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JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa
Palm Desert, California
The Peter Burwash International staff manage this complex
of 20 hard, clay, and grass courts. Tennis director Jim Leupold has been
there since 1987, long enough to have evolved a program notable for its variety
and attentiveness to service. Game matching is given high priority, with
a crew to work the phones relentlessly in order to ensure you get to play.
Beyond that and the private lessons you'd expect, the calendar includes daily
drill sessions (including some for NTRP 4.0+ players, which are very popular),
a doubles round robin utilizing all three Grand Slam surfaces, 5-minute quick
tips, and "Play the Pro" challenges, complete with a handicap system:
Win and the encounter is free.
Spectators turn out in large numbers for the PBI Tennis Show,
held weekly from December into April. It has been called "The Harlem
Globetrotters of Tennis," a moniker that suggests a combination of extraordinary
ball handling served up with large doses of humor. Leupold himself has traveled
internationally with the show (which has now touched down in 99 countries),
and it never fails to please. The complex is also one of few to have a Sportwall,
a computerized backboard that tests your accuracy and control.
Courts & Fees. The complex consists of 20 courts:
15 hard (6 with lights), 3 clay, and 2 grass. These are bordered by beds
of flowers, oleander hedges, low flowering shrubs, and a scattering of trees.
Court fees: $22/hour on hard, $27/hour on clay, $32/hour on grass.
Caveat: There are times when huge conventions fill
the hotel, potentially snatching up all the best tee times, spa appointments,
and court reservations. To better cater to its vacationers, Marriott established
a Guest Services desk whose staff calls guests 14-21 days in advance of arrival
offering to make the same kinds of appointments or reservations for them,
including tennis. It's called Vacation Planning, and if for some reason you
haven't heard from them, give the hotel a call and set up whatever you need
in advance.
Reservations:
JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa
74-855 Country Club Dr.
Palm Desert, CA 92260
760-341-2211
Toll-free: 800-331-3112
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