Year-round sunshine makes Florida great for tennis. There are some 7,700 places to play throughout the state, from municipal courts to exclusive resorts. Even some of the municipal facilities -- Cambier Park Tennis Center in Naples leaps to mind -- are equal to those at expensive resorts, and they're either free or close to it.
If you can afford it, you can learn from the best in Florida. Nick Bollettieri has sports academies in Bradenton. Safety Harbor Resort and Spa near St. Petersburg hosts the Phil Green Tennis Program. Amateurs can hobnob with the superstars at ATP Tour International Headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, near Jacksonville. Mary Jo Fernandez is affiliated with the Arthur Ashe Tennis Center at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami. And Chris Evert, Robert Seguso, and Carling Basset have their own center in Boca Raton.
The three hard courts and seven clay courts at the Key Biscayne Tennis Association, 6702 Crandon Blvd. (tel. 305/361-5263), get crowded on weekends, since they're some of Miami's most beautiful. You'll play on the same courts as Lendl, Graf, Evert, McEnroe, and other greats; this is the venue for one of the world's biggest annual tennis events, the Nasdaq 100 Open. There's a pleasant, if limited, pro shop, plus many good pros. Only four courts are lit at night, but if you reserve at least 48 hours in advance, you can usually take your pick. They cost $6 per person per hour. The courts are open daily from 8am to 9pm.
Famous as the spot where Chris Evert got in her early serves, the Jimmy Evert Tennis Center, 701 NE 12th Ave. (off Sunrise Blvd.), Fort Lauderdale (tel. 954/828-5378), has 18 clay and 3 hard courts (15 lighted). Her coach and father, James Evert, still teaches young players here, though he is very picky about whom he'll accept. Nonresidents of Fort Lauderdale pay $3.50 (singles) to $4.50 (doubles) per hour. Reservations are accepted after 2pm for the following day but cost an extra $3. Lights are also an extra $3 per hour and are available only for the clay courts.
Other top places to learn and play are Amelia Island Plantation on Amelia Island; Colony Beach and Tennis Resort on Longboat Key off Sarasota (which Tennis magazine picked as the number-two tennis resort in the nation); Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa in Fort Myers, whose 5,500-seat stadium has hosted Davis Cup matches; South Seas Plantation Resort & Yacht Harbour on Captiva Island; and The Registry Resort in Naples.
