Things to do / Travel Guide
Address:2100 Costa Del Mar Road
Carlsbad, California
Our Sports Superfan Says:
Tennis at La Costa Resort and Spa, in Carlsbad, California, means sunny days and cool breezes. As the host site of the Acura Classic, the prestigious Southern California tennis resort is a top destination for the world's most talented players. La Costa Resort and Spa features 17 tennis courts with clay and hard court surfaces, seven lighted courts for evening play, and a stadium that has seating for 1,000 fans.
The Acura Classic was a WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament for women, held every summer at the La Costa Resort and Spa. It was classified on the WTA Tour as a Tier I tournament from 2004 until its final year in 2007. The event was formed in 1984 by Raquel Giscafre as the Ginny of San Diego. Her former doubles partners, Jane Stratton, attained co-ownership of the tournament from 1986 until the event's cessation. The tournament has had various principle sponsors throughout its history, and has been played under the headings of the Great American Bank Tennis Classic, the Mazda Tennis Classic, and the Toshiba Tennis Classic. The Acura Classic was known for its strong player fields, its location in the hills, and its atmosphere. The Acura Classic was also a crucial warm-up tournament leading to the US Open. Past champions of the tournament include former world number ones Steffi Graf, Jennifer Capriati, Lindsay Davenport, Venus Williams, Martina Hingis, Justine Henin, and Maria Sharapova. Six players won the tournament more than once, four of them consecutively. Graf holds the record for most wins (4) and Venus Williams holds the record for most consecutive titles (3). The event saw its last year of play in 2007, and Maria Sharapova won the final single's event.
La Costa Resort and Spa has also served as home to two professional golf events. In 1969, the resort first hosted the Mercedes Championships (originally called the Tournament of Champions). After that event left for Maui, Hawaii, La Costa hosted the WGC-Accenture World Matchplay Championship from 1999-2006, with the exception of 2001. The resort is currently without a PGA Tour event.
La Costa Resort and Spa is conveniently located along the beautiful San Diego coastline, 30 minutes north of San Diego and 90 minutes south of Los Angeles. Take the I-5 to La Costa Avenue exit. Turn onto La Costa Avenue, drive approximately 1 1/2 miles to El Camino Real, and turn left (north). The entrance to La Costa is approximately 1/4 mile on the right-hand side. La Costa Resort and Spa charges in the $12 range per session for parking. An off-site parking pass is available for $90, which covers all sessions and includes in/out privileges. The off-site lot is 2 miles away, and shuttles to La Costa run continuously from 7:00 a.m. until the end of evening session matches.