While all golf courses are different, often dramatically so, all tennis courts are pretty much the same. Given this fact, as sure as an Andre Agassi backhand down the line, what can the best Florida tennis resorts do to set themselves apart from the field? Well, everything.
Players are pampered from check-in to checkout, from fluffy towels and 300-thread-count sheets to all-day programs for kids and activities for the whole family.

Top-seeded tennis destinations tuck those look-alike courts into one-of-a-kind locations near beaches and golf courses, spas and swimming pools, fine dining and resort shops. Talented tennis pros with infinite patience cheerfully spend hours working on the oh-so-average games of their guests. Players are pampered from check-in to checkout, from fluffy towels and 300-thread-count sheets to all-day programs for kids and activities for the whole family.

At Amelia Island Plantation, an exclusive resort north of Jacksonville, tennis is played beneath a glorious canopy of live oak trees. Guests can request a match on the stadium court "minus the bleachers" where champions such as Martina Hingis compete each April in the Bausch & Lomb Championships.

The Plantation is the kind of place where a guest can request a tough singles match, lose 6-0, 6-0, and then shrug it off with a fine dinner and a dip in a hot tub on a brisk January evening. It worked for me, anyway.

Three championship golf courses straddle the 1,350-acre resort, with another just five minutes away. The place feels woodsy and expansive. Shaded lanes beg cyclists and golf cart riders to roll away for a few hours. The wide, firm-packed beaches welcome joggers and walkers at sunrise.

Besides several fine resort restaurants, the Marché Burette market offers both staples and luxuries, including gourmet pizzas baked in a wood-fired oven, and spicy boiled shrimp. At the Amelia Inn dining room, where the second-story view serves up fishing boats and dolphins, there is a sinful Sunday buffet. Another spot to enjoy Sunday brunch is the Sunrise Cafe.

If this spread won't get you through a five-set match, nothing will.

On the other coast, at The Colony Beach & Tennis Resort on Longboat Key south of Tampa, sea grapes and bougainvillea surround courts and villas beside the white sand on the Gulf of Mexico. The renowned Nick Bollettieri taught at this top-rated resort before starting his own academy. After a long day on the tennis court, players can unwind to the funky vibe of The Monkey Room restaurant.

The Colony sits on just 12 acres of Longboat Key. There's no golf, so guests can concentrate on tennis, and the courts aren't near the beach - they're on the beach. A player can shake hands at the net, kick off his sneakers and then dive into the Gulf of Mexico. For those who still have the energy, there are kayaks and sailboats to rent.

The Gulf beaches face west, and island sunsets are justifiably famous. Stop by the Monkey Room Patio and try a Longboat lemonade, made from Bacardi Limon, triple sec and fresh-made lemonade. At the resort, villas are color-coded to help guests find their way (perhaps after too many Longboat lemonades).


Other Top Tennis Resorts in Florida

 The Boca Raton Resort and Club opened a $10 million Tennis and Fitness Center in 1998, featuring everything from workout equipment to indoor basketball. It's perfect for cross-trainers. For the finer things in resort life, there is Addison Mizner's famous pink-and-white Cloister hotel, built in 1926.

The Saddlebrook Resort, 20 miles north of Tampa in Wesley Chapel, offers five hours of tennis training a day at its tennis school. For the rest of the family, there's the Arnold Palmer Golf Academy, shops and a full-service spa along with the 500,000-gallon "Superpool."