The Palm Beaches in Southeast Florida, and Naples along Southwest Florida’s Paradise Coast, each have been known for decades as staples of golf. Meanwhile, Sarasota, 120 miles north of Naples, in the 1960s, ‘70s and 80s, was known for racquet sports – primarily tennis – with the Bath & Racquet Club as its centerpiece.
In the early 70s, Chris Evert displayed her signature two-fisted backhand and Martina Navratilova showed off her then-unprecedented power and athleticism on the Club’s courts. The two would-be legends formed a bond that exists to this day and helped establish Sarasota as a mecca for tennis professionals.
The Sarasota Bath & Racquet Club closed in 2020. Its courts and buildings were left in various states of disrepair. But in 2022, along came New York-based Silver Sky Global Capital, which purchased the nearly 14-acre property for a reported $15.35 million.
The company is now creating Bath + Racquet Residences & Club, a high-end residential development and private members club that when built out, will feature 256 condominiums, a residential pool, gym and spa, 13 outdoor tennis courts, and 16 pickleball and padel courts. Twelve of the pickleball courts are slated to be air-conditioned, making it easy for year-round play.
Tommy Haas, a former world number 2, is the Club’s curator and global ambassador.
“When we bought the land, we wanted to keep the integrity, so we kept the name and the whole idea,’’ said Jack Dolgin, vice president of development for Silver Sky. “But instead of just being a tennis club, we wanted it to be a residential lifestyle. We have around 27 unit types, so we’re giving people a lot of options.’’
According to Dolgin, approximately 80 percent of the units in Phase One are already sold, with first move-in expected in Spring 2026. Phase One units range from 730 square feet to 2,000 square feet, with prices between $850,000 and $1.1 million. The upcoming second phase will include one- two- and three-bedroom units.
A unit owner does not automatically become a Club member.
“You will have the opportunity to join the Club, but it’s not fathered in,’’ Dolgin said as he sat inside a construction trailer just a few yards from the concrete shells of Phase One units.
Residents, however, will receive preferred memberships and members will receive preferential treatment in terms of court usage and discounts. Ground-level retail shops will ring the area around the Club’s property.
“We have a really interesting location – close to downtown Sarasota and less than 15 minutes from Siesta Key – the No. 1 public beach in the country,’’ Dolgin said. “We definitely think location is what draws people to us. This isn’t like getting a condo downtown, where there is no landscaping and no easy access to courts. We have a public park and a running trail. We have a nice balance of space and things to do at your fingertips.’’
Most of the people who have already purchased at Bath + Racquet Residences & Club, Dolgin said, are second-home owners, but said some will be primary residents.
“The majority are interested in tennis,’’ Dolgin said. “We’re going to have a very active lifestyle. Most housing complexes that have access to golf are in golf course communities. This is just racquet sports. So it’s really a unique club.’’
Rendering Courtesy of Bath + Racquet Residences & Club
