Above: Tennis at Rancho Valencia includes 14 Plexipave and two European clay courts

It’s a testament to the popularity of tennis in California that the United States Tennis Association, the national governing body for the sport, had to create two separate sections for competitive play there — the only state in the country to get that treatment because there are just so many players. With pleasant weather year-round, Southern California, especially, has long had a reputation for being a mecca for tennis enthusiasts. The area produced the likes of Billie Jean King and the Bryan brothers and has hosted the wildly popular Indian Wells Masters (now called the BNP Paribas Open) since 1976, when Björn Borg, Arthur Ashe and Jimmy Connors competed. When I recently visited the San Diego area, I brought my tennis rackets with me, and between hotel reviews, carved out time to hit the court. Here are a few hotels and facilities I recommend.

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Above: Tennis at Rancho Valencia includes 14 Plexipave and two European clay courts

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Tennis at Rancho Valencia Southern California Revisited Southern California Restaurants Outdoor Excursions in the San Diego Area