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Lodge at Pebble Beach
Pebble Beach, California
This private 5,300-acre enclave on northern California's
Monterey Peninsula embraces not only some of the most picturesque coastline
anywhere in the west but also three of the nation's most alluring golf courses.
Tennis on the Monterey Peninsula does in fact have a tradition
going back to before the turn of the century. Bill Tilden, Don Budge, Ellsworth
Vines, Bobby Riggs, Elizabeth Ryan, Helen Wills Moody, and Alice Marble were
among the greats who frequented the courts at Monterey's old Hotel Del Monte.
Following World War II, when the hotel was sold to the Navy, the center of
tennis action shifted to Pebble Beach where the late John Gardiner was head
professional. He put Pebble Beach on the tennis map by bringing in the Kramer
Pro Tour and the California State Championships.
In 1994, the old complex was obliterated and replaced by
a handsome $3.2 million Tennis Club. Beautifully designed, from the wooden
shelving in its boutique-like pro shop to the broad patios overlooking the
dozen hard and clay courts, this has already become a place to meet and linger.
Tennis Features
Pro Shop: 831-625-8509
Tennis director Kie Foreman took over this operation
in the fall of 2000 and continues the tradition of providing the same level
of service at the courts that guests are accustomed to receiving at the nearby
Lodge. A ranked junior in the Pacific Northwest, Foreman went on to play
for Idaho State University and subsequently ranked as high as No. 14 in the
Pacific Northwest Open Division. He later put in stints at two very active
racquet clubs, one in California, the other in Oregon, and at the posh Boulders
resort north of Phoenix.
Tennis Programs. The principal emphases are private
lessons and game matching, though there is also a daily clinic and a "Beat
the Pro" session, the last of which is free if you win.
Courts & Fees. The club has 10 hard and 2 clay
courts laid out below an elegant full-service pro shop. Court fees: $12/person/day.
Reservations:
Lodge at Pebble Beach
1700 17-Mile Drive
Pebble Beach, CA 93953
831-624-3811
Toll-free: 800-654-9300
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