|
Tennis is, literally, not on the map at the Pine Cliffs resort. They left the courts off the plano do resort for this 72-acre shrine to golf in the Algarve. That says much about the priorities for the management at the five-star complex in Portugal’s booming tourist destination. For the heart of Pine Cliffs (aka the Sheraton Algarve) is the immaculate nine-hole golf course, around which the 277 apartments, three villas, 215 hotel rooms, five outdoor pools and ten restaurants are built.
It serves as a backdrop to the whole enterprise, whether it’s the view from the balconies, marketing posters, or signs (golf academy, golf clubhouse, mini-golf, golf shop). So, when I was asked to test the tennis at this haven for the middle class family, it was a struggle to find the spot, even though the five courts (three hard court, two clay) lie on a central thoroughfare. They call it the tennis academy, but there is no pro-shop, coaching software or merchandise to rival its golfing namesake. Instead you are greeted by Nuno Da Silva, the amiable 28-year-old coach, who operates out of a hut that backs on to a pair of lavatories. This is no Nick Bollettieri Academy. But the 1,800 guests who filled Pine Cliffs this summer at its peak were almost certainly not seeking that. They probably wanted to give their kids a taste in group lessons, improve the backhand with Nuno and maybe enter one of the not-too-serious tournaments that he organises with a fellow pro, drafted in to deal with the peak rush. It’s park tennis-plus, with the reassuring sight for British players of chipped paint, holes in nets and a bulge in a court surface from the root of an adjacent tree. This is all due to change if Dean Nelson, the director of golf, who is taking tennis by the scruff, has his way. Mr Nelson, a veteran of managing and marketing golf across the Middle East, is planning to resurface the courts (thank God), package the lessons (“buying goals rather than hours”) and bring in a gimmick or two (“I learnt tennis at Pine Cliffs” T-shirts). Nuno will certainly welcome the cash injection after seven years plugging away on site and turning down job offers elsewhere. His laconic and light-hearted teaching style is in keeping with the environment. I certainly came away a better player after my two lessons, as did my partner, a beginner, who spent as much time giggling on court as she did hitting backhands. But somehow it was incongruous to play on unloved courts when surrounded by immaculately trimmed gardens and beautifully kept paths and buildings. It won’t take much to bring them up to standard, but in the meantime, if you trying to find Nuno, he’s at No 24 on the map. Tennis price list Court fees, per hour: €9-€18 (depending on time and type of court) Individual coaching: €43/€47 per hr (child/adult) Group coaching: €24-€32 per hr (from 4 children-2 adults) source: Times Online |
