A look back at the iconic Colony Beach and Tennis Resort

Florida’s Longboat Key’s celebrated Colony Beach and Tennis Resort has had an extraordinary chronicle of tennis history.

The original Colony project was built by Sarasota developer Herb Field in 1952. It had a nationwide reputation for fresh beach sophistication, with an assembly of fashionable beach cottages and a popular restaurant and bar.

In 1967, Dr. Murf Klauber, a Buffalo, NY orthodontist, bought the Colony and soon transformed it into a tennis resort with 237 cottages, a condominium-hotel, and 12 tennis courts alongside a venerated hotel. It evolved into the number one tennis resort in the country for eight straight years, recognized for its strong tennis program and superior culinary expertise.

The Colony Beach and Tennis Resort built a rich tradition and impressive legacy with a Who’s Who of tennis. In 1978, the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA, now RSPA) established its headquarters at The Colony. That same year, the Nick Bollettieri Academy made its home there, where some of the most successful players in the game trained. Bollettieri’s list of notables includes Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Monica Seles, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Jimmy Arias, Aaron Krickstein, and Carling Bassett, among others.

Above: Dave “Koz” Kozlowski with Nick Bollettieri. Photo courtesy of Dave “Koz” Kozlowski.

John Bassett, a former Canadian Davis Cup player and a member of Canada’s media empire, was also the owner of several professional sports teams and highly influential at the Bollettieri Academy. He was especially important to coach Nick. At the time, Bassett was living in Birmingham, AL, where he owned the Birmingham Bulls hockey team. We met, and he arranged for me to coach Carling Bassett daily and take her to all her early junior tournaments. It was an absolute honor to work with John Bassett and coach his family members.

The Colony is also where I won the inaugural National USPTA seminar contest, introducing “Tennis Jai Alai” as a wagering charity fundraiser activity.

The Colony was proud to have ATP career-high No. 6 Cliff Richey and WTA career-high No. 2 Nancy Richey as its touring professionals. Cliff and Nancy continue to be the only brother-sister duo ranked No. 1 in the U.S. in men's and women's singles during the same years.

International Tennis Hall of Famer Bud Collins served as The Colony’s ambassador. Bud brought entertaining and engaging charm to both the sporting world and The Colony. He loved the term “Hackers Open”—a tournament for recreational-level players—which he introduced to the world and launched at The Colony. Longtime producer and director Bob Gray of Inside Tennis With The Koz would film all of Bud’s speeches when he couldn't attend an event to which he was invited.

Above: A look back at the "Hackers Open" at The Colony. Source: Inside Tennis with the Koz.

Bud vowed to swim daily in the Gulf of Mexico at The Colony, regardless of water temperature. He kept that promise—we even filmed Bud swimming during a frigid 58-degree January day. Collins was a people’s person. On our first live local 30-minute TV show together, while driving Bud to the BLAB-TV studio, I asked him if he ever got nervous before going on live TV. Bud responded, “Yes, but it’s not being nervous. It’s being eager. It is an eagerness to share your skill with the audience.” Wow. I’ve passed Bud’s advice on to hundreds of tennis players who feel nervous before playing a match, and they tell me that feeling eager—rather than nervous—truly works.

It was wonderful to spend more time with the Bassett family and get to know Murf Klauber and his daughter Katie Klauber Moulton (President and General Manager), as well as sons Michael Klauber and Tommy Klauber, both culinary standouts.

Above: Dave “Koz” Kozlowski with Carling Bassett. Photo courtesy of Dave “Koz” Kozlowski.

Unfortunately, in its later stages, the Colony faced an uncomfortable working relationship with management and experienced resident association disagreements. A judge ultimately converted the case from Chapter 7 to Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The Klauber family-led partnership was liquidated, and The Colony was closed and demolished in 2018. It was a sad and unpleasant end to a business that helped put Southwest Florida on the tennis map.

The five-star St. Regis broke ground in 2021 on the same 18-acre site once home to The Colony Beach & Tennis Resort. The stunning complex includes a 168-room luxury hotel and three six-story residential buildings with 69 luxury condominiums, a prestigious waterfront spa, seven restaurants and bars, and a fully stocked saltwater Winding River.

There are many in the game who will retain indelible memories of the Colony Beach and Tennis Resort.

Oh, by the way, looking back at that time — you may want to explore the confusing 1980s Carling Bassett star vehicle, “Spring Fever,” you can find it on Canadian VHS or via YouTube.

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Written by: Dave "Koz" Kozlowski. Kozlowski is one of the USPTA (now RSPA) first 17 Master Professionals in the world. His television show was previously broadcast on The Tennis Channel and he was named the USTA Broadcaster of the Year. Top photo credit: The Colony.