Looking for a Good Tennis Spot the Spend the Winter

[Tommyj]

I live in Toronto and am in the fortunate position that I can get away for the winter to a warm climate. Looking for someplace that has an active tennis community, preferably close to water, were I can get a longer term rental for say, Dec. - March/April. I'm early 50's, so I'm not interested in any place that's geared towards retirees. Other activities (culture, food, mountain biking, etc) would be a nice bonus.

Completely open to all suggestions: US, South/Central America, etc. Feel free to toss out any ideas you have. All suggestions are appreciated.

[LeeD]

SanDiegoCa.
SantaFeNewMexico.
Of course, Florida and Texas

[Tommyj]

Great call on Santa Fe, that never would have occurred to me. Only problem is the climate, too cold over the winter months.

[LeeD]

I have friends who stay there in the winters only, spend the summers here in Berkeley.
They play tennis outdoors year round, only a handful of days rainy or windy in SantaFe. I think average winter temps are around 65, like SanFrancisco.
Sure, occasional days can get down to mid 40's, but then, occasional days in the winter hit 80.

[TENNIS4FUN2]

I am in the Gulf Coast area and tennis is a year round outdoor sport here. We occasionally have weather below 40 degrees that may cancel a match, but the daytime is usually beautiful. There are also numerous, great golf courses and casinos on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. New Orleans is always fun for a day trip and the Florida panhandle has a lot of things to do.

[mikeler]

What level player are you?

[West Coast Ace]

Originally Posted by Tommyj

I live in Toronto and am in the fortunate position that I can get away for the winter to a warm climate.

I call dibs on your Maple Leaf season tickets.

As @mikeler said, need more info. Level, are you bringing someone to play with or need a place to join or find players; serious, hardcore player or just enjoy a stress free day on the courts.

[Tommyj]

Originally Posted by mikeler

What level player are you?

Sorry, haven't checked this post for a while. Level is 4.0+, age 53, travelling solo. What I'm looking for is a warm climate with a hospitable tennis scene. Mix of clay and hard courts would be a bonus, but either works fine. Some place where I'm not too far from the water and can get a nice rental at a reasonable price for a couple of months (say Jan. through March). Studio or 1 bedroom with kitchen facilities would do nicely. Would like to play a couple of hours most days and then also have access to evening social activities. Don't want any place that targets primarily retirees. Budget would probably be in the range of $2000 per month, don't know if that is doable. I can move higher, but a $4000/month rental isn't in the cards.

I know its all very general, just trying to put some focus around my thinking so I can start exploring options.

If I had Leaf tickets I would gladly give them up. Slim chance of that team doing anything in the foreseeable future.

[LeeD]

Why is water necessary? Do you surf, windsurf, sail, or dive?
OK, LosBarriles, Baja del Sur. Two tennis courts, AND, you can watch the sunrise over the water and sunset over the water if you mountain biked 3 miles up the ridge.

[West Coast Ace]

Originally Posted by Tommyj

Level is 4.0+, age 53, travelling solo. What I'm looking for is a warm climate with a hospitable tennis scene. Mix of clay and hard courts would be a bonus, but either works fine. Some place where I'm not too far from the water and can get a nice rental at a reasonable price for a couple of months (say Jan. through March)...

Have you ever been to South Beach (Miami)? There is a excellent facility - Flamingo Park - about 15 har-tru (green clay) courts. They have pros, there are always people there, and they have weekly walk-up tournaments. Definitely close to the ocean. You could stay until the Sony Ericsson then head home. I'm sure you could find an affordable rental - or long term hotel room in your budget. Wouldn't even need a car - can walk everywhere.

[TCF]

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