Reed Anderson Tennis School Relocates To Shadow Mountain
By Roger Cox, owner of www.tennisresortsonline.com

On Feb. 25, the Reed Anderson Tennis School leaves the Westin Mission Hills Resort in Rancho Mirage and begins operation at Shadow Mountain Resort & Club across the valley in Palm Desert, California.

Shadow Mountain already has its own Desert Tennis Academy, of course, but the move makes sense, says Michael McFarlane, Shadow Mountain's owner and tennis director, on a number of fronts. "We're doing the same thing in the same town and it doesn't make sense to do it in different places," he told me. "I love the business side and you stick [Reed] on a court and that's where he shines, especially with groups, and here at Shadow Mountain we do so much of the business he's best at—large groups of USTA teams."

Both are acutely aware of making the merger seamless for their clientele, with Anderson spearheading the instruction for those he has signed up, and McFarlane taking charge of his clientele. But once they get through the busy spring, they plan to look more closely at how the integration ought to take place. "It will be a much better venue for me and my students," Anderson says of the change. "Shadow Mountain makes a big deal of tennis. It has a full-service pro shop and a great game matcher in Karen Haase."

Always a haven for active players, Shadow Mountain has become even more appealing since McFarlane and a group of investors bought it last fall. The courts have been resurfaced, there's new landscaping, better courtside seating area, a new barbecue island, and a downstairs cafe and bar that also serves the adjacent figure 8 pool. The changes, says McFarlane, are all focused on "encouraging tennis players to stay afterwards, to hang out, have a drink, watch tennis, that's what makes it a different environment." Anderson's technical skills and gift at handling large groups further add to the appeal. Visit Shadow Mountain Resort web site.