ResortQuest Offers Competitors of Helen Drake Invitational Tennis Tournament 10 Percent Off Luxury Accommodations

The largest U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) event in Florida returns for its 28th season to TOPS'L Beach & Racquet Resort in Destin, Fla.

TOPS'L Beach and Racquet Resort, a professionally managed luxury property by ResortQuest^® by Wyndham Vacation Rentals, will welcome the Helen Drake Invitational Tennis Tournament this month for its 28th season on the breathtaking beaches and emerald-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico. As one of the largest USTA events in Florida each year, this sanctioned tournament is expected to attract participation by hundreds of competitors from across the southeastern United States from its kickoff date on Wednesday, April 13 through Sunday, April 17, 2011.

As the proud host of the annual Invitational, ResortQuest is offering 10 percent off a three-night stay for registered tournament players at resort condominiums in TOPS'L Beach Manor, TOPS'L Tides, TOPS'L Summit, TOPS'L Tennis Village and TOPS'L Captiva. This special rate is available from the beginning of the tournament through its close on April 17.

Situated on 52 acres in Destin, Fla. and bordered by both the Gulf of Mexico and a tranquil nature preserve, TOPS'L Beach & Racquet Resort is renowned as a top tennis destination year round. Tennis Magazine has named TOPS'L among the "Top 50 Tennis Resorts in the U.S." every year since 1987. Tennis Resorts Online, rated it a "Gold Medal Resort" for 2010, designating it as one of the 10 best tennis resorts in the world.

Tournament Director for the Helen Drake Invitational, Joe D'Aleo, has run the tournament for more than a decade and also serves as the District 1 President of the USPTA. D'Aleo leads the team of professionally certified tennis instructors on staff at TOPS'L. The Tennis Desk at the TOPS'L Club offers player-matching services, round robins, tennis clinics, and private and group lessons. Resort guests enjoy complimentary use of 12 newly resurfaced rubico clay courts, including 10 that are lighted for night play.

To take advantage of ResortQuest's Helen Drake lodging discount, guests should call 1-800-380-4808 and mention Promo Code A3030. Availability is limited, and reservation must be booked by phone. More details, including terms and conditions, are available online at www.ResortQuestDestinVacations.com/helen-drake-tennis-tournament.htm.

Sandestin Gumbo Festival

When I think of good southern food, gumbo is always one of the first things that comes to mind.  It has a flavor that only comes from true southern home-cooking.  Get your own taste of southern hospitality at the 22nd Annual Sandestin Gumbo Festival on February 18th and 19th.  This year, the festival has moved to The Village of Baytowne Wharf and is now stretched over two days during the President’s Day weekend.  

Friday will offer the first-ever “Taste of the Village” from 6-9pm, where guests can enjoy samplings of the region’s finest cuisines from assorted Village merchants.  The main event will take place on Saturday from 12-4pm.  Guests can sample gumbo and Bloody Mary’s and cast their vote for People’s Choice.  Celebrity judges will have a blind judging to determine the award for Area’s Best Gumbo.  Our own Hank Taylor, Executive Chef at TOPS’L Beach & Racquet Resort, is the current two-year reigning champ!  There will also be an award for the business or restaurant with the most innovative booth.  Enjoy live entertainment in the Events Plaza courtesy of Dikki Du & the Zydeco Krewe, and Cajun dancers.  

Tickets can be purchased at Graffiti & Funky Blues Shack in The Village of Baytown Wharf, or online.  Weekend passes are $15 in advance and $25 the day of the event.  If you need to purchase a ticket the day of the event, bring in five or more non-perishable food items and receive a $5 discount off the ticket price.  Proceeds will benefit The United Way of Okaloosa and Walton Counties.  Take advantage of this President’s Day weekend and book your stay today with ResortQuest! 

Treasure Chest Found Along Northwest Florida Gulf Coast

Sapphires, emeralds, rubies, diamonds, and gold have been found on Northwest Florida and Alabama’s gulf coast shore. Northwest Florida and Southeastern Alabama boast sapphire and emerald green waters, ruby red sunsets, sand as sparkling white as tiny diamonds, and golden opportunities for spectacular vacation accommodations. ResortQuest Vacation Rentals offers beach-front condominiums, villas, townhomes, patio homes and even private homes along the treasure-laden shore.
 
TOPS’L is one of the ResortQuest jewels.  Whether you’re on a quest for a top-rated tennis facility…or a top-shelf beach resort …or top-of-the-line views from spacious balconies ….there’s only one answer. TOPS’L Beach & Racquet Resort.  TOPS’L, managed by ResortQuest, offers a resort within a resort. Courtside villas, private townhomes and patio homes, and hi-rise condominiums that overlook the beach are nestled among 52-acres of beauty that has made Destin famous.
 
Also nearby are top-flight golf courses, incredible fishing, watersports, hiking and biking trails, dolphin watching, nature preserves, historic forts, museums, wave pools, amusement parks, all levels of dining, upscale and bargain shopping, and so much more.
 
For more information about ResortQuest on Florida and Alabama’s beautiful gulf shores, please visit www.resortquestnwfl.com or call 800-336-GULF (4853).

TOPS'L Tennis off to a QuickStart After USTA Florida 10-and-under Grant

MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. -- Nov. 5, 2010 -- The TOPS'L Beach & Racquet Resort in Miramar Beach on the Florida Panhandle is the latest recipient of a "Share the Love" grant from USTA Florida for $1,000 of QuickStart Tennis equipment to teach the fun, engaging format to 10-and-under beginning players. The grant is through USTA Florida's "Share the Love" campaign, a $500,000 initiative on top of the organization's regular annual giving to promote 10-and-under tennis as well as a wide range of other community initiatives.
 
Director of Tennis Joe D'Aleo heads up the tennis program at the TOPS'L Beach & Racquet Resort, which annually receives recognition by the tennis industry as one of the top destinations in the U.S.
 
"We are a Top 50 Tennis Resort in the U.S. and also a local club, which gives us the great opportunity to grow the game not only locally but also with our tennis guests that visit us on vacation," D'Aleo said. "The QuickStart program has great potential in our area of the Panhandle to see growth in junior tennis that we have never seen before because most kids are not introduced to the game the proper way, and get discouraged that tennis is too hard."
 
QuickStart Tennis is designed for children age 10-and-under, older beginning players and senior tennis players, featuring smaller court sizes, racquet sizes, foam and decompressed balls, a simple scoring system, and net heights adjusted to ease kids into the sport. Similar mini-tennis formats have long been popular in Europe, where current stars such as Roger Federer, Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters first learned the game with age-adjusted racquets, balls and court sizes. To see a video of QuickStart Tennis in action go to: http://10andundertennis.usta.com <http://10andundertennis.usta.com/> .
 
D'Aleo is the District 1 President of the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA), and became a believer in the program for 10-and-under beginners when he attended a QuickStart Tennis Workshop for teaching pros at the USPTA Florida Convention earlier this year.
 
"I saw the QuickStart program first hand it does not take long to make someone a believer in how it works," D'Aleo said. "I immediately started using the QuickStart balls in private lessons and in some of our junior clinics and the kids have a blast, they immediately saw improvement and the best part is that they had fun, which is what tennis should be all about, especially at the young age groups. The best part is that the parents got to witness how much better there child played with the correct ball, and how they hit more balls in their strike zone and in the court."
 
While he now employs various attributes of QuickStart Tennis, D'Aleo says the Share the Love grant will kick-off a full-scale QuickStart program at the TOPS'L Beach & Racquet Club in 2011, where 10-and-under children can then develop onto USTA Jr. Team Tennis league players.
 
"TOPS'L will be starting the QuickStart program full speed with all the proper nets, balls and equipment," D'Aleo said. "Being the USPTA District 1 president for the Panhandle, I have been campaigning to get other tennis professionals to start the program so we can form a QuickStart/Jr. Team Tennis league in our area and make it a lot of fun for the kids. I want to thank [USTA Florida Executive Director] Doug Booth in helping me achieve this by being my guest speaker at a recent USPTA district meeting. He really shed some light on the QuickStart program and how it can work and will grow the game, sharing statistics on the state of the game that was truly an eye-opener for all the tennis professionals at the meeting. I truly believe that if all certified teaching professionals have an open mind on how the QuickStart program can create new income for themselves and their facilities, we could see the biggest growth in the game that has ever happened before."
 
USTA Florida annually directs 90% of member dollars back into the community to support tennis programs and projects throughout Florida. USTA Florida's 'Share the Love' grant program helps fund tennis programs and projects throughout Florida communities during challenging economic times. Funding priorities include QuickStart Tennis and Jr. Team Tennis (coordinator training, start-up, etc.), public facility funding (schools, parks, conversion to QuickStart courts, etc.), community tennis awareness (innovative pro-active start-ups, program expansion), school programs and senior tennis programs/projects.
 
"Together we can reach our mission, 'To promote and develop the game of tennis in Florida,'" said USTA Florida Associate Executive Director, Play Tennis Division, Andy McFarland. "It's with USTA membership dollars that we are able to offer program grants to communities like these."
 
Share the Love grant applications are still being accepted by USTA Florida at www.USTASharetheLove.com <http://www.ustasharethelove.com/> , or questions can be e-mailed to grants@florida.usta.com. For more information on QuickStart Tennis in Florida, go to www.ustaflorida.com <http://www.ustaflorida.com/.

TOPS'L Beach and Racquet Resort

TennisResortsOnline.com released their new rankings for tennis resorts on May 1, 2009. TOPS’L Beach & Racquet Resorts was ranked 9th “Tennis Resorts in the world,” and 5th in “Best Value For Dollar.” TOPS’L is the only Destin, Florida resort to receive this rating.

Tennis Resorts Online base these rankings on critiques submitted by vacationers who evaluate the resorts based on more than 20 different categories. These range from the quality of the tennis staff, programs, instruction, and game matching to such amenities as accommodations, cuisine, overall recreation, spa and fitness facilities, children's programs, and more.

TOPS’L has something for every tennis enthusiast with its’ 12 newly renovated Rubico Clay Courts and 12 different tennis packages. Lead by a team of USPTA Certified Tennis Professionals, TOPS’L offers tennis packages for individual players, groups, families and tennis teams of every skill level. Tennis packages can include private lessons, tennis clinics, ball machine rentals, player matching and more. TOPS’L also offers weekly round robins and special tennis events.

In addition to top-rated tennis, TOPS’L is also a beach lovers dream. Located in Destin, Florida, this 52 acre resort is surrounded by the soft sugar-white sandy beaches and sparkling emerald green water of the Gulf of Mexico and the tranquility of Topsail Hill State Preserve. Guests can choose to stay in a beachfront condo, a hilltop high-rise, a courtside tennis villa or even a private home. Guests also have access to multiple pools, hot tubs, fitness center with sauna, massage services, a pool side grill and Tiki bar, a convenience store, putting green, beach rentals, seasonal children’s programs, Tram service through out the resort and much more!

Along with the TOP 9 ranking in the World from Tennis Resorts Online in May 2009 and highest ranked Florida resort since 2006, TOPS’L Beach & Racquet Resort, is in the TOP 50 U.S. Tennis Resort by Tennis Magazine since 1987 and TOP 5 U.S. Doubles Resort by Tennis Magazine.

TOPS’L is managed by ResortQuest and can be viewed online at www.TOPS’L.com

FREE Nights At TOPS'L Beach and Raquet Resort

Free Nights at TOPS’L Resort

Stay 2 nights and get the 3rd Night Free
OR
Stay 5 nights and get the 6th and 7th Nights Free

Stay, Play and Save at one of Destin’s most popular full-service resorts! Reserve your vacation at TOPS’L Beach and Racquet Resort for a stay between 3/1/09 and 5/15/09 by 4/1/09 to take advantage of this offer.

Spacious accommodations, a vast array of amenities, beautiful beaches and award winning tennis are just a few of the things you will enjoy when you vacation at TOPS’L. Plus as a ResortQuest guest, your stay includes daily complimentary admission/fares to local attractions such as dolphin cruises, deep sea fishing and more.

To Claim this Deal: Call 866-478-3307 and ask for Promo Code $TOPW

* Offer valid at select units at TOPS’L Beach and Racquet Resort for stays between 3/1/09 and 5/15/09 when booked by 4/1/09. Not valid on existing reservations, third party reservations, group reservations, holidays and cannot be combined with any other discount or offer. Discount does not apply to taxes and other applicable fees. Other restrictions may apply.

TOPS'L Beach and Racquet Resort Recognized As A Top Tennis Resort

TOPS'L Beach and Racquet Resort Continues To Be Recognized As A Top Tennis Resort

During 2008, TOPS'L Beach and Racquet Resort, located in Destin, Florida, continued their tradition of being recognized as a Top Tennis Resorts in America. Tennis Magazine recently presented TOPS'L with a plaque commemorating their status as a TOP 50 Tennis Resort. During Tennis Magazine's semi-annual review, tennis resorts throughout the United States were reviewed for their courts, their quality of instruction, their clinics and game matching as well as their all-around experience.

"TOPS'L Beach and Racquet Resort has been ranked a Top 50 Tennis Resort by Tennis Magazine for the past 12 consecutive years," stated Director of Tennis, Joe D'Aleo. "In May of 2008, TOPS'L was also voted a Top 10 Tennis Resort in the United States by tennis enthusiasts on TennisResortsOnline.com for the eighth consecutive year," continued Mr. D'Aleo. "We are very proud of our tennis programs at TOPS'L and we always go the extra mile to make sure our guests get all the tennis they want during their stay."

RESORTQUEST NWFL EMPLOYEE TENNIS TOURNAMENT

RESORTQUEST NWFL EMPLOYEE TENNIS TOURNAMENT
HOSTED BY TOPS’L BEACH & RACQUET RESORT
DECEMBER 3RD, 2008

Come join us at TOPS’L for a fun afternoon of competitive tennis with fellow employees and show off your skills. If you need a racquet or too embarrassed to bring out the wooden racquet we will have plenty for you to choose from. The tournament will have different levels for beginner, intermediate, and advanced.

Time: 1:00-3:00
Format: All doubles round robin within your flight
Divisions: Flight I – 4.0 & up (You play a lot of tennis this will be the Highest level).
Flight II – 3.0 & 3.5 (You have some tennis background At the intermediate level).
Flight III – 2.5 (You are at the beginner level but have Some match experience).
Prizes: Awarded to top winners within your flight.

Just another great example of team building and employee's having fun here at ResortQuest Nortwest Florida!

TOPS'L - Top 50 Resort by Tennis Magazine

TOPS'L Beach and Racquet Resort, managed by ResortQuest, has claimed the ranking once again as a Top 50 Resort in America by Tennis Magazine. For this bi-annual designation, all tennis resorts in the United States are reviewed for their courts, their quality of instruction, their clinics and game matching as well as their all-around experience. But what gives TOPS'L that certain je ne c'est quoi that started earning the resort a Top 50 ranking since 1987 with consecutive titles since 1996?

When Joe D'Aleo, Director of Tennis, started at TOPS'L in 1995 the staff's goal was to get the resort back in the Top 50 rankings after a missed nomination in 1994. Since then they have more than met this goal. TOPS'L boasts everything one should expect from a well respected Racquet Club - A 12 rubico court complex, a clubhouse with players' lounge, locker rooms and pro shop, a patio with awnings for each pair of courts and a variety of clinics, round robins and events to choose from - All situated on a well manicured property overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.

But what makes it so special, you might ask? It's the enthusiasm and personal attention given to guests and members that keeps them coming back for more. Overnight guests are welcomed as Racquet Club members and are included in the camaraderie of the sport by the TOPS'L staff. "TOPS'L is all about tennis and making sure that all of our tennis guests feel like they are members," D'Aleo says of his approach. "We always go the extra mile to make sure all of our guests get all the tennis they need during their stay."

TOPS’L Beach & Racquet Resort

TOPS’L Beach & Racquet Resort in Destin, Florida Receives EcoGreen Award™ : TerraCurve.com - Green travel news, places, people and events.
ResortQuest’s Northwest Florida Vacation Rental division began planning its green initiative at TOPS’L Beach & Racquet Resort in February 2008. After assessing different ways to help the environment and save money in the process, the first logical step was replacing regular lighting with environmentally friendly light bulbs and fixtures. To accomplish this goal, ResortQuest & TOPS’L committed to the EcoGreen Award™ Certification program, pioneered by Tropical Lights, Inc., in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.