We live in Texas so we tried this place. It's okay but not great. It seems dated and worn out and the clay courts, one of the reasons we went, are indistinguishable from the hard courts. However, the staff is good, the instruction was good, and the play they arranged for us was fun.

"ekaskate" - the previous reviewer - says it all, and very well. One goes for the tennis!!! so go - with an open mind - ready to work on your game. (and leave your smartphone in your bag!)

The property was once was a Dude ranch. The two-time Australian Wimbledon champion (1970 I believe), John Newcombe, bought it for he and his young family, and developed it from there (he now lives in Australia and visits a few times a year). It is peaceful and beautiful at the ranch. We saw a roadrunner, deer, hawks, and heard coyotes howling at the moon!

The adult programmes are part of the entire facility. This is also a world-class tennis academy for Juniors. This sets the tone for the ranch. Imagine that you are at a summer camp -- then you will think it very luxurious!

It's good if you are an intermediate or advanced player, it's not for beginners. Different levels will be expertly accommodated. The pros are top-notch. You will get the most from your experience by being in decent tennis shape before you arrive.

You will want to pack a few extras: refillable water bottle (like Nalgene/Klean Kanteen) so you don't have to use one of those courtside tiny cone cups; a coffee mug (they just have disposable ones); lots of tennis clothes (but not whites, that's too "country club"!!); bathing suit (for the lovely pool and hot tub); warm-up jacket and pants; healthy snacks like almonds, raisins, protein bars (you'll want to re-fuel between meals. Breakfast is at 8:00 am, so a snack for on-court as there is not a break until noon. Lunch is at 12:00, and then there is no food or refreshments until 7:00 pm). You will want to stop at the nearby grocery store (the H-E-B) to pick up bottled waters (though the tap water there is fine), and fruit if you want to supplement the orange/apple/bananas they always have available. There is a pro shop with a fridge full of water and sports drinks, tennis clothing, and a re-stringing service. What not to pack: any "nice" clothes for dinner (this is not a "country club": a John Newcombe-ism), more than one novel to read (no time!).

My husband and I just returned from a Sunday through Friday week, we were there over the American Thanksgiving. A delicious, huge, traditional turkey dinner was served on Thursday at lunch (we had an extra-long break so we could have a nap!) then back out on the courts in the afternoon. And another turkey dinner that night! We even had the requisite left-overs on Friday with a yummy soup. The food was simple and plentiful, if high-caloric! There was always a big salad. Would have been good if oatmeal porridge and a big bowl of plain yoghurt would have been available every day at breakfast. (I am eating gluten-free). We did think there could have been a "tea-time" of sorts at around 4:00 - we were famished after the afternoon session and it's a long time until dinner: a table set up with coffee/tea/lemonade and small sandwiches and cookies in the bar area would have been a nice and convivial treat for the families and adults.

The rooms were super clean (we had a courtside hotel room) and very basic - there was not a dresser, just a writing desk. There was a huge walk-in closet though. So we bought lots of clothes hangers at the grocery store and used those for our clothes.

Nearby there are several things to do if you were so inclined: one of the largest outlet malls in the States, a big water park, and an underground lake. San Antonia is around 40 miles away.

I would recommend the ranch to families (there is a separate kids programme), single adult travellers and couples -- whose goal it is to become a more well-rounded player (i.e. to work on your weaknesses!) and those on a plateau, who wish to take their game to the next level.

Your going there for the tennis NOT a five star country club.... They work you hard, the food is plentyful, but not gourmet ... YOUR GOING THERE FOR THE TENNIS...They work well for all levels and the groups are small. The accommodation is basic but fine .. YOUR GOING THERE FOR THE TENNIS ... you don't do much more than crash in the room because they have worked you so hard with drill after drill .. No time to relax ... cause YOUR GOING FOR THE TENNIS.... in the evening they make it really fun in the bar... So bottom line is if your looking for a country club don't come ... if you want your tennis to improve and your a 3.0 to 4.5 player ... you will get supportive coaches that are only too happy to answer questions... the beds are clean. So go for the tennis and have a blast! I will be going back for my fourth visit.

I stayed at the Newcombe ranch over New Years (Dec 2010-Jan 2011). I was very impressed with the quality of instruction and the amount of attention. We had 9 adults and 3 pros. The food was good and very plentiful. The ranch grounds were well kept.

The only negative was the accomodations. I had a courtside room. Although you don't spend much time in the room, the condition of them really made it almost hard to stay there. The room was very sparsely furnished. You have to put your suitcase on the floor because there is nothing to put it on. No cable TV (not an issue for me, but could be for some). The bathroom was in terrible condition; it was clean but it felt dirty because of how old it was. The units have cute porches outside the rooms but no furniture on them. The beds were comfortable, which was great because you are really tired from so much tennis. There was nothing on the walls, no sense of decor. We had to run the heat because there was only a thin blanket on the bed.

The price is so reasonable for this camp that it's hard to complain about the rooms. However, if I did it again, I would spend more and stay in nicer accomodations. They are building a Newcombe tennis community just across the street from the current ranch and maybe it will have rental units. I absolutely recommend this place as long as you have low expectations for the accomodations.