Gulf Harbour Tennis Thanksgiving Update

If you are in anyway connected to Gulf Harbour's tennis program you have a lot for which to be thankful. Our facility is among the best in the area, our engaged and active membership is second to none, and our Board is as supportive of our program as any member-owned board is likely to be at a golf-oriented country club. 

In addition to the above, we have a group of dedicated tennis professionals who are as esteemed as any group of professionals in the Southwest Florida tennis community, and we have a strong cadre of teams that are perennially among the best in Lee County. I am personally extremely thankful for the supportive and caring membership with which I am privileged to work. Since there isn't enough time and space here to give adequate thanks, I may as well get on with the update, right?

Lee County Ladies’ Teams

As noted in the last update, Gulf Harbour’s ladies teams have started very strong in the Lee County Women’s Tennis League (LCWTL). As of Sunday, November 22nd, nine of our twelve ladies teams were amongst the top five in their divisions.

Leading the way is Captains Jenny King and Darlene Mattcheck’s 3.0-Minus team which continues to lead its division, stretching their division lead to 16 points after four matches. Their next home match will be Thursday, December 3^rd. 

A trio of teams sit in second in their divisions. They include the 3.0 Double Trouble team, under the guidance of Sally Mellendorf and Linda VanWyk; Norma Schuyler and Carlotta Clark’s Defending Champion 50-Plus Gold ladies, who trail the division leaders by only two points; and Effie Parker and Marianne McElroy’s 50-Plus Bronze squad. The Bronze ladies trail the division leader by only 8 points, and play next at home on Wednesday, December 9^th. Double Trouble’s next home match is against The Forest on Monday, December 7^th. 

Connie Hess and Pam Lemon’s 4.0-Minus team is maintaining their top-five position, holding steady in third place. Marcia DeVries and Mary Harrington lead the third-place 4.0 women, Gulf Harbour’s highest level LCWTL team. The team has won two of the three contests they have played thus far, and appear to be heading for a terrific season.  

Judy Jones and Judy Manzella’s 3-5-Minus Sure Shots have slipped from the top spot they held after the first two weeks of the season, but they are only one point out of third place, and play again at home on Wednesday, December 2^nd. Monnie Kane and Sue Weiss’ 50-Plus Silver Belles are holding onto the fourth spot after seven weeks of play, and our 60-Plus team led by Teressa Crocker and Wennie Johannes has worked its way into the third position after three weeks of play.

Lee County Men’s Teams

Gulf Harbour’s men also are off to a good start in the Lee County Men’s 50-Plus Tennis League (LCMTL). Although early in the season, four of GH’s six LCMTL teams reside amongst the top-five in their divisions. Leading the way is the White A team led by is tied for the division lead after sweeping all four individual competitions in its first match; Blue A and Blue B both sit in second; and Blue C is tied for fourth after the first week of play. The Red A team begins play on Thursday, December 3^rd.  

USTA Teams

Judy Schafft’s 7.0 Super Senior Women’s team is carrying the mantle for us as far as our USTA teams go. Those ladies continue to lead their division with a 5-1 record, and both Judy Schafft and Carole Shapiro are undefeated in league play.

Gulf Harbour’s USTA 7.0 Super Senior Men still sit in second with a 3-2 record.  Slipping from the ranks of the unbeaten and from their No.1 position into the two-spot, our 7.0 Senior Mixed Doubles team is still in a very respectable second place.

Men’s Singles Ladders

The biggest story of the Inaugural Gulf Harbour Men’s Singles Ladders is the meteoric rise of John Hess who came in late, but got after it in a hurry. John has played five matches since October 15^th, winning them all, including a straight-set victory over previous Group B Ladder leader, Manny Lima. Since claiming the ladder pinnacle on November 12^th, John has not been challenged. Manny still sits in second and Eddie Dance holds third with a 2-2 record.

In the Group A Ladder, Alan Canfield, Jr. continues to hold onto the top spot, but Geoff Negin, the reigning Club Champion, has just issued Alan a challenge, and Geoff is 2-0 in ladder competition thus far. The winner of this match has to be considered a favorite to claim honors in the inaugural Group A Ladder. Newcomer Chip Graddy

Your Pros

Gulf Harbour’s success seems to have extended to your pros as well. All three won their matches at the most recent Pro League, Joel and I in straight sets, and Mike in his customary third-set super-tiebreak. 

In other recent action, I pulled it together enough to claim the Men’s 50 Doubles title with Jim Katterfield of Shadow Wood Country Club on Day 2 of the USPTA Masters after a first day meltdown in singles. Hoping to continue our winning trend, I’m off to defend my Turkey Bowl Title in the Men’s 45s this coming weekend.

But Joel continues to be “Da Man” of Gulf Harbour tennis (If we don’t consider Alan Canfield, Jr. and John Hess).  Joel finished the 2010 fall season of the USTA Lee/Charlotte County Adult League Men’s 4.5 Division with an undefeated record, losing only one set in his five matches.

But top kudos must go to our peerless leader, who, as a reflection of his esteem among local tennis professionals, has been selected to play in as prestigious an exhibition as we’ll see in the area. Mike will play with top USTA amateur Rick Schmidt, winner of multiple USTA National Championships;  Xavier Malisse, who has been ranked as high as No.19 on the ATP Tour; and Robert Kendrick, formerly No.69 on the ATP Tour at Casa Ybel on Sanibel on Saturday, December 12^th. 

New Tennis Season Rocking at Gulf Harbour

Hello Gulf Harbourites. Welcome back to your "Here's What's Happening (and or happened) in Gulf Harbour Tennis" spot.

Up-Coming Events
The first Tennis Family Night Dinner of the 2009 – 2010 season is being served up Wednesday the 18th. Come break bread and sip wine with old tennis friends or make some new ones. See who you can recognize without tennis garb. And, the rumor is that Jim Rollero is preparing a pictorial show for your entertainment as well. Click here to be a part of the Tennis Family Night Dinner.

Gulf Harbour Tennis Teams

A Captains Council has been formed to help manage the formation and functioning of Gulf Harbour’s Lee County Women’s Tennis League teams. Linda VanWyk, Co-Captain of the 3.0 Double Trouble team was elected to chair the Council’s inaugural season. Guidelines will soon be available on the Club website on the Tennis Teams & Leagues page.

Eight of Gulf Harbour’s 12 LCWTL teams are among the top-five teams in their divisions. Leading the way is our 60-Plus team, led by Teressa Crocker and Wennie Johannes, which leads the division after sweeping its first two matches.

Five of our teams are sitting in the second spot during the early going. They include Sally Mellendorf and Linda VanWyk’s 3.0 Double Trouble, which is three points out of first place after five weeks; Jenny King and Darlene Mattcheck’s 3.0-Minus team which trails the division leader by two points after two weeks of play; and our Defending Champion 50-Plus Gold team which is five points out of first after three matches.

Also in the group of five sitting in second is our 4.0 team, captained by Marcia Devries and Mary Harrington, and our 4.0-Minus team, with Connie Hess and Pam Lemon at the helm. These two divisions are among the toughest to claim top-five spots, but a strong showing against one of the League’s premier teams, Park Meadow, has vaulted our 4.0 ladies into second after two weeks, and our 4.0-Minus ladies have swept two of their first four opponents en route to their second-place standing.

The two remaining teams in top-five positions include Judy Jones and Judy Manzella’s 3.5-Minus Sure Shots are holding on to fourth after two weeks, and Effie Parker and Marianne McElroy’s Bronze team which sits in fifth place after four matches.

Not to be outdone, our USTA Men’s, Women’s and Mixed Doubles Teams have also sprinted out of the blocks in fine form. Our 7.0 Senior Mixed team led by Bob Ostrom is in first place and undefeated after three matches, Judy Schafft’s 7.0 Super Senior women hold the first spot with a 4-0 record, and our 7.0 Super Senior Men’s team is second with a 2-1 record after its third match.

Men’s Singles Ladder

New additions to the Gulf Harbour Men’s Singles B Ladder, Jim King and Frank Kaplan, are off to good starts, each picking up a straight-set victory in his initial match. Both will have a ways to go to catch current Ladder MVP John Hess who is waiting impatiently for his match-up with Ladder leader Manny Lima.

The action has been less than torrid in the A Ladder. Ladder leader Alan Canfield has played only one match, and no other player in this group has played more than two. Canfield has been busy otherwise, however; finishing regular season play in the Ultimate Tennis League (formerly K-Swiss) with only one loss in the 4.0 Division. Alan won his division and will be entering the playoffs as one of the favorites to claim the League Championship.

Your Tennis Pros

Gulf Harbour Tennis hosted the Fort Myers USPTA Tennis Pro League’s second stop on Friday, November 6th. Approximately 300 cheering fans swarmed the tennis facility, enthusiastically cheering great play and jeering the blunders of their favorite tennis professionals. Gulf Harbour is without doubt the the most electric of all the Pro League stops, and it is because we have the absolute best tennis members bar none!

Starring in the main attraction, Mike Curran paired with Eddie Neese in the marquee match-up of the day at the No. 1 position against former world-ranked Roberto Saad and current FGCU player Sergio Robelledo. Mike and Eddie came back from a 2-6 drubbing in the first set, to claim the win in a super-tiebreak, 10 – 5.

Starting things of right in the early matches wsa your dynamic young pro, Joel Hampton. Joel teamed with Alex Hermeto of Gateway against Patrick Kangwa of The Landings and Lighthouse Bay’s Jorge Magalhaes in a crowd-pleaser of a match at the No.3 position. Joel’s youthful reflexes and blistering groundstrokes drew cheers from the crowd and proved to be the deciding factor in the super-tiebreak win for Hampton and Hermeto.

Unfortunately, yours truly didn’t do so well. I played with Mark Drons of Vasari at the no.2 position against Jim Katterfield of Shadow Wood, and Luke Andreae, a former No.1 position player from Punta Gorda. We got off to a great start and appeared to have the match well in hand after the first set. But then, I double faulted three, count ‘em, THREE consecutive times en route to a break to open the second set. That appeared to panick my partner and it certainly killed our momentum. We went on to lose the match 6-2, 2-6, 3-6.

But I’m blaming Bev Adams for that loss. She was court side cheering us on, serving as our inspiration to comeback when we were down a break in the third set. But when the lights went out, literally, at 3 – 3, and we changed courts, Bev was nowhere to be seen! The lights then went out, figuratively, on our games as well. We didn’t win another game.

Joel the Hero

In addition to his on-court heroics, Joel recently showed that he can be a hero off the court as well. Last week Joel witnessed an accident on his way to a hockey game, and turned around to assist and stay with the senior citizen involved in the accident until help arrived. Never one to miss an opportunity to add to his fan club, Joel invited the victim and her husband to the Pro League match at Gulf Harbour. And, they came!

In more heroic action, Joel has helped his USTA 4.5 Men’s Adult League team advance to the playoffs by going undefeated thus far in fall season play. Joel has the opportunity to finish the season undefeated if he wins his match today, and will represent West Bay in Regional Playoffs in January.

T. A. at USPTA Masters
Proving that age and wisdom aren't necessarily correlated, I'll be off to participate in the USPTA Masters Tournament at Tiger Wood’s place (Isleworth in Orlando) this weekend (November 14th & 15th). USPTA certified Pros qualify for the season ending event by finishing in the top four of their age division in the USPTA Grand Prix series. I finished No.2 in the Men’s 50 Division and will play singles and doubles in Orlando. I have the modest goal of coming back to Gulf Harbour uninjured.

Have a great weekend everyone, and I'll see you next week. Game, set, match...

Hot Start to Gulf Harbour Tennis Season

Summer ripples still dance before our sunkissed eyes, and the air hangs heavily about our shoulders as we take to the courts...AND IT"S NOVEMBER for crying out loud! Ah, but complain we shan't for 'tis snowy streets that greet some who yet dwell in northern climes.

Events
Ok, down to business here...If you know anything about Gulf Harbour tennis you know that we are up and running at a breakneck pace. Yesterday's annual Halloween event drew some of our most creative racquet swingers to the courts, and next weekend the Welcome Back Mixer is on tap. As soon as we turn around twice, the Tennis Family Night Dinner will be here (Wednesday, November 18th). Surely you know by now that you can register for those and all tennis events and activities online (click links above for quick access).

In addition to our in-house happenings, the USPTA Pro League will be coming to Gulf Harbour on Friday, November 6th. As mentioned elsewhere, this season promises to be one of the most exciting ever for the Pro League. Former Grand Slam competitors and recent college grads have boosted the level of play and expanded the number of matches to be played. We hope to have a good turnout at Gulf Harbour, even if we can’t match the record-setting throngs that Mike and I experienced at Grandezza.

If, after attending Pro League, you haven't yet had enough tennis, the following day (Saturday, November 7th), the 29th Annual Naples-Fort Myers Challenge Cup will be happening at Bonita Bay. Although we (Fort Myers) won the first year I played (2007), Naples regained the honors last year. I had the pleasure of losing a good match to "The Legend" Larry Turville in last year's event. It'll be extremely tough to wrest the cup from the this year, and your support would surely be a boost for the Fort Myers team.

Ladies’ Teams

Team play is off to a microwave start, and a few of Gulf Harbour’s Lee County Women’s Tennis League teams have opened the season quite impressively. Captains Jenny King’s and Darlene Mattcheck’s 3.0-Minus team holds the lead in its division after two matches, sweeping its first two opponents. They take on Breckenridge at home Thursday, November 5th. Judy Jones’ and Judy Manzella’s 3-5-Minus Sure Shots also swept their first two opponents to take the lead in their division. They play again at home on Wednesday, November 4th.

Not to be outdone, Gulf Harbour’s 4.0-Minus team, led by Connie Hess and Pam Lemon, is also off to a stellar start with, you guessed it, two more sweeps in its first two matches. They play next at home this Monday, November 2nd. The 3.0 Double Trouble team, under the guidance of Sally Mellendorf and Linda VanWyk, is in second place after winning two of their first three matches in sweeps. The imminent going may be troublesome for Double Trouble, though, as they play away the next two weeks.

Although not as dominating in their performances as the previously mentioned teams, Monnie Kane’s and Sue Weiss’ Silver Belles hold the third spot after winning three of their four matches to date. The Belles play next at home on Friday, November 6th.

Men’s Teams

One of Gulf Harbour’s USTA teams, our 7.0 Super Senior Men, has begun play, and it sits in second with a 2-1 record. Tennis Committee Chairperson and Gulf Harbour Board Member, Bob Ostrom, is anchoring the defending State Champion team, carrying a 3-0 record thus far. Our consummate tennis organizer Tim Baldwin is doing his share for the team as well, winning two of the three matches he has played. The six Gulf Harbour men’s teams that play in the Lee County 50-Plus Men’s League begin play on November 17th, and Gulf Harbour’s 69ers, who play in the 70-Plus Men’s Tennis League, open play on December 2nd.

Men’s Singles Ladders

In addition to the usual excitement of team play, there is a new game in Gulf Harbour tennis. The Inaugural Men’s Singles Ladders (Group A and Group B) is developing into an exciting and hotly contested affair. Contestants are finding that singles is great cardio exercise, as well as fun competition.

John Hess     has to be considered the “Ladder MVP” to date based upon his performance. Although only recently returned from cheese country, John Hess     has stormed up the Group B Ladder, and now sits in second place. In less than two weeks, John has played and won four matches, three of them going to a third and final set.

Manny Lima sits atop the Group B Ladder, but he has only played once since the start of the official ladder season, and John is right on his heels. This promises to be one of the early-season marquee matchups in the B Group, and should be coming soon. Although it'll make for a very long day, I don’t want to miss that one!

Deserving of honorable mention are Dave Russ and Eddie Dance. Both have jumped right into the singles fray without having any experience on the singles court, and each has played three or more matches in two weeks. The oppressive heat has not deterred these court warriors who obviously came to play.

The Group A Ladder is off to a much slower start of the official season. Only three matches have been played since the official season began two weeks ago, with Chip Graddy    , the motivating force behind the ladders, playing two of those three matches.

Alan Canfield holds the top spot in Group A, having beaten Chip in straight sets (6-1, 6-4) in the only match he’s played thus far. Chip handled Maxwell Thompson in his most recent match (6-0, 6-4), despite some stellar play by Maxwell. Reigning Club Champion Geoff Negin is back from injury, and he returned victoriously over newcomer Brian Hammermeister in straight sets (6-0, 6-2). I suspect that once some of the other injured players heal, this group will see some heightened activity.

In closing, I must extend the warmest note of gratitude to the host of caring spirits who gave so generously of themselves during MJ's and my moment of difficulty. I was virutally overwhelmed by the show of care and support, treasured the cards and other offerings, and can only humbly say, "Thank You!" MJ is mobile again and doing much better. Until next...game, set, match.

Gulf Harbour Tennis Season Underway

Tennis Boot Camp Sizzles

The sizzling summer heat did not dissuade our hardy Gulf Harbour tennis nuts…uh, I mean tennis lovers from swatting the yellow orb across the net during our annual Tennis Boot Camp. Although the temps were in the mid-nineties all four days of the event, even our most, uhm, “experienced” tennis members, Pat and Bernie Nolan, endured wilting weather to the scorching end. Major kudos to all who braved the mid-day inferno!

Tennis Pros from local clubs such as Scotty Harrington of Legends, Shawn Hedrick of Cascades, and Terry See of The Landings (among others) joined your tennis staff to fling plenty of fuzzy felt at the diehards who came to prepare for their team’s season, or just to enjoy the workout in the sun. The feedback I received suggested that the vast majority of the attendees felt their attendance was well worth their while. 

Halloween Tennis Around the Corner

If you like costumes as well as tennis, then your favorite event is next on the tennis menu. Consumate event organizer Tim Baldwin has the reins on this one, so it's guaranteed fun. This is the one event wear looking good trumps playing well. Some may argue good looks trump good play any day, and unless there's high finances involved in winning, I might have to agree.

But I've digressed haven't I? The essence of Halloween tennis is that you get weirdly dressed in some outfit that allows you to play at least a little tennis.

LCWTL Teams off and Running

Gulf Harbour’s women’s Lee County Women’s Tennis League (LCWTL) teams are off to a good start, with the 50-Plus Bronze and 50-Plus Silver Belles winning their opening matches this week. Our USTA Mixed Doubles team takes to the courts for the first time on Saturday, October 24, at 12:00pm at home, and our men’s teams won’t begin play until November, and their schedules will be posted as well as they become available. Don’t forget that you can review team information on the Club Website’s tennis pages under the Tennis Teams and Leagues link.

Men's Singles Ladders
We hope that getting off to good starts is contagious at Gulf Harbour, because our Men’s Singles Ladders officially begin play this week. Although we have lost a few warriors to injury for the Fall Season, we still have 18 players registered for the two initial ladders. Singles ladder play offers excellent opportunities for players to improve their singles skills prior to participating in the Club Championships in the spring, and is a terrific source of cardiovascular exercise. Read more about the ladders here and click click on the following respective to actually see ladder participants, latest results, etc.: Group B, Group A.

USTA Junior Team Tennis

In case you haven’t heard, our junior players have become more active competitively, and Joel has taken on the responsibility of managing our USTA Junior Team Tennis (JTT) team. Thus far the teams have played twice and in our most recent match on 10/10, Max Margolin won three matches (1 singles, two doubles) to help our 18-and-under team (all but one player is 14-and-under) to a 7-5 victory over Punta Gorda. Jacob Glasser also contributed to the team victory with a doubles win. The team holds a 1-1 record at this writing.

Our 12-and-under team is also 1-1 having posted an opening day victory against Rutenberg before losing last Saturday against Lee County, the top team in the League. Every player on our team contributed in the team victory against Rutenberg, with Cameron Sadighi providing three points; Simon Negin, Isabel Leigh, and Eve Bailey contributing two points each; and Danny Glasser and Jared Fleishman adding one point each. All matches are played on Saturday afternoons at Rutenberg Park, beginning at 12:30pm.

USPTA Pro League
The USPTA Pro League, title-sponsored by Ritzman Tennis, Gulf Harbour’s primary court maintenance company, will begin play on Friday the 23rd at Legends. This year all three of your tennis pros are on different teams, so there will be two disappointed tennis pros at Gulf Harbour at season’s end. You can read about the Pro League, including a review of the team rosters and schedule by clicking here.

Don't forget to give your opinion by checking one of the boxes below. Feedback is always good! Game, set, match...

Pre Season Tennis Update

Tennis Boot Camp

The season is just around the corner, and it will be ushered in by the annual Tennis Boot Camp that begins Monday, October 5. As it stands, the numbers are down slightly from last season, so that should be great for the players who do attend. The pro-to-player ratio should be quite favorable. Remember, if you haven't already taken care of your Boot Camp bill, the cost for all four days is $140.00 or can pay daily for $40 per day. Payment is to be made by check (payable to Mike Curran) or in cash.

Gulf Harbour Teams

Ladies Team matches (LCWTL) also begin next week, with the 50-Plus Silver Belles making the first home stand at 11:00am on Friday, October 9. Monnie Kane has assumed leadership of the Silver Belles, who finished third in their division last season under Ann Tate’s direction, and is looking to improve on that stellar performance. Team home match schedules will be posted online and on the bulletin board in the near future. Don’t forget that you can check the court sheets online now to see what’s happening on any given day.

Online Systems

Speaking of online, our court reservation system has experienced another upgrade, which allows you to book multiple courts without coming out of the booking window each time. There are still some bugs to be worked out with the Multiple Court Booking feature, and we will continue working with the developers to iron those out. When the feature is ready for unveiling, we will announce it.

Online event sign-ups appear to be catching on as more and more members are signing up for Saturday Round Robins through the online system. Gulf Harbour actually could be charging headlong into the 21st century…and we’re still only in the first decade. How about that! If you would like to attend a training session for the online court reservation system, please email us at tennis@gulfharbour.com. We will schedule training sessions if there is sufficient interest.

Your Pros: USPTA World Conference

All three of your tennis pros attended at least a portion of the USPTA World Conference in Marco Island last week. Only one of them was unrealistic enough to actually play in the competition. You can probably guess who that is. Despite not having played competitively and almost not at all for the past five months, I decided to give it a go anyway.

I was quite pleased with my level of play given the circumstances, and gave the eventual finalist a run for his money, losing 4-6 in the third. Truth be told, I was barely hanging on for dear life by the third or fourth game of the second set. Novak Djokovic would have quit, but how could I quit while representing Gulf Harbour? I did win the consolation event, 6-0, 6-2, but even then the tank was getting perilously close to empty in the second set.

Although Mike passed on the “real” competition, he took to the beach for his maiden voyage in beach tennis. Guess what? He and Jason Gilbert of Aventura, FL won a tight 7-5 set in the final match to clinch the USPTA World Beach Tennis title for Team Florida. Sorry, only the one pic from Mike's wife Tara. I was in session at the time. I know, I know, what’s the matter with me, going to a session when all that fun was to be had?

Your Pros: Pro League

You may not have caught that action, but there is plenty of excitement just around the corner…and you can catch all of that! The Fort Myers USPTA Pro League which has been a popular attraction during season is gearing up for the 2009 – 2010 campaign. An influx of new players with professional tour experience should enhance the quality of play and the level of competition. Maybe that means that Mike Curran’s team won’t win for the 5th consecutive time. I wouldn’t place any bets on that though. Curran just has this way of winning things.

Results of the Pro League Draft (where players are selected for teams) and the schedule also will be posted online and on the bulletin board in the very near future, so stay tuned! Players this season will include a former match winner at the French Open (yes, THAT French Open, Roland Garros red), and another who was playing on the ATP Challenge Tour just last year. According to Jared Kalpin, Director of Tennis and Fitness at Grandezza, “This is the strongest Pro League field I’ve ever seen.”

Facility Improvements

With the growing popularity of the Pro League, we are likely to have a substantial crowd when the competition comes to Gulf Harbour on Friday, November 6. Fortunately, our guests will be treated to a facility that has been significantly upgraded since last year’s event.

The courts are in great shape after a recent resurfacing; the landscaping adjacent to court two is entirely different; the view behind court one is vastly improved; the walkway between courts six and seven will soon be re-engineered to mitigate the wading pool that has traditionally occupied that area, the…well, I could go on, but you’ll just have to see for yourself. The Board has really been superbly supportive of our efforts to enhance the tennis venue, and Jerry Jimenez has been outstanding in maintaining the courts and the adjacent areas.

Men's Singles Ladders

A new piece has been added to the Gulf Harbour tennis puzzle: Two Men's Singles Ladders comprised of players of two levels (A Group & B Group) will take to the courts primarily on Monday and Thursday evenings from 6:30pm - 8:30pm.  Play begins officially on Thursday, October 15, and prizes will be awarded to the top three finishers of each ladder, for each of the two planned seasons. There are a spot spots open on the ladder so email me if you are interested in participating. If you are interested in reviewing the guidelines for the ladders, click here.

If you aren't excited about the new tennis season yet, I suggest you come on over to the Tennis, Fitness and Spa Center and see all the good things that are going on here. After you've taxed your body during Boot Camp on Monday, come inside and and experience the new staff and equipment in the revamped Spa. Yep, ya'll come on over...we'll leave the light on fer ya...sunlight that is :). Game, set, match....

Tennis: A Labor of Love on Labor Day

The sun came up on the 8:00am US Open-themed Labor Day event with three participants going down before a single point was played. Sandi Hill was sidelined with a broken toe, Gabe Gebara’s back laid him low and wife Sandy just wouldn’t go without him.

Nevertheless, the show went on. Event organizers, Diane and Wennie Johannes, and your ever-willing tennis pros swung in to fill the vast voids created by the “missing-without-action.” With the inclusion of the “Poker-chip Rule,” and valuable prizes awaiting chip possessors at event’s end, the competition was furious…not really, but I’ve gotta write something; don’t I?

Anyway, participants received red, white, and blue poker chips (in honor of the US Open) that they were allowed to give to opponents in order to take a “do-over” or “Mulligan” on any point. The chips were extremely valuable because they were eventually redeemed for Gulf Harbour gift cards ($20), and autographs from our local celebrity Randy Thomas-Wohl (priceless)…ok, ok, so there were no Thomas-Wohl autographs, but bragging rights were dispensed, and those truly are priceless.

Although a far cry from the normal sellout, the 19 members who participated in the 8:00am session had a good time, and we have pictures to prove it (Click here for proof). The big winners of the 8:00am session were Carol Shapiro (16) and Chuck Klucka (20) for “most games won;” Rick Fox for “most chips won” (14), and Ed Bonkowski and Judy Wilson for “lucky number draw.”

By 10:00am the sun had climbed high and hot over Gulf Harbour’s sky. Participants for the second session of the day rolled in wide awake and unaware of the twist Lady Di and Queen Wennie had in store for them. Given the number of upsets at the US Open in the Big Apple, and the inclusion of the “Poker chip Rule,” I chose not to bet on any of the pre-match favorites.
Although there are several stories about the competition that could lead the way here, the headline has to be the return of Linda Gardiner, and as a result, Bryan Schwartz, to the courts after a protracted absence due to illness. We welcome Linda and must also extend warm welcomes to Amber Anderson and Bill Harwin, both of whom were playing in their maiden tennis event…and they did quite well I might add.
Back to the competition…Prior to making the pairing for the third round of the second session, the Tennis Department and event organizers consulted with the Club’s legal team, to be certain we would not be liable for any damages. We were assured that we had comprehensive liability coverage (in the millions of dollars) against bodily harm, relationship dissolution, alimony and palimony, so we could go ahead and have a couples round.

Some of the very competitive matches included the Rolleros (Jim & Carol) against the Hyndens (Jim and Mary Jo), with each couple winning three games before the ending whistle. One of the hotly contested matches was the Canfields (Alan Jr. and Lili) versus the DeLeeuws (Paul and Martha). In more than 30 minutes of play, the scoring finished at 2 – 1 for the Canfields. Every other contest during that round totaled at least six games, twice as many as the Canfield-DeLeeuw affair. Must have been a battle!

As for who took home the prizes in the 10:00am group, Charlie Beagan (21) and Joy Jones (15) took the “most games won prize;” Meg Jacobs (21) took honors for “most chips won;” and Manny Lima and Lili Canfield won the “lucky number draw.” But these events are more about having a good time playing the game we love and interacting with your tennis neighbors, and with that in mind, all 51 participants were winners.

Next up for Gulf Harbour Tennis is the annual Boot Camp, a four day event that allows participants to receive instruction from several area tennis professionals. There are still some openings, so logon to the Club website, select October 4 – 8 on the Club Calendar and register for some fun instruction.

August Tennis Update

It's that time again fellow tennis lovers. What's going on with Gulf Harbour tennis? Although we aren't nearly as busy as we will be in a matter of weeks, we have not exactly been a ghost town either. We have had at least six courts for just about every round robin this summer, and we actually had 11 women show up for the 3.0 clinic yesterday! A pleasant surprise that was. So what's next on the agenda?

Upcoming Events
The Labor Day Tennis Event on Monday September 7, hosted by Wennie and Diane Johannes, is right around the corner and players are registering online and on the sign-up sheet adjacent to Court 1. You can register for the 8am and/or the 10am session by clicking the links above or going to the Club Calendar and going to that date (Remember, you have to log on to get to the Club Calendar. See Maria upstairs for login info).

If fewer players than anticipated register, there will be only one session from 9:00am – 11:00am. After we’ve stoked our thirsts and whetted our appetites, we’ll be moseying on over to the pool party for food, fun and fizzy beverages. Live music will contribute to the festive mood, so plan for some relaxing recreation that won’t be too labor intensive.

Although it is still a few weeks off, Gulf Harbour’s Tennis Boot Camp, held October 5 -9, will be upon us before we know it. To date we are at more than half of capacity for three of the four days. We anticipate a full house and some very dynamic tennis professionals, so if you haven’t made your reservation yet, now might be a good time to do so. We’d hate to have all that fun without you. Remember that you have to register for each day that you plan to participate.

For the men who like to run a little, a singles group is taking shape. First meeting of the group is scheduled for this coming Thursday, September 3, at 6:30pm. We are forming an organized group who will play singles matches at least once per week with something on the line. Gets the competitive juices flowing...but strictly in a fun sort of way. Right boys? Email me (taniles@gulfharbour.com) for more information.

Facilities
The efforts of our Director, Mike Curran, our Tennis Committee Chair, Bob Ostrom, our GM, Rick Newman, and members of the facilities committee finally came to fruition this week. The fruit is in the form of the brand new Tread Blaster adjacent to Court 1. That makes for a much easier…and cleaner path into the Fitness Center.

And the improvements continue. Finally we will be eliminating the seasonal rapids, uh, I mean standing water between Courts 6 & 7. You will be happy to see the wettest of issues dried up by the beginning of season. Members will no longer need galoshes to access the area between those courts.

If I can take the word of the members who have commented to me about it, and I don’t see why I shouldn’t, the courts look as good as they have ever looked! Jerry Jimenez has been an invaluable addition to the Gulf Harbour tennis staff, and please don’t hesitate to offer him a pat on the back when you see him…and you will see him, which is very refreshing.

Electronic Program Enhancements
Continuing the efforts to keep our club striding into the electronic age, there is a computer in the fitness center lobby that will allow you to make your reservations online if you don’t have a computer at home. I know that absolutely makes your day; doesn’t it?

Speaking of online reservations, NetCaddy, (the name of the online system) will be launched officially on September 1. We will be offering mini workshops for those who need help beyond the online tutorials and the written instructions we will be providing.

Another note of interest for those who have been utilizing online reservations for our events, you are now able to sign-up for Saturday Round Robins online as well. Just go to the Club Calendar and click on the link for the round robin and complete the registration process.

You will be able to register one week in advance to maintain fair sign-up practices. Yes, there are still some members who prefer the paper and pencil method, and we can’t leave them out in the cold…or the heat if we’re talking this time of year.

New Tennis Members
Speaking of “welcome,” I’m sure you will join me in welcoming a few new tennis members who will be swinging racquets with us this season. They include, but may not be limited to:

• Fred & Donna Giovanniello

• Judy Wilson

• Brian & Sunni Hammermeister

• Eric & Theresa Sterman

• John & Stacey Cleveland
• William (Butch) & Laura Shorack

The Hammermeisters and Shoracks are related to our celebrated Billy McGehee, and good tennis just seems to run in that family. From what I have seen of Judy and Donna, their games should contribute considerably to the tennis playing community. Not having seen the games of our other newcomers, I cannot comment about their play, but they too are welcome additions to the Gulf Harbour tennis family.

Gulf Harbour Teams
Our Lee County Women’s Tennis League (LCWTL) teams begin play on October 12, and, as usual, we encourage attendance at home matches. We had a very successful 2008 - 2009 season, with two LCWTL division winners (Norma Schuyler’s 50+ Gold & Diane Russ’ 3.5- Drop Shots) and one USTA team (Ron Graham’s Men’s 7.0) representing Florida at Nationals. Click here for more on last season’s successes.

Check out our Tennis Teams & Leagues page on the club website for additional information as the season progresses. We should have more on the men’s teams in our next update.

Juniors
USTA Junior Team Tennis is gearing up for the fall 2009 season, and our juniors and their parents are really looking forward to it. Despite the trials and tribulations of an inaugural season, our players represented us well and had a fun learning experience while doing so. Click here for more on our first JTT season.

In an act of generosity, cleverly disguised as marketing, one of our parents, Geoff Negin, secured a sizeable donation to the team from his company, Florida Radiology Consultants. Matches will be played on Saturday afternoons at Rutenberg Park, and spectators are welcome.

Well, I am sure that there is more going on in Gulf Harbour tennis, but that’s all I’ve got for you for now. Don’t forget to check back here and on our tennis pages at the Club website for future updates and information about Gulf Harbour tennis. Until next…game, set, match…..

Gulf Harbour USTA Junior Team Tennis Concludes 1st Season

If the success of Wimbledon Champions Roger Federer and Serena Williams as athletes had been measured by their first attempts to walk, we can be assured that they would have been considered miserable failures. However, after the many steps they have taken we can accurately perceive them as the greats that they are.

Much the same, we cannot determine the success of Gulf Harbour's first USTA Florida Junior Team Tennis season by its initial finish in the league. If we measure the success by the expressions of the players and parents, I believe we had an unqualified success. Wins and losses may become a measure of success after many more steps have been taken to build our team.

Despite finishing fourth of the four teams in the League, all of the participants and their parents expressed interest in participating again this coming fall. We look forward to a stronger performance, and perhaps a trip to the State Championships, when we have most of our team members present.

Reflecting upon first JTT season for Gulf Harbour, although the tennis was certainly an important element of the JTT experience, perhaps even more important was the family time shared. For example, although Joey Ghuman

didn’t play on our team this year, while sister Allison was playing, Joey was having his first fishing experience courtesy of Denny Rager, Director of Tennis at Lely in Naples, and a boyhood friend and doubles partner of Mike Curran.

Information about the upcoming JTT season will be disseminated as soon as it becomes available. Thanks to all of those terrific kids who came together for the first time to form a team and to the parents who offered them such terrific support!

Team Members

Eve Bailey

Jared Fleishman

Danny Glasser

Jacob Glasser

Isabel Leigh

TJ Meyers

Simon Negin

Cameron Sadighi