The Colony Longboat Key FL (photos)

[Gonzalito17]

It closed in 2010 now it's virtually a ghost resort, badly deteriorated. But the tract of land that it's on is right on the beach of Longboat Key, so it's absolutely prime real estate.

You can see photos and an update about it here.

http://www.tennis-prose.com/articles...to-ghost-town/

I stayed there twice in the 90s and it was like tennis heaven on earth, just a perfect paradise. Sad to see it's in such bad shape now. Hopefully they can get it back on it's feet. The Colony is a part of tennis history, it's where Bollettieri started out.

Anybody have special memories of The Colony?

[hittman10]

Wow, what a shame. I played there many times as a junior. It was a great place, we used to trek down there from Clearwater and play. i hope someone get's it back up, maybe the Hoppman people

[Gonzalito17]

Hitman, they hosted junior tourneys there? Didn't know that.

Weird thing is individuals own the units but they can't even get in there, it's all totally shut down, like in limbo. Tough luck for those poor unit owners.

Have to think it's just a matter of time before they figure a way to get that place rockin and rollin again. Though with the economy struggling, you never know.

[El Diablo]

I'd be very surprised if it becomes a tennis facility again. Sarasota has a very high influx rate of people moving there, land like that would be very desirable for a developer willing to partner in some way with the people who already own units on the property.

[Gonzalito17]

Probably right Diablo, the conditions of the grounds in the photos look eroded beyong the point of no return. It would take a complete start over. Would be a massive risk for any investor. Time seems to have passed by The Colony.

[jester911]

Stayed and played many times at the Colony. They used to have great matching for any level of play. Many of the teaching pros from there are still around the area. I stay in touch with some of them still. It is a shame they let that place go as they had a really great thing going and many quality people that worked there. Also little known is Nick Bolliterri got his start there.

[Power Player]

Stayed and played the Colony as a junior. Amazing place. It really is a shame as staying there is a really fond memory for me.

[TCF]

We lived over that way. The residents and owners were constantly fighting it out in the local paper as to who was responsible for maintenance of this or that. Sad to see it finally ended up destroying such an amazing place.

[Gonzalito17]

Bet The History Of The Colony could be a very interesting book, if anyone could do it.

[hittman10]

If someone could straighten out the property owners, reinvestment as a tennis resort facility is a no brainer. Sarasota's a great place to go, still trek down there when i'm back home to go to St Armands and such. A nice non-Bolliteri facility in that area would be great

[GS]

And this place used to regularly be among the top five tennis resorts in the country!
I stopped by the Colony 5 years ago, and was somewhat impressed, but I heard that the rooms were becoming alittle shabby then.

[jester911]

Originally Posted by hittman10

If someone could straighten out the property owners, reinvestment as a tennis resort facility is a no brainer. Sarasota's a great place to go, still trek down there when i'm back home to go to St Armands and such. A nice non-Bolliteri facility in that area would be great

There is a guy that has been trying to do this since before they closed and has proposed a really decent plan but he has had no luck selling it to the current owners. It is also complicated by the fact that the place was a time share and the unit "owners" are still trying to get something back from their "investment" so the thing is at a stalemate.

[jester911]

Originally Posted by Gonzalito17

Bet The History Of The Colony could be a very interesting book, if anyone could do it.

Sammy Avilas sp? was there for most of the time the Colony was open so if anyone could write it he could. Sammy is now the head pro over at the Longboat Key Club which is a really nice facility but they don't really have the player match up the Colony had.

[Gonzalito17]

It's a very weird situation. Could sadly see this stalemate going on and on and on...

[hittman10]

such a shame, i hope to make it down that way sometime this summer and check it out

[Gonzalito17]

I went in there. There are orange cones at the entrance but you can ride a bike in there though a sign says not too. It's really strange to see it how it is, odd that in three years it could deteriorate so much. Mother Nature is merciless.

If they do decide to rebuild, it looks like they'll have to start from scratch though the main hotel building looks good still.

[jester911]

The concrete building will last much longer than the wood structures of course. I am not sure if he is still there but the owner Murf Klauber was living in that building in the penthouse after the place closed. It is a shame that is for sure.