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Tucson gets a Ritz Carlton

By James Servoss

Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Southern Arizona

January 09, 2008 06:57 AM

Ritz Carlon is developing an 850 - acre community at Dove Mountain that will feature a 250 room resort, 324 luxury homes, and a new 27 hole golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus.

Once built the golf course will host the Accenture Match Play Championships.

Tucson's luxury market continues to flourish with more $2,000,000 homes sold in 2007 then any of the previous years.

Tucson has always been seen as one of the top golf destinations in the world. The addition of the Ritz Carlton Golf Club will significantly add to this already impressive reputation.

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Richard Lecinski

Long Realty Company - Oro Valley, AZ

Great Information.

Thanks

Rich Lecinski

Long Realty

Jan 09, 2008 07:02 AM

Eddie Marks

The Mortgage Guild - Tucson, AZ

The thing I don't get is yes, Tucson is a golf/resort haven, and that brings in tons of tourismo dollars, but shouldn't Tucson be working to attract the tennis fans as well? With all these resorts and the racquet and country clubs in town, why isn't there a facility (or is there?) that can be used to host a big Tennis event and bring in the big names and capitalize on that market?

I know the weather here is hot most of the year, but there are tennis tournaments in Palm Springs that have similar weather and still pack the stadium, get on network TV, promote the city and bring in good revenue.

Just a thought...

Eddie Marks

The Mortgage Guild

Jan 09, 2008 08:16 AM

Anonymous

Eddie,

Yes, I agree that Tucson should be doing a better job to attract tennis players. Besides being a real estate broker I am a USPTA Professional and teach tennis 3 hours a week (because I love the sport) at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort. When I first moved to Tucson I taught tennis fulltime and developed the website (http://www.tucsontennispro.com/). I use the website now to attract real estate clients, continue to grow the sport of tennis, and refer business to other tennis professionals in Tucson.

Resorts across the country are moving away from tennis and turning gorgeous tennis courts into meeting space. The Hotel Del in San Diego turned their tennis facility into a space to host weddings. Loews Ventana Canyon recently did away with four of our tennis courts to make room for additional parking and meeting space. At one point we had 12 pristine courts and now we're left with one nice court and two courts that are too dangerous for most people to play on.

Jim Refkin at Randolph Park does a great job promoting the sport of tennis in Tucson. He runs some outstanding junior tournaments and his public park is one of the nicest tennis facilities in Tucson.

Saddlebrooke is an active adult community on the Northwest side that has the most successful tennis membership in town with over 500 members. This is a trend I would expect to see continue in the future. You will see more tennis courts as part of neighborhood associations and less activity at resorts and clubs.

Another tennis organization I am affiliated with is TCTP, The Tucson Community Tennis Programs. We teach tennis to 5th graders at schools that have done away with gym class due to budget cuts.

Unfortunately, Tucson does not have the sponsors willing to donate the money to attract the big name players. I have spoken at lengths with other professionals in town as well as professional tournament directors and you would be looking at $500,000 + to have Roddick and Federer Play an exhibition match.

The professional players have a very full schedule which is already leading to injuries on the tour. With the Australian Open and other events they play heat is not a concern, but finding time in their busy schedule to fit in another event would be.

Jan 09, 2008 10:14 AM

Eddie Marks

The Mortgage Guild - Tucson, AZ

First of all I like your tennis site. Sounds like you're well connected out here - great for business! One of my neighbors I met last year is the tennis pro at Skyline Country Club a few days a week and we were going to hit some balls there but that never happened. I've golfed at Ventana Canyon but haven't played tennis there, just walked by the courts on the way to the pro shop. My son used to go to pre school at the JCC so my wife and I used to go there and play on their clay courts but then we put him in a different preschool and haven't been back there to play in a long long time (we've had another baby since then so that's where we've spent our time - no complaints there). We used to live in San Diego and remember when that story broke on the news about the tennis courts going away at the Hotel Del Coronado.

I figured it was a matter of not getting enough sponsorship dollars or interest to bring in the top players but I had no idea it took half a million bucks to get those players. Ouch. And where would they play??? We don't have a tennis stadium in Tucson do we that can hold several thousand folks (unless they'd play at McHale but in Tucson I'd expect it to be outdoors)?

Tiger is buddies with Federer I heard - maybe he can spark some interest to bring in a tourney right after the Accenture tourney and then they can both hang out and their sponsors can pick up the sponsorship tab?!?!

Good luck, I know...

Jan 09, 2008 01:39 PM