The Ritz-Carlton Bacara perches atop a bluff overlooking two miles of beach, a little north of Santa Barbara. Architecturally it resembles a Spanish Colonial village, as winding pathways connect low-slung buildings with open balconies and courtyards with fountains. Within its 78 acres are 311 rooms and suites, a 42,000-square-foot spa, a fitness center, 3 rimless swimming pools, and 4 Har-Tru tennis courts. Its connection to a 1,000-acre lemon and avocado ranch adds more dimensions, like horseback riding, hiking and mountain biking. Golfers, meanwhile, have privileges at local courses.
Four courts is a modest number for a hotel this size, but they stand out for their soft surface—a relative rarity in southern California—their location near the ocean, and the expertise of Cliff Drysdale Tennis (CDT), which manages the complex. Galina Bykova directs the programing. Originally from St. Petersburg, Russia, she ranked among that country’s Top 50 juniors. That led to an invitation to join the St. Petersburg tennis team, which went on to win the Russian Team Championship and earn Bykova the prestigious title of Master of Sports of Russia. She then came to the U.S. where she played Division I tennis at the University of Idaho, leading the team to the NCAA Division I Team Championships, before moving on to California State University, Fresno, where she captained the tennis team to its highest national ranking of 20.
At Bacara, she stages a weekly roster of tennis activities, including Cardio tennis, live ball and strategy drill sessions, social round robins, as more, as well as group and private lessons. And several times a year, she joins the Drysdale tennis team to host Tennis and Wine Weekends, supplementing three days of on-court activities with private wine tours and tasting at an award-winning local winery.
Tennis aside, Ritz-Carlton Bacara guests can swim in three pools, surf or sail at the beach, play a round at the adjacent championship golf course, or walk the on-property nature trail. Santa Barbara is also home to a thriving arts community, festival circuit, and wineries, inviting guests to explore beyond the resort to discover more of what the area has to offer.
Four courts is a modest number for a hotel this size, but they stand out for their soft surface—a relative rarity in southern California—their location near the ocean, and the expertise of Cliff Drysdale Tennis (CDT), which manages the complex. Galina Bykova directs the programing. Originally from St. Petersburg, Russia, she ranked among that country’s Top 50 juniors. That led to an invitation to join the St. Petersburg tennis team, which went on to win the Russian Team Championship and earn Bykova the prestigious title of Master of Sports of Russia. She then came to the U.S. where she played Division I tennis at the University of Idaho, leading the team to the NCAA Division I Team Championships, before moving on to California State University, Fresno, where she captained the tennis team to its highest national ranking of 20.
There's a weekly roster of tennis activities, including Cardio tennis, live ball and strategy drill sessions, social round robins, as more, as well as group and private lessons. There are also year-round customized camps. And, several times a year, the Drysdale tennis team hosts Tennis and Wine Weekends, supplementing three days of on-court activities with private wine tours and tasting at an award-winning local winery.
Off Court
Set on 78 acres, the resort offers two-mile natural beach, three zero-edged saline, heated pools with private cabana rentals and watersports including surfing, kayaking and paddle boarding, while the surrounding area adds opportunities for horseback riding, biking, hiking, and more.
Tennis aside, Ritz-Carlton Bacara guests can swim in three pools, enjoy an award-winning Spa, surf or sail at the beach, play a round at the adjacent championship golf course, or walk the on-property nature trail. Santa Barbara is also home to a thriving arts community, festival circuit, and wineries, inviting guests to explore beyond the resort to discover more of what the area has to offer.
Accommodations
311 rooms and suites
Getting there
Seasons: Year-round
Travel Instructions: The nearest major air gateway is Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA), 6 miles to the east.
General Tourist Information: For information about the Santa Barbara, visit the Visit Santa Barbara website.
We love the Bacara Tennis experience! Glenna is awesome and always Events for us. Love the clay courts, easy on the joints. We play out there at least three days a week, and love the whole experience!
CW
We love her car experience, I don’t know what to do without it! Galina is awesome, always energetic and creating nice opportunities for us to play. Love the clay courts!
TS
I am a member of Bacara and play tennis on the beautiful clay courts with the sound of the ocean as we play. Galina is our talented tennis pro. Galina has great energy and knowledge , and is always such a joy to learn from.
BS
I had the absolute pleasure of taking both group and private lessons with Galina. She is not only a highly skilled professional but also an incredible coach who knows how to tailor lessons to each player’s skill level. Galina’s feedback was insightful and I’ve noticed significant improvements in my strokes, footwork and overall strategy. Galina is passionate about tennis and genuinely invested in helping students improve while having fun.
KB
Galina provides great instruction on the court. Her energy is contagious and a bright addition to your day. The Bacara clay courts are well maintained and gentle on your joints. This is a beautifully located tennis facility at the edge of the beach.
CTG
So fun to play on the clay courts at Bacara. Their pro Galina was amazing. We hit so many balls and her instruction was positive and very helpful. Our lesson was so good and went by so fast, we had to book another! Highly recommend taking advantage of the courts and Galina whenever you visit Bacara.
WW
I am lucky enough to live in Santa Barbara. The tennis courts at the Ritz/Bacara are fantastic (for my knees) and Galina Bykova is the best. Patient, funny, wise and a great people person. The programs there are great (and affordable for locals) and the courts well maintained. Please hold onto her as long as you can!
JW
Galina was an energetic and enthusiastic pro who was so much fun to be on the court with. Great clay courts and the Bacara resort is perfectly located in Santa Barbara with all the amenities you would expect at a Ritz Carlton resort! I was on vacation and played so I can’t comment on the camp program.
TF
Myself and three friends attended the Wine and Tennis Weekend at the Ritz Carlton, Bacara in Santa Barbara. What a great weekend. The Tennis Director, Galina is terrific! She brings so much energy to the camp and makes it a fun and educational experience. No standing around waiting for the next drill. She keeps things moving to get the most out of the instruction. Excellent communicator.
Highly Recommend!
CW
The tennis clinics were instructive while being a lot of fun. Galina was a great instructor – very knowledgeable and great at pinpointing areas of improvement and tips/drills for the same. The grounds were also beautiful and the stay was completely awesome. Would highly recommend and will definitely return!
TB
The resort is beautiful and the Cliff Drysdale Tennis Camp was the perfect excuse to visit. So much fun, especially on the courts with Galina and rest of Cliff Drysdale Team that was there that weekend. Our group had the best time!
GB
Galina is doing a fantastic job as Tennis Director. The facility is well run and she provides excellent instruction to guests and members alike. Personally, she has taken my tennis to a whole new level. Galina has also incorporated pickleball into her curriculum with great results.
JC
Galina is fantastic. She was on-time and accommodated my requests for a type of lesson that was probably more work than her typical lessons. Galina intuitively understood what I wanted to get out of the lesson (keep the pace going even though I looked very tired) as well as not taking it too easy on me (as some coaches do to try to boost your confidence). Perfect lesson…Thanks again.
CM
Galina is an excellent instructor. She is very knowledgeable and shares her thoughts in a positive manner. Lessons and clinics are tremendous fun, but you also leave a better player. I highly recommend Galina and my first experience with Cliff Drysdale tennis was very positive. The Ritz-Carlton Bacara also was a wonderful experience.
TT
I’ve visited four Cliff Drysdale Tennis camps around the country, and Ritz-Carlton Bacara is now my favorite. The resort is beautiful and the November is weather perfect. The tennis courts are hidden away near resort pools and the Pacific Ocean. The Har-Tru clay surface is easy on the knees, and the locals I joined for a clinic were fun and welcoming. Best of all, after four lessons with Galina, I returned home with an improved volley game!
CR
The staff was the best part. They were so much fun. I did learn a lot and my new spicy racket is the boom!! Galina allowed me to practice with her racket and after falling in love with it she strung me up a new one just like hers. Got back home and won my 4.0 match with my new racket and the techniques I learned while there. This was my first time in California, at a Ritz Carlton so I had high expectations. Galina and her team made this weekend the best tennis and win camp I have been to. The pro shop could have been better. I was ready to shop.
PP
Attended the CD Tennis and wine weekend at the Ritz and it was an absolute blast. Gorgeous hotel and tennis facility, lots to do in Santa Barbara. But the pros, Galina, Lexi, Valeria and Stuart absolutely made the weekend with their skill, enthusiasm and laughs. We had such a great time and will definitely go back.
SM
Coaches Galena Valeria Lexi and Stewart were high energy and fun! Enjoyed the tennis immensely!
EK
Gorgeous resort and exceptional high energy instructional tennis camp. Pros were each great and offered various tips.
AS
Galina, Lexi, V, and Stuart were amazing. I had the best time and learned so much. Would highly recommend to anyone.
BS
The clinic was exceptional! The only thing I would have liked was to have been partnered/ grouped with other people. Played with the same ladies a lot of the time. I know it wasn’t based on skill once I played with others at the end. I had a match today and used the martini glass volley drill and it worked great!
ES
The tennis pros and staff at the Cliff Drysdale tennis clinic at Bacara were all super high-energy, fun, knowledgeable and helpful! They gave so many great pointers and tips for me to take home. I wish that some drills could have lasted longer so that I could build more muscle memory with the new skills, but the drills weren’t terribly short and there’s only so much time in a weekend anyway, it would have been impossible to change my 12 years of bad tennis habits in that tiny window of time. I also loved the immediate on-court feedback that the pros gave me about what I was doing right and wrong. Lots of positivity and encouragement all around. I would love to do this clinic again, and get some more match play in on the final day, and highly recommend to anyone interested in fun tennis getaways.
Nh
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BC
My son and I took lessons together, mainly focused on him. It was an awkward ask for me to be involved and to participate, but to still make it mainly for my teenager. Coach Galina did it perfectly, and my son does not have an easy temperament. She got him to warm up to her quickly and to buy in with enthusiasm. She also did a nice job not confusing him with instruction that would conflict with his coaches at home. We wanted practice, a workout, and some polishing. We got that and more. She kept it up-beat but she really challenged him and did that thing that all great coaches do well and all bad coaches fail at: staying right above their client’s level so the player can compete and win some points but so there are no easy points.
KZ
This was a phenomenal getaway location for an active girls weekend. The cardio tennis was the most energetic cardio tennis class I’ve ever taken. Galina is a wonderful asset at this resort!!! She gave us an incredible workout that was also fun. THANK YOU!
VM
Working with Galina was outstanding She is a huge asset for the tennis program She brings great energy and the kids really enjoyed her
SF
I highly recommend it
WW
Galina is fantastic please keep her!
SR
Wonderful tennis courts, energetic and skilled coach.
TS
My family and I love the tennis at bacara! Great energetic fun talented instructors!! So much fun and we are learning so much.
JB
Add more branded gift buying options
SS
The best part of Ritz Carlton Bacara’s tennis center is its director of tennis, Galina Bykova. She is high energy in a positive and fun way. But more importantly she is an exceptional tennis instructor. Galina gives insightful feedback on technique and court positioning, all while putting together engaging drills that are complex enough to not be boring but with clear instructions so you know what you’re supposed to do. You’ll be happy taking a private or cardio or live ball clinic with Galina.
CW
We have been club members at the Ritz Carlton Bacara for more than 12 years and associate members at the tennis facility for over four years. Between the outstanding program that Galina provides for Tennis, and the overall experience at the resort, we don’t know what we would do without it, a huge part of our lives!
KC
Tennis courts and instruction are awesome and well managed !!
MF
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RL
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TS
The clay courts are close enough to the beach that you can hear the surf. The facilities are very nice, the courts are always well-groomed. The instruction is top notch. Galina can taylor instruction to be effective for everyone in a clinic. Her one-on-one instruction is excellent, plus she is a lot of fun during your time on the court. I visit this facility several times a year and am never disappointed.
Jv
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DR
The tennis instructor, Galina, was very helpful, held a lively clinic and provided really good instruction in my private lessons.
DM
As a solo traveller looking for an environment providing a combination of tennis coaching and relaxation, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at RC- Bacara. I genuinely looked forward to the tennis coaching each day which was varied, fun, energetic and appropriate to my level as a newcomer to the sport later in life. Thank you Galina and Francesca for making the experience a positive one. If I have the opportunity to return in the future, I think it would be of great value in the private lessons to have some video analysis and review of this as a visual aid for feedback.
JR
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MK
Galina offers high energy, challenging drills and constructive suggestions to help with technique and strategy. Clay courts can get slippery.
CH
Galina is the best: high energy, supportive, fun, and a skilled coach. We loved every season with her and look forward to returning.
SH
We have always loved the Bacara and visit as often as we can. Once we met Galina, we knew she was the perfect pro for us. She is high energy, FUN, strategic and patient. 🙂 We look forward to our lessons every week – even when the only time we can make it is 7:30 am on a Sunday. She is flexible, friendly and did I mention FUN?! 😉 If I were you, I’d give her a BIG raise to keep her – she is a wonderful asset that makes your tennis program shine and keeps us coming back and recommending her and the resort to everyone we know.
SS
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LH
Galina, the tennis pro is exceptional, experienced, high energy, fun.
DR
Galina was a very good instructor. Very patient and enthusiastic.
SC
Lovely resort and setting. Hosted tennis outing for small business group and the tennis staff was fantastic! We had multiple levels of players and varying attendance on different days. They worked with us on last-minute changes and ensured everyone felt welcome and had a great time!
PB
Strength: Galana Bykova – skilled, high energy, personable. Weakness: more wait staff at Bistro restaurant.
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105 Reviews on “The Ritz-Carlton, Bacara”
We love the Bacara Tennis experience! Glenna is awesome and always Events for us. Love the clay courts, easy on the joints. We play out there at least three days a week, and love the whole experience!
We love her car experience, I don’t know what to do without it! Galina is awesome, always energetic and creating nice opportunities for us to play. Love the clay courts!
I am a member of Bacara and play tennis on the beautiful clay courts with the sound of the ocean as we play. Galina is our talented tennis pro. Galina has great energy and knowledge , and is always such a joy to learn from.
I had the absolute pleasure of taking both group and private lessons with Galina. She is not only a highly skilled professional but also an incredible coach who knows how to tailor lessons to each player’s skill level. Galina’s feedback was insightful and I’ve noticed significant improvements in my strokes, footwork and overall strategy. Galina is passionate about tennis and genuinely invested in helping students improve while having fun.
Galina provides great instruction on the court. Her energy is contagious and a bright addition to your day. The Bacara clay courts are well maintained and gentle on your joints. This is a beautifully located tennis facility at the edge of the beach.
So fun to play on the clay courts at Bacara. Their pro Galina was amazing. We hit so many balls and her instruction was positive and very helpful. Our lesson was so good and went by so fast, we had to book another! Highly recommend taking advantage of the courts and Galina whenever you visit Bacara.
I am lucky enough to live in Santa Barbara. The tennis courts at the Ritz/Bacara are fantastic (for my knees) and Galina Bykova is the best. Patient, funny, wise and a great people person. The programs there are great (and affordable for locals) and the courts well maintained. Please hold onto her as long as you can!
Galina was an energetic and enthusiastic pro who was so much fun to be on the court with. Great clay courts and the Bacara resort is perfectly located in Santa Barbara with all the amenities you would expect at a Ritz Carlton resort! I was on vacation and played so I can’t comment on the camp program.
Myself and three friends attended the Wine and Tennis Weekend at the Ritz Carlton, Bacara in Santa Barbara. What a great weekend. The Tennis Director, Galina is terrific! She brings so much energy to the camp and makes it a fun and educational experience. No standing around waiting for the next drill. She keeps things moving to get the most out of the instruction. Excellent communicator.
Highly Recommend!
The tennis clinics were instructive while being a lot of fun. Galina was a great instructor – very knowledgeable and great at pinpointing areas of improvement and tips/drills for the same. The grounds were also beautiful and the stay was completely awesome. Would highly recommend and will definitely return!
The resort is beautiful and the Cliff Drysdale Tennis Camp was the perfect excuse to visit. So much fun, especially on the courts with Galina and rest of Cliff Drysdale Team that was there that weekend. Our group had the best time!
Galina is doing a fantastic job as Tennis Director. The facility is well run and she provides excellent instruction to guests and members alike. Personally, she has taken my tennis to a whole new level. Galina has also incorporated pickleball into her curriculum with great results.
Galina is fantastic. She was on-time and accommodated my requests for a type of lesson that was probably more work than her typical lessons. Galina intuitively understood what I wanted to get out of the lesson (keep the pace going even though I looked very tired) as well as not taking it too easy on me (as some coaches do to try to boost your confidence). Perfect lesson…Thanks again.
Galina is an excellent instructor. She is very knowledgeable and shares her thoughts in a positive manner. Lessons and clinics are tremendous fun, but you also leave a better player. I highly recommend Galina and my first experience with Cliff Drysdale tennis was very positive. The Ritz-Carlton Bacara also was a wonderful experience.
I’ve visited four Cliff Drysdale Tennis camps around the country, and Ritz-Carlton Bacara is now my favorite. The resort is beautiful and the November is weather perfect. The tennis courts are hidden away near resort pools and the Pacific Ocean. The Har-Tru clay surface is easy on the knees, and the locals I joined for a clinic were fun and welcoming. Best of all, after four lessons with Galina, I returned home with an improved volley game!
The staff was the best part. They were so much fun. I did learn a lot and my new spicy racket is the boom!! Galina allowed me to practice with her racket and after falling in love with it she strung me up a new one just like hers. Got back home and won my 4.0 match with my new racket and the techniques I learned while there. This was my first time in California, at a Ritz Carlton so I had high expectations. Galina and her team made this weekend the best tennis and win camp I have been to. The pro shop could have been better. I was ready to shop.
Attended the CD Tennis and wine weekend at the Ritz and it was an absolute blast. Gorgeous hotel and tennis facility, lots to do in Santa Barbara. But the pros, Galina, Lexi, Valeria and Stuart absolutely made the weekend with their skill, enthusiasm and laughs. We had such a great time and will definitely go back.
Coaches Galena Valeria Lexi and Stewart were high energy and fun! Enjoyed the tennis immensely!
Gorgeous resort and exceptional high energy instructional tennis camp. Pros were each great and offered various tips.
Galina, Lexi, V, and Stuart were amazing. I had the best time and learned so much. Would highly recommend to anyone.
The clinic was exceptional! The only thing I would have liked was to have been partnered/ grouped with other people. Played with the same ladies a lot of the time. I know it wasn’t based on skill once I played with others at the end. I had a match today and used the martini glass volley drill and it worked great!
The tennis pros and staff at the Cliff Drysdale tennis clinic at Bacara were all super high-energy, fun, knowledgeable and helpful! They gave so many great pointers and tips for me to take home. I wish that some drills could have lasted longer so that I could build more muscle memory with the new skills, but the drills weren’t terribly short and there’s only so much time in a weekend anyway, it would have been impossible to change my 12 years of bad tennis habits in that tiny window of time. I also loved the immediate on-court feedback that the pros gave me about what I was doing right and wrong. Lots of positivity and encouragement all around. I would love to do this clinic again, and get some more match play in on the final day, and highly recommend to anyone interested in fun tennis getaways.
NULL
My son and I took lessons together, mainly focused on him. It was an awkward ask for me to be involved and to participate, but to still make it mainly for my teenager. Coach Galina did it perfectly, and my son does not have an easy temperament. She got him to warm up to her quickly and to buy in with enthusiasm. She also did a nice job not confusing him with instruction that would conflict with his coaches at home. We wanted practice, a workout, and some polishing. We got that and more. She kept it up-beat but she really challenged him and did that thing that all great coaches do well and all bad coaches fail at: staying right above their client’s level so the player can compete and win some points but so there are no easy points.
This was a phenomenal getaway location for an active girls weekend. The cardio tennis was the most energetic cardio tennis class I’ve ever taken. Galina is a wonderful asset at this resort!!! She gave us an incredible workout that was also fun. THANK YOU!
Working with Galina was outstanding She is a huge asset for the tennis program She brings great energy and the kids really enjoyed her
I highly recommend it
Galina is fantastic please keep her!
Wonderful tennis courts, energetic and skilled coach.
My family and I love the tennis at bacara! Great energetic fun talented instructors!! So much fun and we are learning so much.
Add more branded gift buying options
The best part of Ritz Carlton Bacara’s tennis center is its director of tennis, Galina Bykova. She is high energy in a positive and fun way. But more importantly she is an exceptional tennis instructor. Galina gives insightful feedback on technique and court positioning, all while putting together engaging drills that are complex enough to not be boring but with clear instructions so you know what you’re supposed to do. You’ll be happy taking a private or cardio or live ball clinic with Galina.
We have been club members at the Ritz Carlton Bacara for more than 12 years and associate members at the tennis facility for over four years. Between the outstanding program that Galina provides for Tennis, and the overall experience at the resort, we don’t know what we would do without it, a huge part of our lives!
Tennis courts and instruction are awesome and well managed !!
NULL
NULL
The clay courts are close enough to the beach that you can hear the surf. The facilities are very nice, the courts are always well-groomed. The instruction is top notch. Galina can taylor instruction to be effective for everyone in a clinic. Her one-on-one instruction is excellent, plus she is a lot of fun during your time on the court. I visit this facility several times a year and am never disappointed.
NULL
The tennis instructor, Galina, was very helpful, held a lively clinic and provided really good instruction in my private lessons.
As a solo traveller looking for an environment providing a combination of tennis coaching and relaxation, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at RC- Bacara. I genuinely looked forward to the tennis coaching each day which was varied, fun, energetic and appropriate to my level as a newcomer to the sport later in life. Thank you Galina and Francesca for making the experience a positive one. If I have the opportunity to return in the future, I think it would be of great value in the private lessons to have some video analysis and review of this as a visual aid for feedback.
NULL
Galina offers high energy, challenging drills and constructive suggestions to help with technique and strategy. Clay courts can get slippery.
Galina is the best: high energy, supportive, fun, and a skilled coach. We loved every season with her and look forward to returning.
We have always loved the Bacara and visit as often as we can. Once we met Galina, we knew she was the perfect pro for us. She is high energy, FUN, strategic and patient. 🙂 We look forward to our lessons every week – even when the only time we can make it is 7:30 am on a Sunday. She is flexible, friendly and did I mention FUN?! 😉 If I were you, I’d give her a BIG raise to keep her – she is a wonderful asset that makes your tennis program shine and keeps us coming back and recommending her and the resort to everyone we know.
NULL
Galina, the tennis pro is exceptional, experienced, high energy, fun.
Galina was a very good instructor. Very patient and enthusiastic.
Lovely resort and setting. Hosted tennis outing for small business group and the tennis staff was fantastic! We had multiple levels of players and varying attendance on different days. They worked with us on last-minute changes and ensured everyone felt welcome and had a great time!
Strength: Galana Bykova – skilled, high energy, personable. Weakness: more wait staff at Bistro restaurant.
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