20 tennis courts all serious players should visit at least once

Location: New York, New York

Facilities: 1 indoor court

Details: Deep within Manhattan's Grand Central Station lies an unexpected treasure: a tennis court. It's open to the public, but it will cost you up to $250 an hour.

Location: Charles City, Iowa

Facilities: 1 grass court

Details: Situated on a former corn farm with windmills and fields on the horizon, the grass court makes for a unique experience. The All Iowa Lawn Tennis Club is a fairly new addition to the pack, built in 2003 and made to emulate Wimbledon's Centre Court. A bonus: it's free — you just need to email in your reservation.

Location: Miramar Beach, Florida

Facilities: 12 clay courts, 10 with night lights

Details: Located at a beachside resort complex, TOPS'L is consistently ranked highly for the quality of its tennis programs, with plenty of clay courts, night lighting to take full advantage of all hours of the day, and on-site instructors. The ocean access doesn't hurt, either.

Location: Newport, Rhode Island

Facilities: 13 grass courts

Details: The US Open was played on these Rhode Island courts from 1881 to 1915. You can reserve one for $160 per hour, knowing that you're playing on the same turf as many of tennis' greatest champions.

Location: New York, New York

Facilities: 26 clay courts and 4 hard courts

Details: The largest collection of public courts in New York City is, unsurprisingly, located in the thick of Central Park, which has been a home to tennis (including lawn tennis in the meadows) since the 1880s. Champions from Andre Agassi to John McEnroe have all picked up their racquets here.

Location: Tampa, Florida

Facilities: 45 courts

Details: Saddlebrook is a nationally recognized training center for tennis and golf, even offering special year-round schools so students can focus on the sports while they pursue their primary education.

Location: Scottsdale, Arizona

Facilities: 4 hard courts, 3 cushioned courts, 1 classic clay court

Details: The luxury Boulders resort has a brand-new terraced "tennis garden" for playing, but the real upshot is the surrounding view. If you can handle the Arizona heat, this newly renovated resort and spa would be a great spot to practice your serve.

Location: Sea Island, Georgia

Facilities: 16 Har-Tru courts

Details: Opened in 1928, the Sea Island resort has a renewed focus on its tennis facilities, with a former French Open champ running the show year-round. It still retains some of its old-world charm, though; jackets are required of men while dining. For a break, stroll the five miles of sand-dune beach.

Location: Kiawah, South Carolina

Facilities: 24 courts

Details: The 10,000-acre Kiawah Island boasts not only exceptional golf courses, but also two complete tennis complexes. It's highly ranked by thousands of tennis players, and was even voted as the number-one tennis resort in the world by Tennis Resorts Online.

Location: San Francisco, California

Facilities: 4 hard courts

Details: Sitting high atop San Francisco's Russian Hill — with breathtaking views out towards the Bay — the public Alice Marble courts are one of the more scenic spots to play a match on this list.

Location: Stowe, Vermont

Facilities: 6 seasonal Har-tru outdoor courts and 4 year-round indoor hard courts

Details: Topnotch's tennis center will keep you swinging in snow or sun, with indoor and outdoor facilities and full training programs in a luxe mountain setting; in fact, it's the largest indoor complex of any Northeast resort. It's consistently been on national and international tennis resort rankings, and is set on 120 acres and offering many recreation opportunities beyond just tennis.

Location: Rhinebeck, New York

Facilities: 1 indoor clay court and 1 outdoor grass court

Details: The private Astor Courts is a historic estate — most recently known as the site of Chelsea Clinton's marriage to Marc Mevinsky — where you can find one of the most stunning private indoor tennis sites in the country. The Beaux-Arts building housing the indoor clay court is roofed in vaulted glass, as though you're playing in a cathedral dedicated to the sport. The estate is also the home of what's believed to be the very first indoor pool.

Location: Longboat Key, Florida

Facilities: 20 Har-Tru courts

Details: Though courts are available only to resort guests or members, the Longboat Key tennis setup was named the top Gulf Coast of Florida resort destination for tennis by Tennis Magazine. USTA members receive discounted room rates, adding to the appeal of the beachside getaway.

Location: Denver, Colorado

Facilities: 1 hard court

Details: Play on a rooftop in the Mile High City at the Grand Hyatt's sky court, where the surrounding skyline and Rocky Mountain views might distract you from the game at hand.

Location: Indian Wells, California

Facilities: 29 concrete courts (23 with lights) one 16,100-seat stadium, and one 8,000-seat stadium

Details: As the second-largest tennis stadium in the world, Indian Wells has been the state-of-the-art tournament facility in California since 2000, hosting the annual BNP Paribas Open. All the current greats have played on these courts, which are owned by Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison and available for use by members who pay monthly fees. There's even an outpost of the celebrity-favorite sushi restaurant Nobu on site.

Location: Scottsdale, Arizona

Facilities: 1 stadium grass court, 5 Har-Tru courts, and 3 hard courts

Details: The tennis facilities at the Desert Mountain Club include the only stadium grass court in the state of Arizona. The luxe club is members-only, and offers both recreational and more competitive tennis options.

Location: La Jolla, California

Facilities: 12 championship hard courts

Details: The club's convenient location right on the water makes it easy to hit the private beach right after a game, set, and/or match.

Location: Dallas, Texas

Facilities: 8 outdoor hard courts (with lights) and 4 indoor hard courts

Details: The site of several major professional events, the Four Seasons Dallas tennis center has world-class tennis staff on hand and plenty of opportunities to learn, to play, and to watch.

Location: Queens, New York

Facilities: 33 hard courts

Details: With the US Open's Arthur Ashe Stadium looming next to it, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center fleshes out the rest of the tennis complex. King won 39 Grand Slam titles; you can aspire to her greatness as you practice your forehand on these courts.