Total Tennis-Saugerties Ny

I’ve been coming here for 8 years now, at least once a year. It is a unique place around these parts — a year-​round adult tennis camp. And really, if you’re a tennis player — Total Tennis gives you everything you’d want for a fantastic weekend. We come up here as a group of 8 – 12 guys, and they accommodate us and our shenanigans completely!
What’s great:
9 – 10 hours on-​court, guaranteed, with a pro. (9 in winter, 10 in summer).
Clay courts in summer.
The food is rock solid and plentiful.
The lodge is cozy and conducive to a convivial atmosphere (do I get extra points for the SAT words?)
The staff is helpful and friendly.
On-​site massage.
Most of the pros are terrific (special shout outs to Ty, Bubla and Guillermo).
Accommodation of player level. We range as a group, anywhere from USTA 4.5 to 3.0 level — and yet they manage to keep us all happy.
The value for dollar spent.
What’s OK:
So look, this is not (as others have noted) a high-​sheen, luxury resort. The rooms are basic, but comfortable enough. They have some nicer rooms available if you’re willing to pay a little extra, but honestly all you need here is a reasonable bed and shower. Take a moment to check your wallet and realize how much you are getting in exchange for what’s being spent for a weekend of Total Tennis!
What’s not great:
Nothing, really. OK, so maybe I could live without Ed’s Saturday night dinner spiels — but even those have their own charm!

This place is a gem, especially if you live in Nyc. It’s only a ~2 hour bus/​train/​car ride from Manhattan. The rooms are clean, the food is great, the scenery is beautiful and it’s a pretty good value considering all that’s included. Definitely recommend getting a massage in the spa first — they do a great job (I had Teresa). Tons of tennis courts, although I heard if it’s raining you don’t get as much playing time in the indoor courts. Overall fantastic experience and I will be back!

I’ve been going here for the past 8 years. I started going with a group of girlfriends, and then with my boyfriend, and now I go with my husband, my daughter and my nanny in tow. The majority of people I meet here are returning customers, which speaks for itself. Great food and great tennis instruction. The many hours of tennis instruction alone are worth the price of entry, but then throw in 3 meals a day plus lodging and it’s a great deal. Yes, the lodging is bare bones, so don’t expect more. If the lodging was more luxurious, the price would be higher. If you want more resort-​like accommodations, rent a place off site or go to a camp in Florida. Frankly by the time I get back to my room at the end of the day all I want to do is rest and the aesthetics are the last thing I’m concerned about. For those looking for a TV in their rooms, learn to relax in peace and quiet or don’t go at all. I’m writing this review so that anyone reading this knows what to expect. Don’t go expecting something else and then leave bad reviews. I love Total Tennis. I’ve gone from a 3.0 to a 4.0+ since I started going here.

WOW!!! Where do I start? The facility, the staff, the lessons (Tony), the Jacuzzi, the masseuse (Nikki), the bar, the room and the entire experience far exceeded my expectations.
FACILITY: Rustic tennis camp (not a resort) in the foothills of the Catskills. Trees and wildlife (deer) beauty as far as the eyes can see. Staff extends themselves to no end to make sure you are well attended to.
ROOMS: Yes they are basic but they are VERY clean and hardly in any fashion borderline. My suggestion is bring your own shampoo, your own soap and your own toiletries and pillows. We slept wonderfully on a comfortable yet firm bed and please disregard any comment of squeaky mattresses… that’s silly and untrue.
FOOD: Out of this world. Totally unexpected and the dining room and food service area is impeccable. Brightly lit and very comfortable. Coffee always available but if you want to have soda or diet-soda…bring your own. As the cuisine is exceptional, this camp also follows a healthy menu,
LESSONS: Both of us are considered solid 3.5 players and do well in mixed doubles, however warm-​ups and evaluations we were segregated from the 4.0+ players by a country mile! That’s when we hooked up with our pro (Tony) and words cannot express the depth of technical lessons and experience we enjoyed. Tony has an unbelievable eye to address our individual weakness and capitalize on our individual strengths. All of us left as better players under his keen and skillful tutelage.
MASSAGE: In one word… Nikki. We chose to get two 25 minute massages in two subsequent days versus and hour massage for one day. Nikki specializes in sports massages for athletes. Those in the know, know there is a HUGE difference between a sports therapist and a masseuse.
VALUE: Seriously… do we need to go there? Anyone who do not see the exceptional value with Total Tennis need to have their heads examined.
WE ARE DEFINITELY REPEAT CUSTOMERS FROM THIS POINT FORWARD.

These 4 stars should be taken with a grain of salt. There are a lot of things that I love about this place, but it’s all through a lens of managed expectations. Whenever I tell people about this place I always describe it as a camp – not a resort. If you’re expecting a resort you’ll be disappointed.
The tennis pros here range. Some of my friends love their pros and come back and request them again and again. Some pros are just OK. I’ve liked all of the pros that I’ve had, although there are a couple that would not necessarily want to work with for multiple visits. They seem to do a good job of accommodating various levels. I know 2.5 players and 4.5 players who have been multiple times.
I always go with a group of friends which makes a difference. I imagine it might be difficult to assess and match up random players. The management and pros are generally very good about working with groups – making sure that 2 groups of 4 stay on adjacent courts so they can do joint drills and games. (In fact, the last time I was there we had a group of 13 people and they even had a table reserved for us in the dining room.)
I’ve only ever done the Friday-​Sunday sessions. It’s a good amount of tennis. I’m always hurting a little at the end of saturday, but ready for more on sunday morning.
The accommodations are probably the weakest link here. The rooms that I’ve seen are clean, but mostly in need up updating. I recently stayed in an updated room, which was fine, but definitely done on a budget. The beds were squeaky and the bathroom fixtures were a little wobbly. Again, if you think «camp» then you’ll be fine. There might be nicer rooms, but my group likes to stay in the main building, so that’s my only reference. The main building is a little more expensive, but it’s close to the dining room which means you can easily run down in the middle of the night for some water or ice. It’s also nice to be close to your room before and after meals in case you don’t want to carry your gear to meals or just to pop in for anything you forgot.
The food is surprisingly good. The dining room itself isn’t very appealing and the meals are served cafeteria-​style (with bussing service on Saturday nights.) But the food is fresh and delicious. They try to use organic and local food. I believe they even have their own farm nearby where they grow some of the produce. Chef always has a good variety of flavors and textures. Nothing fancy, but always good. Some highlights for me: roasted butternut squash, tennis racquet pasta, scones.
My group likes to sit around and have some drinks at night. They have a small bar in the main building and another one in the barn (where they host a party on Saturday nights.) We’ll often just gather on the porch by our rooms and have our own party. We bring our own wine for dinner ($ 5 corking fee) and liquor for cocktails.
I’ve been a handful of times and always have a great time. A large part of that is due to the group that I’m with, but the food and tennis are definitely worth it. Actually, for all it’s shortcomings, it’s worth mentioning that this place is a great deal compared to any other tennis weekend. I don’t think you’ll find any other place at this price point that includes room and meals. (And for me, it’s within driving distance, which is also a huge money saver.) I might like to splurge and go to one of the resorts in Florida or Texas, but for an annual group trip this is perfect.

Good lord, I felt like a prisoner on my court! There is no method to the madness of how they assign people to courts, of which you are stuck the entire 2 days. Although if you come with a group of four then your set. So the guy in doesn’t know names just asks people in a line what their level is. Most people don’t know. I play usta 4.0 and 4.5 singles, and besides a court of 4 men who looked like a similar level, others played at 2.5−3.0 levels (not that there anything wrong with that). The female instructor looked like she just rolled out of bed, comes in with black smudged eyeliner, uncombed hair in her eyes, wearing a snorkel jacket the whole time (not that there anything wrong with that if your not instructing tennis to people who fork over $ 500 for 2 days of tennis). After 30 minutes of 8 people rotating on 2 courts, (and the female instructor telling me to change my stroke to a windshield wiper forehand (great for my tennis elbow), they put me with (very nice) 3.0 players at best and an instructor, who also was a nice enough guy, was clearly on auto pilot, having been doing the same basic drills since 1998! And when I say basic, I mean literally hitting down the line and xcourt at the baseline then net with another player over and over and over for 2 days! Oh and 30 minutes of mini tennis 2x a day. I should have been paid to be a ball feeder. After an enduring 1.5 hrs of said drills, the guy in charge comes over with a clip boar, so I’m thinking finally! Nope, he just says that my afternoon session is from 2 – 4, even though the other girls I come with we’re told we’d all be finished by 1:30. No problem! I say, just refund me the afternoon session. He avoided an answer and told me to talk to the front desk, upon which I was scoffed at and told it would figure it out. I tell him the level of play is not what I was expecting, can I be put on the court with the men? Nope, not an option, I guess I’m the odd one out. I’ve been playing for 30 years, had plenty of instruction, taught clinics, played college tennis and I can unequivocally say, this is a horrible tennis program, if it can even be called that. There is no plan to instruction, no evaluation, they don’t even ask for your level of play when making reservation. The facilities are not well maintained, balls are dead, moat staff could care less, with exception of a few instructors, The only thing that I enjoyed was the social time with the friends I came with– although I would have much rather paid the $ 500 and gone back to the TOPNOTCH resort TENNIS where there’s professional tennis instruction In a beautiful setting.

All the various reviews I read about Total Tennis were pretty on point. It’s convenient to NYC, it’s in a charming rustic setting in the mountains, the tennis instruction is great and well-​organized by skill level, the food is healthy and delicious and it’s a pretty good value overall. I just returned from the Friday night to Sunday weekend program and truly enjoyed my experience; I plan to return this summer!
The only reason I give it four stars is because I feel that the accommodations could be taken up just a notch. My husband and I payed the upcharge for the slightly nicer room, so I don’t know what the regular rooms are like, but ours was recently renovated, modern, clean, air conditioned but VERY basic. For example, the only amenity in the room is soap and kleenex. There is no shampoo/​conditioner/​lotion or hair dryer provided in the room. As mentioned in another review, there is no TV either. The only furniture was a bed, two nightstands and lamps, a digital alarm clock, and a bench at the foot of the bed. Really, it’s okay since after hours of tennis in the hot sun, you won’t have much energy to do anything other than sleep. However, it might have been nice to have a bathtub to soak in (there is a hot tub on the grounds) or TV to watch a movie on at night or a hairdryer since I hate having to pack my big one and my hair never air-​dries well. Even though you’re at «camp» to «work» on your tennis game, creature comforts are always nice.
The food really is quite good. I’m vegetarian and always trying to eat healthily and there were fantastic choices of yummy veggies, whole grains, and fruit at every meal. There were healthy meat options as well (roast, salmon, chicken, etc.) and you can easily eat vegan or gluten-​free if that’s your thing. There’s a bar open in the evening in the «living room area» of the lodge and you can buy drinks and bring them to the dining room (wine is a reasonable $ 5 per glass and $ 20 per bottle). Or you can bring your own wine for a $ 5 corkage fee.
I had a massage at the spa ($ 40 for 25 minutes or $ 80 for 55 minutes) and was very satisfied. By the time I arrived at the lodge on Friday night though, there was only one 25 minute spot left! Next time I’ll call Ellen (who is lovely and works reception and runs a lot of the show) and try to reserve a massage before I get there. The pool was also basic but clean and well-​sized.
I haven’t focused much on the tennis instruction because I think most other reviewers have covered it well; my instructors were great and really gave me a lot of personalized points to work on. The drills and games during the day were fast-​paced, fun, and appropriate.
For anyone who’s curious about the gym… it’s straight out of 1980 and in a dark hallway. Don’t plan on wanting to do your regular workout there.
In summary, Total Tennis is a great place to improve your tennis game, the staff is super nice and helpful, it’s clean and well kept but very basic, bring anything you think you’ll need for the weekend!

Just came back from our second stay at Total Tennis and had an even better time than the last. Instruction from Vic was first rate and he gave 100% effort to his drills and lessons all the while fun, fun, fun!!! The food was still great. This time our room was more spacious than the last time. Still clean and comfortable. The other campers were very friendly and we all vow to come back same time next year. I can’t recommend Total Tennis enough to those who want a great tennis experience in a charming, tranquil setting.

I spent the weekend of Oct 18, 2013 at Total Tennis. I cannot say enough good things. The accommodations, food and staff are wonderful. The tennis instruction is superb. This is such an incredible class act. The people who come there are really friendly and nice and most important of all very serious tennis players looking to improve their game.

After buying a Jetsetter deal with some friends, we recently spent a weekend here and I loved it!
After years of living in NYC and being constantly frustrated by the lack of tennis playing opportunities around (expensive city courts, long subway rides to the borough courts), it was a great feeling to be able to spend 6 – 7 hours a day on well maintained courts, hitting against players with the same enthusiasm and skill level, and having a lot of fun!
Total Tennis is basically like going to camp so don’t expect 5 star quality accommodation. Having said that, the rooms did provide the basics (clean bed, towels, private bathroom) and the cleaners came every morning. There are air conditioning units in each room for the warmer days but I’m not too sure what the heating situation is during the Winter.
I read a lot of positive reviews about the quality of the food prior to going and was somewhat skeptical at how tasty food could be at a tennis camp. But man, I was surprised! Despite being starving after hours of tennis, the food was actually pretty amazing. It is served buffet style and every option is fresh, tasty and healthy. Breakfast is served from 7:30am onwards, lunch is served after the first session of practice and dinner is served from 7:30pm. The kitchen never ran out of food but instead, was constantly bringing out freshly made trays out and the dining area was extremely clean with big tables to socialize with other people.
Onto the actual tennis sessions. On the first day, Ed (the owner) explained the skills in each USTA grading level and players self rate themselves and are then placed into groups of 4. A coach is allocated to each group and they will make sure the players are in the appropriate level and once that is determined, that’s your group for the rest of the weekend. I was in a 3.5 group and the coach made us do drills that really worked on our level of skill and ability to play points strategically. The 30 min private lesson was useful and catered to what you specifically wanted to work on. I went with a group of 6 and most of us were more than happy with our coaches. It really does depend on who you get, I was lucky enough to have one who was really focused on improving every player in his group and was able to have fun with us as well (not too bad on the eyes either!).
On the Saturday night, they hosted a complimentary cheese and wine affair in the living area for people to socialize and relax. The wine flowed into the dining area during dinner, which probably explained some rowdy (but funny) older women cranking it up on the dance floor in the «barn yard disco» later that night. After a 9 – 5 tennis day, I wasn’t able to keep up with the rest of the camp and retreated back to my room. Even though my room was situated right above the barn yard, I managed to sleep through the music (which apparently stops at 11pm).
The overall structure of the weekend was perfect — there was enough time in between breaks but not too slow paced as a lot of tennis was able to be played. Great work out, great break away from the city, and I definitely recommend this to any tennis enthusiast out there!

Just returned from a 2 day stay and loved it. Great tennis, delicious meals, friendly staff and great pros. Highly recommend!

My husband and I were at Total Tennis this past weekend (early June) and cannot recommend it enough!!!
Service: 5 stars
The people who run Total Tennis are fantastic. They are extremely accommodating, nice, friendly and helpful. I cannot say enough but here are a few examples from our experience:
— We found out about Total Tennis through a friend who organizes groups to go up there twice a year. They had a deal on Gilt so all 10 of us planned to buy it. The deal sold out unfortunately so only some of us got it. My friend called them directly and they said that since they still had space that weekend, they would add more spots to Gilt City so that we could all avail of the discount — extremely nice of them!
— Soooo we are all set for our weekend trip except 10 days prior, I pulled my lower back really badly and could barely move. Hubs and I worried that since everything is paid for, our money is toast. Again, we call Total Tennis, and Ellen lets the two of us reschedule for a different weekend. They are almost booked up for May at this point but we manage to get spots for early June.
— We drove up from NYC Friday night and hit some traffic so got to the area only by 845. Schedule says dinner runs 7−845pm so we are contemplating McDonald’s but again call the Lodge and receptionist tells us to «come on over!» We arrive and indulge in a delicious and gigantic meal.
— Lastly, on our way out, I forgot some clothes in the bedroom closet and didn’t realize till we were back in NYC. Again, I call them and within two days my clothes arrive in a priority USPS box — amazing!
Food: 5 stars
— Total Tennis gives you 6 meals in total: 2 dinners, 2 breakfasts and 2 lunches. All the meals are served in a large cafeteria type space where everyone convenes. The food is cafeteria style with a huge salad bar in addition. There are freshly baked desserts (blondies, cookies, cupcakes, etc) every day. I am not a huge dessert or even baked goods fan but these desserts are too die for. They are super homey which is exactly what you need after playing tennis 6 hours a day. The food itself is also delicious. The menu is basic but the ingredients are flavorful and healthy (e.g. quinoa, big fresh salad bar, roast chicken, etc). No pizza, fried chicken, soda or MSG laden noodles, thankfully! There is also ice tea and coffee and some juices.
Instruction: 5 stars
— The first day at 830am, Ed (the owner) spells out how the weekend will work. Ed is a great guy, a tennis fanatic but also very patient and nice. Basically you self select into numbered groups based on your level. They aim to have 4 people pair with one instructor. In case you misjudge your group, Ed will come around at around 9am and move you around. If you still feel like you could move up (like I did), you can go talk to Ed and your instructor and they will be extremely responsive and e.g. let you rotate for matches into a higher ability group.
— Our instructor was Parija, a 24 year old grad student who plays in Division 1. Parija was fantastic. She has a unique way of delivering instructions that are clear and actionable. Rather than beating around the bush, she will tell you exactly what you need to fix. She also somehow manages to be very nice all the while.
— Over the course of the weekend you will get 12 hours of play including a 30 min private. My private ended up being only 20 minutes long which I was kind of sad about but my instructor seemed to be done for the day. I can’t complain too much because I thought she was great overall and improved my game a lot.
— There are also three tutorials (by Ed) for the entire class of people there that weekend on how to serve, tactics for playing doubles and how to best use slice and top spin. These tutorials happen on the show court at the start of each session and last about 15 – 20 minutes tops.
Accommodation: 4 stars
— No complaints about the space. It feels like a camp, for adults, which is what I expected. The rooms are basic but functional with AC, pvt bathroom, etc. Our room was above the barn which is where the Saturday night party happens so it was a little noisy till 11pm when they shut down but honestly we were so spent from the day that the music didnt stop us from falling asleep at 1030pm. I think if you get a room at the main lodge, you may have your own balcony. Your room is also cleaned for you on both days. Check out us at 4pm Sunday.
Social: 5 stars
Pretty much everyone is from Manhattan. We met a lot of cool people. They have a wine and cheese social on Saturday night, followed by dinner and then a DJ and dancing. Lots of board games and apparently there’s a pool too though we didn’t go.
So would I recommend? Hell yeah! You will be so sore but it is soo worth it. And it’s a great deal too. Can’t wait to go back!