Tennis in San Diego

Tennis

Most of the more than 1,300 courts around the county are in private clubs, but a few are public. The Balboa Tennis Club at Morley Field (2221 Morley Field Dr., Balboa Park. 619/295-9278. www.balboatennis.com) has 25 courts, 19 of them lighted. Courts are available on a first-come, first-served basis for a daily $5-per-person fee. Heaviest usage is 9 AM-11 AM and after 5 PM; at other times you can usually arrive and begin playing. The La Jolla Tennis Club (7632 Draper Ave., La Jolla. 858/454-4434. www.ljtc.org) has nine public courts near downtown La Jolla; five are lighted; the daily fee is $5. The 12 lighted courts at the privately owned Peninsula Tennis Club (Robb Field, Ocean Beach. 619/226-3407) are available to the public for $5 per person daily.

Several San Diego resorts have top-notch tennis programs staffed by big-name professional instructors. Rancho Bernardo Inn (17550 Bernardo Oaks Dr., Rancho Bernardo. 858/675-8500. www.ranchobernardoinn.com) has two tennis courts and packages that include instruction, accommodations, and meals. Rancho Valencia Resort (5921 Valencia Circle, Rancho Santa Fe. 858/759-6224. www.ranchovalencia.com), which is among the top tennis resorts in the nation, has 18 hard courts and several instruction programs. La Costa Resort and Spa (Costa Del Mar Rd., Carlsbad. 760/438-9111. www.lacosta.com), where the annual Acura Tennis Classic is held, has 19 courts, seven of them lighted, plus professional instruction, clinics, and workouts.