most certainly were. We played with 3 separate “couples” and they were ALL nice and embracing. Had fun, and played agressive matches. EVERYONE at the hotel was OUTSTANDING, I would compare this Resort very close to a Ritz Carlton… It was our 40th anniversary and I’m soooooo glad we chose Longboat Key.
It was great Zoe the director was awesome! We had matches everyday that were both competitive and fun
Our Tennis concierge, Zo was really easy to work with. I called about a week prior to arriving and asked her to line up some opponents for the group of six ladies coming for a girls tennis get a way weekend. She promptly got back with me with exactly what we needed. The facility was very well kept and easy to get to. We will strongly recommend this place and So to others planning a fun trip with friends.
The entire staff is very helpful in setting up matches. If something falls through like someone not showing up the pros fill in. Had a great time. Thanks to Zoe and Sammy.
A beautiful resort with excellent service and a fantastic tennis experience. The tennis organiser Zoe went out of her way to arrange suitable and different opposition every day so that we had the best tennis experience of the ten times that we have visited the resort. The staff in the shop are friendly and warm. Beach facilities are excellent. The condos are superbly situated and spacious although the kitchens and bathrooms are looking a little bit tired and need renovation. All in all, this is my families favourite tennis resort in the world and we will definitely go back again.
The tennis staff was very nice and helpful. Zoey was extremely nice and worked quick on her feet to get a tennis match arranged on short notice. Overall, I can see why the tennis gardens has ranked high on the list of best places to play tennis. A piece of tennis heaven.
Camp was fun. I received special attention that corrected weaknesses and improved all aspects of my game.Staff was professional, friendly and always encouraged me to do my best. Ratio of instructors to campers was excellent. Was able to play matches with players at and above my skill level. I will go home a more confident player!
The Tennis Gardens at the Resort at Longboat Key Club is absolutely fantastic. The courts are gorgeous clay and maintained beautifully. The best of all is the Tennis concierge Zobedia. We call her Zo now.
I called a week in advance and told her my husbands level and mine (both 4.5 usta)and she had a game lined up for each of us every single day of our vacation. I played double, singles, mixed. If she didn’t have a member at my level she was able to bring people in to play with us. we met people from all over. Zo made our entire vacation fantastic. Plus all the people at the resort bent over backwards to make the experience perfect. I cant thank them enough for all the hard work to make it happen. We will come back for sure! this is a great resort for all levels of play.
Tennis concierge was very helpful and always found a completive match for me to play during my week stay. Tennis concierge also offered to play tennis with me for about 45 minutes to help with my stroke problem.
I’ve been at this resort twice in 2013 and the facilities are first class. Zo Smith the tennis concierge set me up with 2 matches to my level. Highly competitive and a great workout! I highly recommend Longboat Key Club if you’re a tennis lover!
Fabulous tennis facilities and staff – in particular, Zobeida Smith, tennis concierge, and Susan, staff person on desk. They both were great to work with and helped out ten of us there for a reunion. The courts were in wonderful shape each morning we arrived. Really appreciated the free OJ after play!
The best tennis vacation I have ever had. Matching service is super. From beginner to world class pro’s they will find you matches at your level. The teaching staff is exceptional as they fixed problems with my serve. The tennis director John Woods hit with me on my last day and evaluated the lessons I had taken. I have been to every major resort in Sc and Fla and the Longboat Key club is the best.
Great Facility, with excellent clay courts. The tennis concierge Zobeida Smith was very helpful and set up a match a day as I requested.
The Tennis Gardens at the Longboat Key Club is a fantastic venue. We worked with Zo, the tennis concierge, to set up daily mixed doubles matches with other 4.0 players for a week. She was great to work with and is also a good player. We also had joined a few clinics and hit with Sammy Aviles, the head pro. It was a great experience. The facility is top notch and the staff is fantastic.
One of the best clubs we have been to. The rooms, courts and staff are always extremely helpful. We have been there many times and will continue to vacation there.
Great pro shop-always an excellent selection of clothing. Fantastic staff-especially Sue! Friendly, welcoming and happy to set up some matches for you. The courts are terrific-all har tru and very easy to play. Overall great facility. Lunch selections and bar was only OK. Would like to see better food choices.
Best service in the tennis center from the staff, which is Directed by John Woods, and the hotel and facilities are 1st class.
This tennis resort is AWESOME! Just came back from 3 night girls weekend and we had a fabulous time. Recommend the “aces tennis package” it included 3 hrs of tennis per day, accommodations and daily breakfast. The tennis center was magnificent, the pros were great and the staff is superb. We stayed in the 2 bedroom suite (awesome views!!!) the beach is beautiful and we loved John the beach waiter!!!! You will love this tennis resort, the jersey girls are coming back next year!!!
We were on holiday from the Uk, and we were delighted to use the Tennis Resort at Longboat Key in Florida. Both myself and my daughter, who is 8 took a number of tennis lessons during our vacation with Ron and Maraj, respectively. The facilities are first class and there is also an excellent tennis shop on site
Awesome tennis club. Great courts, weather, and location. John, the tennis director, I felt went out of his way to give me a unique tennis experience. Sue did an excellent job in organizing match play during my stay. I will be back.
Just spent a week at Longboat Key Club Resort. We have been there twice previously, however, first time since the Tennis Gardens facility opened……one word – AWESOME. One of the best facilities I have visited – the har-tru courts were incredible, the staff was outstanding, and the members welcoming. Sue, the tennis coordinator, made sure we had matches everyday and the pairings were spot on…..great time for both my wife and I. We would highly recommend Tennis Gardens at Longboat Key!!!!!
Great facility with at least one very good coach (Randy). They were very friendly at reception and organised games at appropriate level. Made a “limey” visiting for just a couple of weeks feel very much at home.
Just came back from a long weekend at Longboat Key Club & Resort. It was fantastic. Sue, the tennis concierge made our trip memorable and seamless! Sammy is an excellent pro.
I have been returning to the beautiful Tennis Gardens at Longboat Key Club & Resort for many years and for many reasons. The accommodation on the sea is outstanding and you are always welcomed like family, by everyone there. All resort facilities are kept in immaculate condition. The food is excellent everywhere you go on the resort, whether at the Hotel restaurant, the pool, the beach, the golf course, or The Tennis Gardens.
The Tennis Co-ordinator extraordinaire (Sue Brown) will make sure you get to play the type of tennis you want, whether with the local members, other guests, and at your level. Clinics are available by excellent instructors. And I can’t say enough about the wonderful Tennis Gardens. The courts are well taken care of, the club itself is absolutely beautiful. You can enjoy lunch by Court 1, where you can watch new tennis stars in training. I highly recommend it – you will not forget the experience. Thanks again to all the staff at LBKC (especially Sue:)
A wonderful vacation. Beautiful tennis facility, helpful staff, tennis concierge.
Beautiful, friendly and great courts
We had a great time (January 2012) at Longboat – beautiful facility, fabulous instruction, fun games set up by the staff, friendly (well, there’s always one…) folks to play with. We stayed at the resort in a lovely ocean-front studio apartment. Resort staff was extremely helpful and efficient.
Excellent facilities and great staff. Game arrange and daily doubles matches were well supervised with many different levels available .
First rate tennis experience First class resort
Beautiful facility..very nice and experienced teaching pros…I feel the Tennis Gardens’ courts have too much topdressing..
Great place for tennis,great beach, great accomodations
For an avid tennis player,the Tennis Garden at the Longboat Key Club is as close to Shangri-La.This earthly paradise feels like a permanently happy land, isolated from the outside world. I have been coming here for over 5 years now, and the people who regularly play at LBK seem almost immortal, living years beyond the normal lifespan and only very slowly aging in appearance. The warm tropical environment seems to be keeping them healthier and injury free as well. After a competitive game of tennis, there is nothing like watching the sun disappear into the gulf over a snow white sandy beach at cocktail hour. If you can’t make it Hawaii on a regular basis, this is the place to be.
Awesome experience yet again at Longboatkey resort and on the courts and in the proshop, the ladies at the pro shop were lovely
The facility is fantastic. Very beautiful setting right on the beach. The tennis center is well designed, very clean and the courts are perfectly maintained. The tennis staff is very friendly and helpful. The competition is great. I always look forward to visiting Longboat.
The staff went beyond the call of duty to help me and a vacation guest find games, and the shop was top notch
My husband planned a tennis getaway for us and I must say we were very disappointed in Longboat Key. The resort and restaurants were nice, but we went for good tennis. We are in our 40’s, and strong intermediate players. The tennis proshop coordinators were not familiar with the packages being offered and had no idea what was included. The round robin was organized,, but the average age was 80. the clinics were fair and the level went from very beginner to intermediate. However, the pros were very nice. Overall it was very disapointing especially for the cost. We have been to several other resorts and will not go back to this one.
We visited the Tennis Gardens at Long Boat Key in mid September and had a great time. The facility is first class and well maintained. Staff is execellent and friendly
The Tennis Gardens at Longboat Key Club is a little slice of heaven. The staff is both professional and personable. The tennis concierge consistently set me up with challenging, fun matches over the last two years. Court 21, the restaurant at The Tennis Gardens is top notch. The food is delicious and you couldn’t ask for a better setting. John Woods does a fabulous job overseeing the facility.
Loved the Tennis Gardens! Great lesson with Sammy.
This is a phenomenal destination resort. The quiet, exclusivity of Longboat Key, one of the best beaches in the world, the shopping and dining of St. Armand’s Circle – the ultimate balance between relaxation and activity.
The tennis facilities are second to none – the Tennis Gardens at Longboat Key Club is a public facility!!! Instruction is what you’d expect from a world renowned 4 Diamond resort. The courts are futuristic. After a ten minute downpour that would have closed facilities here in Naples, we were able to walk onto the court and play as if it had never rained!
The dining options at Longboat Key are numerous and exceptional – and the proximity to some of Sarasota’s finest restaurants makes for a gastronomic experience second to none. When we return in October for a long weekend, I’ll play golf and report back, after all, this is Florida and golf is king – and I think 45 holes of championship golf – make Longboat Key a golf resort second to none!! Our beachfront club suite was so large and fully-equipped, that we extended our stay prior to unpacking our bags!
The glue that binds this fabulous beach-tennis-golf resort is the staff. The front gate staff informs the front desk who greets you by name. The concierge staff is friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating. There is no better food and beverage staff, or housekeeping! The staff at the Tennis Gardens represent the best of the game and if they have equals, I’d love to know where!
LB Key Club is a top notch facility for both the junior player as well as adults. Great staff that will take care of all your needs. We have one son who is in the top 5 in our region and ranked high nationally and he loved it. Our other son is ranked in the state and our daughter (7) is just beginning to play…everyone had a great time.
I highly recommend The Longboat Key Club to anyone interested in a great tennis vacation.
Excellent, modern tennis complex in superb setting.
Longboat Key Club is great not only because of the hotel accomodations, beach, restaurants and location to shopping, but because of the Tennis Gardens. I call in advance of our visit and the friendly tennis staff set up matches for me before I arrive. They are wonderful arranging matches for guests or clinics with a pro if a doubles game isn’t possible.
The tennis facility is top notch and the main reason we do not look elsewhere when we stay on Longboat. The courts are in great shape, the staff friendly and accomodating and it is always a good experience for me. I look forward to our next trip South.
Tennis facility is amazing – staff At tennis facility and spa are great. Service everywhere else is ok and they always add 20% as if they are catering to a large, international clientele.