Get your own slice of on-court action with one of these tennis-themed holiday ideas
Loch life as a tennis-loving Laird – Scotland from £124 pp with Canine Cottages
Down a mile-long drive, on the eastern shore of Loch Fyne, Acharossan (sleeps nine, plus two dogs) is an 18th century Scottish Laird’s house where you have your own private beach and tennis court. Positioned on the wild and remote Cowal Peninsula, within 1,200 acres of farmland, this magnificent house is paradise for dogs, too: large, secluded grounds to roam and a roaring fire to rest by. The ground-floor entrance hall keeps muddy boots and wet paws at bay, and five sumptuous bedrooms beckon at night. A week’s stay costs from £124 pp (£1,109 total). £20 supplement per dog. Visit Canine Cottages (www.caninecottages.co.uk).
Games, mill and match – Lake District from £202 pp with holidaycottages.co.uk
Willow Mill (sleeps ten plus two dogs) is a luxurious family-friendly mill conversion set amid its own superb four-acre grounds. Enjoy a game of tennis on your own private court, get competitive in the games room (with pool table and darts board, plus 60 games including Pacman and Space Invaders), or set out and explore this lovely region, with Ullswater and Glenridding just a short drive away. The mill itself dates back to the 1800s and was one of six that supported the market town of Penrith, only half a mile away. A week’s stay costs from £202 pp (£2,020 total). £20 supplement per dog. Visit holidaycottages.co.uk (www.holidaycottages.co.uk).
Perfect your slice on grass – from £123 pp at Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa
Less than an hour north of London, Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa is a Grade I listed mansion house hotel which dates from 1601. Within the magnificent 1,065-acre estate, there is a grass tennis court set on a circular plot and surrounded by hedges, with a summer house that moves in line with the sun. The hotel can also arrange tennis coaching (book in advance) on the grass court or its two all-weather hard courts. A one-night stay is priced from £245 total / £123 pp (two sharing) and includes overnight accommodation, full English breakfast and use of all facilities, including the spa and the tennis courts. Call Luton Hoo on 01582 734437 (www.lutonhoo.co.uk).
Grass court splendour in Sussex – from £100 pp with Pride of Britain Hotels
Enveloped in the soft grooves of the South Downs National Park, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, Park House Hotel & Spa, near the market town of Midhurst, is a tennis lovers paradise. Guests can make use of two championship-standard grass tennis courts which are open annually from May-September and expertly maintained by the gardening team. Other facilities include indoor and outdoor pools, a spa with treatment rooms, a six-hole 18-tee golf course, putting green, bowling and croquet lawns. An overnight stay is from £199 per room total / £100 pp (two sharing), including full English breakfast. Call Pride of Britain Hotels on 0800 089 3929 (www.prideofbritainhotels.com).