Our travel editor attended the 2026 Hall of Fame Induction Celebration and recounts her experience last weekend during the once-in-a-lifetime experience. An evening celebrating one of the greatest of all time while visiting arguably the most historic venue in our sport in Newport, Rhode Island
With warm weather nearly year-round, court quality that rivals global, dedicated academies, and prices that are hard to match in Western Europe, it's no surprise that tennis resorts in Turkey draw everyone from general fans to national training squads.
Arizona has become one of the country's premier pickleball destinations, and it's easy to see why. The sport has grown so popular in the Valley that Phoenix now hosts regular stops on the Pro Tour of Pickleball (PPA), drawing players and fans from across the country.
With warm weather nearly year-round, court quality that rivals global, dedicated academies, and prices that are hard to match in Western Europe, it's no surprise that tennis resorts in Turkey draw everyone from general fans to national training squads.
Arizona has become one of the country's premier pickleball destinations, and it's easy to see why. The sport has grown so popular in the Valley that Phoenix now hosts regular stops on the Pro Tour of Pickleball (PPA), drawing players and fans from across the country.
Today's top vacation spots feature state-of-the-art clay and hard courts, dedicated pickleball complexes, elite coaching academies, and luxury amenities tailored for players of all skill levels.
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 358 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. Nick Loudermilk directs the programming. Originally from California, Nick Loudermilk is an RSPA Elite Professional with more than 25 years of experience in the racquets industry. Known for his energy, passion and ability to connect with players of all levels, Nick specializes in doubles strategy, stroke development, USTA team practices, junior programming and social events.
Nick joins The Ritz-Carlton Bacara from The Club at Old Hawthorne in Missouri, where he spent seven years as Director of Racquets, building one of the Midwest’s premier programs. A former #1 singles and doubles player at Bakersfield College, Nick also competed professionally in pickleball, earning more than 20 gold medals at the open level. Nick holds certifications from the RSPA, PPR, IPTPA, CRSE and DCA.
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. Nick Loudermilk directs the programing. Originally from California, Nick Loudermilk is an RSPA Elite Professional with more than 25 years of experience in the racquets industry. Known for his energy, passion and ability to connect with players of all levels, Nick specializes in doubles strategy, stroke development, USTA team practices, junior programming and social events.
Nick joins The Ritz-Carlton Bacara from The Club at Old Hawthorne in Missouri, where he spent seven years as Director of Racquets, building one of the Midwest’s premier programs. A former #1 singles and doubles player at Bakersfield College, Nick also competed professionally in pickleball, earning more than 20 gold medals at the open level. Nick holds certifications from the RSPA, PPR, IPTPA, CRSE and DCA.
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
358 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.
Nick and team were awesome! got me set up on a private lesson, hitting with the ball machine, and even helped me restring my racket! 10/10!
MK
Tennis facilities were great. Everyone was so nice and helpful. Nick is great. He made sure I had a pro to hit with who keep up. Daniel is super nice and very good player. We had 2 great hits. The tennis helped to make for a great trip.
MF
Nick and Jasmine were awesome! Live ball was so much fun! Totally recommend!
HT
On a recent trip to Santa Barbara, I wanted to get in as much tennis as possible and reached out to the tennis club at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara. I connected with Coach Nick Lauderdale, who helped me create my own five-day “tennis intensive” — essentially a personalized adult tennis camp built around my level and goals.
We started with a session so Nick could assess my game, and from there he tailored our private lessons around the areas where I could make the biggest improvements. What impressed me most was his ability to identify simple adjustments that made an immediate difference. Nick is incredibly knowledgeable, encouraging and personable, and I was amazed by how much more confident and consistent I felt after just five days.
I also joined clinics with Coach Ian, which complemented the private lessons perfectly. Between the two, I played about 13 hours of tennis over five days and genuinely loved every minute of it.
It ended up being one of the highlights of my trip. I spent my days going back and forth between the courts and enjoying meals or downtime at Bacara between sessions. It felt like my own customized adult tennis camp — with excellent coaching, beautiful surroundings and plenty of tennis.
I highly recommend the Bacara tennis program to anyone visiting Santa Barbara or living in the area, whether you want a lesson, a clinic or your own multi-day intensive. I loved the experience so much that I’ve already planned my next trip to Santa Barbara in November and will absolutely be continuing my coaching with Nick and Ian. That’s probably the best endorsement I can give!
IA
Excellent instruction, great courts, amazing environment- 10/10
ES
I was in town for the week and prepping for a doubles tournament at home the following weekend. I booked a lesson with Nick, and he was super helpful and customized the hitting session to my level and needs. I was a little worried about playing on Har-Tru for the first time, but it was easy to adjust, and the hit was perfect.
It was super easy to schedule and well worth the hitting time. It sounds like they have a good mix of local players and visitors coming through on the regular. I hope to be back again in the future to check out their other offerings in beautiful Santa Barbara.
DG
Great experience. Nick, head pro, was very responsive and enthusiastic to book me a hitting session when I emailed. (not a lot of places were). He paired me with a good level hitting partner (coach Dan, I think) who was very good. Provided the perfect amount of coaching (I didn’t want too much). Great facility as well. Would highly recommend.
AN
Had a morning hitting session with Daniel while staying at the resort. Nice clay-like courts, very welcoming and professional staff. Daniel is a top notch coach who gave me good feedback throughout the session and really pushed me to my limit. Will definitely be back. Thank you again for a great start to a weekend!
ST
My wife and I a great time at Cliff Drysdale Tennis at the Ritz Carlton Bacara! Nick, the tennis pro, is awesome and quickly assessed our strengths and areas of improvement. We took a two dual lessons with him and did two group lessons and wished we could have played for longer it was so fun. Nick strikes the right balance between positivity and pushing us. We will definitely be returning!
ER
Had a great time at Cliff Drysdale Tennis at the Ritz Carlton Bacara! Nick, the tennis pro, was super helpful with pointers and was positive and encouraging, and was overall fun to hit balls with. The facility was nice, convenient to get to, had all the equipment we needed, and easy and efficient to make bookings with.
RJ
Great experience playing at Bacara! Loved the Har-Tru courts, which played well and were protected from the wind despite being close to the beach. Nick the pro was friendly, helpful, and fun to hit with. This nice tennis facility with courteous staff is another good reason to return to Bacara.
JR
Just had a great lesson on a beautiful day with, Nick. I really enjoyed his instruction and had a great time on the clay. Look forward to coming back here soon!
SA
Book a private lesson online right after check in was so convenient. Coach Nick met me the next morning for a 1 hour private lesson . I am 4.5 player with an elbow injury so he was able to customize the lesson to my needs and found an opportunity to improve my backhand stroke. Thanks, Coach Nick! Hope to do it again sometime.
JS
Great facility, awesome coaches, great vibe overall!
SD
I really enjoyed Nick’s coaching. He’s one of the best coaches I’ve had. I took a two hour lesson with him and in those two hours I learned so much. He pays attention to details and really helped me with my technique.
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166 Reviews on “The Ritz-Carlton, Bacara”
Jasmine was excellent!
Great vibes. Positive and technical.
Can’t wait to come back!
Nick and team were awesome! got me set up on a private lesson, hitting with the ball machine, and even helped me restring my racket! 10/10!
Tennis facilities were great. Everyone was so nice and helpful. Nick is great. He made sure I had a pro to hit with who keep up. Daniel is super nice and very good player. We had 2 great hits. The tennis helped to make for a great trip.
Nick and Jasmine were awesome! Live ball was so much fun! Totally recommend!
On a recent trip to Santa Barbara, I wanted to get in as much tennis as possible and reached out to the tennis club at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara. I connected with Coach Nick Lauderdale, who helped me create my own five-day “tennis intensive” — essentially a personalized adult tennis camp built around my level and goals.
We started with a session so Nick could assess my game, and from there he tailored our private lessons around the areas where I could make the biggest improvements. What impressed me most was his ability to identify simple adjustments that made an immediate difference. Nick is incredibly knowledgeable, encouraging and personable, and I was amazed by how much more confident and consistent I felt after just five days.
I also joined clinics with Coach Ian, which complemented the private lessons perfectly. Between the two, I played about 13 hours of tennis over five days and genuinely loved every minute of it.
It ended up being one of the highlights of my trip. I spent my days going back and forth between the courts and enjoying meals or downtime at Bacara between sessions. It felt like my own customized adult tennis camp — with excellent coaching, beautiful surroundings and plenty of tennis.
I highly recommend the Bacara tennis program to anyone visiting Santa Barbara or living in the area, whether you want a lesson, a clinic or your own multi-day intensive. I loved the experience so much that I’ve already planned my next trip to Santa Barbara in November and will absolutely be continuing my coaching with Nick and Ian. That’s probably the best endorsement I can give!
Excellent instruction, great courts, amazing environment- 10/10
I was in town for the week and prepping for a doubles tournament at home the following weekend. I booked a lesson with Nick, and he was super helpful and customized the hitting session to my level and needs. I was a little worried about playing on Har-Tru for the first time, but it was easy to adjust, and the hit was perfect.
It was super easy to schedule and well worth the hitting time. It sounds like they have a good mix of local players and visitors coming through on the regular. I hope to be back again in the future to check out their other offerings in beautiful Santa Barbara.
Great experience. Nick, head pro, was very responsive and enthusiastic to book me a hitting session when I emailed. (not a lot of places were). He paired me with a good level hitting partner (coach Dan, I think) who was very good. Provided the perfect amount of coaching (I didn’t want too much). Great facility as well. Would highly recommend.
Had a morning hitting session with Daniel while staying at the resort. Nice clay-like courts, very welcoming and professional staff. Daniel is a top notch coach who gave me good feedback throughout the session and really pushed me to my limit. Will definitely be back. Thank you again for a great start to a weekend!
My wife and I a great time at Cliff Drysdale Tennis at the Ritz Carlton Bacara! Nick, the tennis pro, is awesome and quickly assessed our strengths and areas of improvement. We took a two dual lessons with him and did two group lessons and wished we could have played for longer it was so fun. Nick strikes the right balance between positivity and pushing us. We will definitely be returning!
Had a great time at Cliff Drysdale Tennis at the Ritz Carlton Bacara! Nick, the tennis pro, was super helpful with pointers and was positive and encouraging, and was overall fun to hit balls with. The facility was nice, convenient to get to, had all the equipment we needed, and easy and efficient to make bookings with.
Great experience playing at Bacara! Loved the Har-Tru courts, which played well and were protected from the wind despite being close to the beach. Nick the pro was friendly, helpful, and fun to hit with. This nice tennis facility with courteous staff is another good reason to return to Bacara.
Just had a great lesson on a beautiful day with, Nick. I really enjoyed his instruction and had a great time on the clay. Look forward to coming back here soon!
Book a private lesson online right after check in was so convenient. Coach Nick met me the next morning for a 1 hour private lesson . I am 4.5 player with an elbow injury so he was able to customize the lesson to my needs and found an opportunity to improve my backhand stroke. Thanks, Coach Nick! Hope to do it again sometime.
Great facility, awesome coaches, great vibe overall!
I really enjoyed Nick’s coaching. He’s one of the best coaches I’ve had. I took a two hour lesson with him and in those two hours I learned so much. He pays attention to details and really helped me with my technique.