Try beach tennis - Ten Tips for the Latest Twist on Tennis

Wild Dunes® Resort – rated as one of the Top 10 Tennis Resorts in the U.S. by Tennis magazine – has teamed up with Beach Tennis World Champions Phil Whitesell and Chris Henderson to offer ten tips to get you started with the newest tennis craze— barefoot and right on the beach!

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (PRWEB) July 2, 2006 -- Itching to get out and play in anticipation of The U.S. Open (August 28-September 10) this summer? Looking to add something new and exciting to your tennis game? Wild Dunes® Resort – rated as one of the Top 10 Tennis Resorts in the U.S. by Tennis magazine – has teamed up with Beach Tennis World Champions Phil Whitesell and Chris Henderson to offer ten tips to get you started with the newest tennis craze— barefoot and right on the beach!

Here are Whitesell and Henderson’s ten tips for playing beach tennis:
1)Beach Tennis is a doubles game on a regulation-size beach volleyball court, 30 feet by 30 feet on each side. Pick a friend and get started!
2)Like badminton, each team has one chance to hit the ball back and forth without letting it hit the sand.
3)Don’t know what to wear? Just your swim clothes—and don’t forget the sunscreen!
4)Get pressureless tennis balls, or just take a regular tennis ball and puncture it with thumb tack to let the air out.
5)A regular tennis racket will do—no fancy rackets needed. You may be able to rent these items from a local sports shop or tennis pro shop, as Wild Dunes Resort does for its guests.
6)Beach tennis typically has more volleys than a normal game of tennis—as many as seven to nine each round.
7)Looking for a way to exercise? Prefer the beach over the gym? Beach tennis is a great aerobic workout, too.
8)Beach tennis is played on a soft sand court, meaning less potential for injury from scraped knees— all the better to DIVE in!
9)You can only hit the ball once on each side, so position yourself and your teammate in the middle of your side of the court, not close to the net or at the back of the court like regular tennis.
10)Beach tennis is fun, loud and a sport for the whole family—not your typical tennis match. Make a party out of it!

“The great aspect of beach tennis is that anyone can play,” said Phil Whitesell, beach tennis World Champion and co-host of the Wild Dunes Resort beach tennis exhibitions this summer. “All it takes is a fun-loving spirit, a racket and space on the beach!”

In addition to being the first vacation destination on the East Coast to bring tennis’ newest rage into their high profile tennis programming at Wild Dunes Resort, the luxury resort is also holding beach tennis exhibitions every Sunday from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. this summer at the Grand Pavilion with the help of Henderson, president of the Charleston Professional Tennis League, and Whitesell, head men’s tennis coach at the College of Charleston.

To learn more, visit wilddunes.com or call for reservations today at 1-877-221-0901. Wild Dunes is a year-round resort located just 30 minutes from downtown Charleston. Featuring two Tom Fazio-designed golf courses, world-class tennis, one of the nation’s top-rated recreation programs, miles of bike and walking paths.

About Wild Dunes Resort:
Wild Dunes is one of 30 independent, upscale and luxury hotels, resorts and golf clubs in the United States managed by Destination Hotels & Resorts, the fifth largest independent hospitality management company in the country. The company, headquartered in suburban Denver, Colo., features a portfolio of more than 8,000 guest rooms, 15 golf courses and 10 full-service spas. Destination Hotels & Resorts properties are located in key metropolitan and resort markets including New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Denver, Dallas, San Diego, Aspen, Austin, Phoenix, Palm Springs, Jackson Hole, Maui and Lake Tahoe. For more information on the properties in the Destination Hotels & Resorts collection, please visit www.destinationhotels.com.

For high resolution, downloadable pictures of Wild Dunes Resort, please visit www.leonardo.com.

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