Pickleball courts and fitness centers are as standard as room service in many luxury resorts. A growing number of properties are pushing past the expected, with amenities that include sandboarding ancient dunes in Wisconsin and piloting electric underwater scooters through coral reefs in the British Virgin Islands.
Six resorts leading the shift show how unusual sporting amenities have become a draw in their own right.
Mini Golf With a Major Pedigree in Montecito
At the iconic San Ysidro Ranch, a new mini-golf putting course draws inspiration from some of America’s most celebrated golf destinations, including Augusta National, Pebble Beach and Oakmont Country Club.
The 550-acre historic hideaway designed the course with a Masters-inspired leaderboard, stone bridge and water hazards in a blue-green palette inspired by the Pacific Ocean. The course sits near the pool and Plunge Pool Bar, with a bocce court nearby for guests looking for a slower-paced competition.
BMX and Berms on a Remote Indonesian Island
The newly opened NIHI Rote and Hospitality Academyplans to debut a pump track this fall. The closed-loop course features rollers, berms and gentle jumps designed for BMX bikes, mountain bikes and scooters.
The resort created the track as an activity for guests of multiple ages and skill levels. Additional recreation includes surfing, diving, foiling, paddleboarding and jet skiing, with a Games Pavilion also scheduled to open this fall.
Hawaii’s Only Resort Batting Cages
At ‘Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach on Oahu, the rooftop recreation deck combines fitness and sports with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean and Honolulu skyline.
The space includes red clay tennis courts, a TRX gym and batting cages, which the resort describes as the only on-property batting cages available to resort guests in Hawaii. The rooftop area is part of FIT Waikiki, the resort’s wellness program that features fitness classes and workout equipment.
Tennis Above the Sea of Cortez
Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto put its tennis and pickleball courts on the roof, which means players look out over the turquoise Sea of Cortez on one side and the Sierra de la Giganta mountains on the other. Loreto sits among Mexico’s quieter coastal destinations, far removed from the resort corridor to the south, and the courts make good use of that setting.
Sandboarding Ancient Dunes in Wisconsin
Wisconsin’s central sand country surprises visitors who arrive expecting Great Lakes shoreline or dairy farms. Sand Valley sits atop prehistoric dunes that rise high enough to make sandboarding feel less like a novelty and more like an actual sport. The 12,000-acre resort provides complimentary boards for guests to use spring through fall.
The landscape feels genuinely misplaced, and the resort leans into it. Beyond the dunes, guests can explore the property on fat tire bikes, fish, hike, paddleboard on natural lakes or play grass tennis.
Electric Scooters Beneath the British Virgin Islands
At Oil Nut Bay, guests can explore the waters surrounding the resort through a Seabob Safari, a guided experience using electric underwater scooters.
The devices allow guests to glide above coral reefs and through secluded bays while looking for marine life such as sea turtles and tropical fish. The 400-acre resort also offers snorkeling, sailing, diving and boating, but the Seabob experience puts guests directly into the underwater environment.
