Tennis Update May 16

The action just never ceases around Gulf Harbour’s tennis courts. Just a few weeks ago I was looking forward to sleeping a little later now that season was ending…instead, I’ve got 8am lessons everyday! But given today’s economy, the last thing I’m doing is complaining about early rising. If you aren't ready for a nice long session of reading, pick and choose from the below smorgasbord of happenings around Gulf Harbour tennis.

Tennis Court Maintenance
Uppermost on everyone’s mind (certainly the minds of your tennis staff) is the condition of the courts. We have struggled continuously with the court irrigation system since our arrival at Gulf Harbour, and with Tennis Committee Chairman Bob Ostrom battling more fervently and much more effectively than Don Quixote fought his windmills, we have managed to make some headway.

To date, we have installed new filters, valves, solenoids, flow meters, floats, and repaired broken pipes on all of the courts in attempts to get the court irrigation system, functioning properly, and we believe that we have solved the problem of inadequate water supply due to mechanics. Of course, with the reduced supply from the County, the struggle to maintain playable court surfaces is likely to continue for some time.

The good news is that the rainy season ought to alleviate some of the supply problem, and when season begins next year, we should not have the same struggles. As put by Chairman Ostrom, “The next step in our court reclamation project this spring will be the addition several tons of Har-Tru on courts 5-8.”

Also, in efforts to improve our ability to care for the courts and surrounding areas, we have acquired a new tennis court golf cart which should be up and running within the next few weeks. Thanks to General Manager Rick Newman, who has been extremely supportive of our efforts, and to Volney Gordon and his staff, who have contributed greatly to our efforts to maximize your tennis experience.

Welch Clay Court Seminar
Speaking of court maintenance, Welch Tennis, the largest clay court builder in the world conducted a clay court maintenance seminar at Gulf Harbour on May 8. Twenty-four participants gathered at Johnny Browns and on the tennis courts to absorb the decades of knowledge Welch brings to these seminars. Given the struggles we have had with the courts, it was quite fortuitous that Mike was able to bring Welch on board for the seminar. Welch, the builder of Gulf Harbour’s courts, continues to be instrumental in getting our courts playing the way we would like.

Online Reservation System
Gulf Harbour tennis is easing its way into the 21st century (some members will come kicking and screaming I’m sure) with a new online court reservation system next fall. We are currently testing such a system and we should be ready for member trials in the very near future. Be on the lookout for more information.

Ladies Teams
We currently have rosters for seven (7) Lee County Women’s Tennis League (LCWTL) teams, which include:

TEAM - CAPTAIN - CO-CAPTAIN
4.0- Connie Hess - Pam Lemon
3.5 Laurie Watson - Marianne Crouch
3.5- Judy Jones - Judy Manzella
3.0 Double Trouble Sally Mellendorf - Linda VanWyk
50+ Gold Norma Schuyler - Carlotta Clark
50+ Silver Belles Monnie - Kane Sue Weiss
60+ Teresa Crocker - Wennie Johannes

We expect to have at least a few more rosters submitted before the July 1 deadline, so if you would like to play on a team, please don’t hesitate to let us know.

There have been some new developments in the way our teams will function beginning with this coming season. Chief among them is a Captain’s Council which will be implemented to assist in the formation and management of the ladies teams. More on that later this summer.

USTA Teams

Gulf Habour's USTA 7.0 Senior Mixed Doubles team holds a 6-1 record, which leads the division with three matches left to play. Our team beat the second place team yesterday after dropping their first match of the season the day before. They are the odds-on favorite to claim the top spot (of course I just cursed them). Our 7.5 Men's Senior Combo team is also leading their division with a 4-1 record and only two matches left to play.

Men’s Intramurals
After six weeks of competition, the "Ball Busters" captained by Eddie Dance captured the honors in the 2009 Gulf Harbour Men's Team Tennis Challenge. Captain Dance’s Ball Busters finished 20 points ahead of Don Pitts’ second place “The Great ZaZus,” 31 points ahead of Bill Crouch’s “When in Doubt, Out,” and 65 points in front of Jim Masiello’s “Team Viagra.”

“The traveling trophy” will be presented to the winners at the welcome back round robin in the fall. Next year, the season will be shortened to three weeks with each team playing twice a week. Click here to view team rosters

Gulf Harbour Juniors
Several Gulf Harbour junior players put their developing skills to the test this past weekend at the Clubtennis Spring Rookie Classic in Cape Coral. Simon Negin (pictured in green t-shirt) and Danny Glasser played the boys' 10-and-under division, TJ Meyers played in the boys' 12-and-under division, while Charlie Markovich and Billy Graddy entered the boys' 14-and-under division. Unfortunately, none of our talented junior girls chose to participate.

Simon, who played this event last year, beat the No.1 seed before losing in the final. According to Geoff Negin, Simon's dad, "Simon had a good time and I think it was good for his confidence...He was really very composed and did not play tight or get nervous on the big points which was something he has had to overcome."

In his first ever tournament appearance, Danny won his first match before losing to the eventual champion. TJ, also in his first competitive effort, lost his first round match to the No.1 Seed and eventual winner. After TJ’s match, mom Diane Meyers reported, “TJ did even better than I expected. He kept his form and his poise, and he didn’t lose because he played badly, but because the other boy played better.”

Billy also posted a first round victory before bowing to the No.2 Seed in a tough match. Charlie had a tough opponent in his first match, losing to the No.1 Seed and eventual event champion. Congrats to the boys who put it on the line this weekend and particularly to Simon who took home a finalist award!

Your Staff
Mike has taken a little hiatus from the competitive arena, because it really is tough to manage an active club like Gulf Harbour, be a good family man, AND play good tennis… And Mike has a bit more pride than I do.

I, on the other hand, am willing to take a big gulp, swallow that pride, and accept that I probably won’t play great tennis most times out these days. But, at my current rate of decline, I figure I better get as much competitive tennis in while the getting is good…well at least mediocre.

At the USPTA National Clay Court Championships in West Palm Beach the weekend of May 8 – 10, I came up a bit short, losing in the finals of both singles and doubles. In doubles, I played with Bob Davis, Assistant Men’s & Women’s Tennis Coach at Eckerd College in St. Pete, and former player at University of Hartford, my alma mater. We had the distinction of losing to Dick Stockton, former World No. 8 (who cares if that was two centuries ago?) and Geoff Moore, another former touring pro who currently holds a USTA national doubles title.

In singles, I lost for the third time to Greg Wheaton, Director of Tennis at Broken Sound Country Club in Boca Raton. I suppose there’s no shame in losing to a player who finished No.2 in last year’s USPTA National Rankings for the Men’s 45 division. However, this was the second consecutive final in which I have failed to meet Wheaton’s challenge, and that doesn’t sit well. Perhaps it’s time to rest a bit and let the body heal before venturing forth again.

On the bright side, I did manage to topple two-time defending champion of the Ultimate Tennis (formerly K-Swiss) League, Jared Kalpin, and claim the 6.0 Division title. After having lost to the 26-year-old four times without a win, including losing 2nd and 3rd set breakers in the final last season, this victory is a cherished one for the old guy.

Our rapidly aging Joel (he turned 24 May 2nd) is getting his fill of competition these days in USTA Leagues. Joel’s 8.5 combo team, on which he played No.2 doubles, won their division and will be playing regional competition in January. Joel is undefeated while playing singles for his 4.5 team, and has yet to lose a set this season. He is looking to keep that record clean all the way through.

By now you have probably become well acquainted with our fabulous Pro Shop Manager, Laurie Martin. Well, I’m afraid you’ll have to say goodbye to Ms. Martin this weekend…No, she’s not leaving. She’s becoming Mrs. Giordano today! Congratulations to Laurie and Ed and I’m sure you’ll join me in wishing them a terrific life together.

Jerry? What can I say about Jerry. He continues to deliver an outstanding performance, and is as diligent as one could ask for. When he isn’t doing all he can, Jerry continues to run up and down the soccer field refereeing for youth and adult leagues.

Well that's about it for this volume, and it was a volume wasn't it :)? Game, set, match...

2008 - 2009 Tennis Season Wrap-Up

Should we start with the incredible year our teams had; or perhaps the fact that we lost the Inaugural Landings Cup by one measly point? How about the record turn out that we had for the Club Championships? There are many ways we could begin to recap Gulf Harbour’s 2008-2009 tennis season, but perhaps we should begin at the beginning.

Committee Brings Curran on Board
The impetus for a season that was stellar by most accounts was the Tennis Committee’s selection of one of the premier instructors and players in Southwest Florida, Mike Curran, as the new Director of Tennis & Fitness. It didn’t take Mike very long to instate a new staff of professionals, in addition to our beloved Joel Hampton, who has been an Assistant Teaching Professional at Gulf Harbour since 2006.

T.A. Niles (Head Pro), Laurie Martin (Pro Shop Manager) and Gerry Jimenez (Maintenance Technician) all have been added to the Gulf Harbour tennis staff since Mike’s tenure as Director began. If the reports from the vast majority of tennis members are any indication, the additions have been a plus for the tennis program.

2008 – 2009 Tennis Season Sizzles
The tennis program itself has been as active this past season, in some regards, as it has ever been. Record numbers participated in October’s Team Boot Camp and in the Club Championships this spring. Team clinic participation also was tremendous, and according to Bronze team captain Effie Parker, “We’ve never had clinics like this before. It has been a great new experience for our team.”

Over two hundred members participated in the three Club Championship events (see pix here). Of course many of the same individuals participated in the different events, but the turnout was admirable. Although there were participants who weren’t thrilled with all elements of the events, the vast majority appeared to enjoy the experience.

One satisfied customer was Dr. Anthony Cupaiuolo, who wrote in response to the publishing of the draws, “You really did a great job in getting the information out in such a timely manner and devising a format designed both to attract as many players and to insure as competitive matches as possible.” It would probably be fair to publish some of the less than positive comments as well…but why not end the season on a positive note?

Team Triumphs
Perhaps one of the most notable happenings this season was the performance of Gulf Harbour’s teams, particularly our ladies' teams and our USTA teams. Of the thirteen Lee County Women’s Tennis League (LCWTL) teams fielded this past season, 10 finished among the top-five in their divisions, and two ladies teams, the 3.5-Minus Drop Shots led by Diane Russ and the 50-Plus Gold Team led by Norma Schuyler, won their divisions.

Gulf Harbour’s five USTA teams also acquitted themselves quite well this past season. The 7.0 Super Senior men led by Ron Graham won the State Sectionals on April 16-19 in Daytona Beach and will represent Florida (and Gulf Harbour of course) at the National Championships next spring. Our 7.0 Super Senior ladies, captained by Judy Schafft, won their local division and also played at sectionals this past weekend. They fell short of winning their flight and playing in the championship match by two sets.

Our Men's 50-Plus 3.5 Men's team, also led by Ron Graham, won its region and will represent Gulf Harbour at the State Sectionals April 30 through May 3rd. Our two USTA Mixed Doubles teams finished second in their divisions. In sum, all five USTA teams at Gulf Harbour finished in the top two!

Although the men’s teams representing Gulf Harbour in the 50-Plus Men’s League of Lee County didn’t fare quite as well as the some of the women’s and USTA teams, they represented us quite well. Of the five teams that participated, four finished in the top-five. The one Gulf Harbour team playing in the Men’s 70-Plus League of Lee County finished third in its inaugural year of existence. In all, 20 of Gulf Harbour’s 24 teams finished among the top-five of their divisions, an accomplishment worthy of accolades!

Inaugural Landings Cup
Additional evidence that Gulf Harbour’s tennis program is among the best in the area is the performance of those who represented the Club in the Inaugural Landings Cup event. A team of twelve individuals (two men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles) represented Gulf Harbour in the eight-team event. When the final ball was struck and the scores tallied, Gulf Harbour had fallen one game shy of claiming the Cup.

Program Strong Year-Round
Other tennis events, such as the Fourth of July Firecracker event, the Halloween Mixer, and Davis Cup all had significant participation from tennis members, indicating that the strength of Gulf Harbour’s tennis program is not merely seasonal, but all year round! Over 120 members attended the year-end Tennis Celebration Banquet at season’s end, bringing this year’s tennis cycle for a number of members to a memorable close.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that there are some who are not thrilled with the efforts of the new tennis staff. However, we believe those are few in number and there are those who have expressed their appreciation of the staff’s efforts. One such member, Jackie Jewel wrote, “You are bringing so much fun to GH. I really am happy you are there. Almost everyone I know thinks that you guys are doing an exceptional job and making us enjoy tennis again at good old GH! Thanks for your fun and enthusiasm.” We hope to keep the fun and enthusiasm flowing through the summer.

Post Season Tennis
Although a good portion of our tennis membership may be heading north this time of year, an essential component of the tennis program’s core remains at Gulf Harbour, and the beat will continue throughout the summer. Tim Baldwin’s Wimble-Ryder, tennis-golf combination event is up next on Saturday April 25, and only 12 spots are still open (Click here to register). Our Memorial Day Tennis Event on May 25 is likely to generate as healthy a turn-out as one will find at any Southwest Florida Club this time of year. It is this elevated level of member commitment and participation that makes the energy we expend as a staff entirely worth the expenditure.

Men's Intramurals
Men's intramural competition is coming down the homestretch, with Eddie Dance's Ball Busters leading the way with 70 points after four weeks of play. Don Pitts' The Great Zazus are in second with 51 points, followed by Bill Crouch's When in Doubt Call it Out with 33 points, and Jim masiello's less than vigorous Team Viagra bringing up the rear with 14 points. With only two weeks left to go, it appears as though the Ball Busters will claim the intramural title this year.

Junior Tennis
For Gulf Harbour’s youth, if numbers allow, there will be a junior camp and USTA Junior Team Tennis (JTT). The junior camp and JTT will provide a venue for juniors who are looking for fun tennis competition during the summer.

Junior Team Tennis begins June 6 and run for four weeks. Players who play at least two matches will be eligible to participate in the JTT Sectionals in Lakeland July 31 thru August 2.
Gulf Harbour’s junior camp will begin July 6 and run through August 14. Other summer events will include our July 4th Firecracker and the Labor Day Tennis & Party event on September 7.

Looking Forward to Next Year
As a new addition to the tennis program, I would like to express my immense gratitude to the multitude of members who have welcomed me into the fold. I’m especially grateful for Amy Ciarrocchi’s muffins, Jan Bloomhall’s pies, Marianne MCElroy’s cookies, Meg Jacobs’ cookies and quiche. Gulf Harbour may not win every league division, but we would certainly win any bake-off among the clubs. Thanks for your efforts ladies!

I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to Mike Curran, the best Director of Tennis one could hope to work for, to Joel for his incredible positivity no matter what, to Laurie the owner of the sweetest pro shop smile in Southwest Florida, and Gerry, the hardest working court maintenance technician around. I’m looking forward to a successful summer and to contributing to an even better season in 2009 – 2010!

Gulf Harbour Tennis: Teams, Davis Cup & More

Yes it’s time for another Gulf Harbour Tennis update. Who would think that there was anything more to report! Well, that’s the way it goes when things are hopping, and they still are at your tennis courts.

Last week’s and this week’s headliners are Gulf Harbour’s “Golden Ladies” in the LCWTL Gold Division. They swept their competition last week to remain in first place in their division with one match left. This last match is going to be a big one, since it will decide whether the ladies are truly golden or simply silver. Either position would be a terrific accomplishment, but our ladies will only be happy with gold. The match is at home on Friday, April 3, so come on out to cheer them on to victory.

Our 4.0 women are also battling to finish in the top-five, and they have one last effort at home on Thursday April 2. They are four points behind the current No.5 team and are playing the team in last position. Del Tura, the fifth-place team plays the team in third position, so our 4.0 ladies have a solid opportunity to close out the season among the top five teams.

Both the Silver Belles and the Silver Strings swept their matches at home last week in the 50-Plus Silver Division, and both finished among the top-five teams at season’s end. The Silver Belles finished in third, only four points behind the second place team. The Silver Strings claimed the fifth spot and improved upon last year’s seventh-place finish and 190-point total by two spots and 108 points, respectively. Both teams had excellent seasons!

The men’s 70-Plus League’s 69-ers also finished up last week, and they won three-of-four matches to finish in third place. We will be reporting on all of our teams next week after all teams matches have concluded.

It is “Ladies Luncheon” time in Southwest Florida. That means your tennis pros get to experience a smorgasbord of delights (no, not the women, the food) at the team luncheons that punctuate the Lee County Women’s tennis League season. Ok, ok, it is pretty delightful sitting at a table with several attractive, witty women while you eat a complimentary lunch. Don’t be to upset at us for enjoying these excursions.

Once such was all three pros attending the 3.0 luncheon with the Raquettes and Double Trouble last week. The food and the company were certainly worthy of the time we spent sharing the moment, as Double Trouble was presented with their second-place plaque. The Raquettes just barely missed third, losing their playoff match. It was a very successful season for our 3.0 ladies!

Gulf Harbour’s Annual Davis Cup event is only a few days away, and the teams are pretty much all set. Instead of eight teams of eight players, there will be six teams of eight players. Matches will begin Friday afternoon at 2pm, and Saturday’s matches will begin at 10am. The final of the Davis Cup will be at 12pm. Refreshments will be served for the participants.

Speaking of refreshments, the Annual Tennis Celebration Banquet is also this coming weekend, Saturday evening, 6pm at Johnny Brown's to be exact.

Men’s Intramurals also got underway last week, with Captain Eddie Dance’s Ball Busters leading the way after the first round of play with 21 points. Bill Crouch’s When in Doubt, Out team is in second with 14 points, Don Pitts’ The Great ZaZus are third with seven points, and Jim Masiello’s Team Viagra crumbled under heavy performance anxiety and finished Week 1 with zero points (ouch!).

The team is thinking of changing its name to “Team Cialis” in hopes of a stronger performance in Week 2. Asked about his team’s lack of vigor, Captain Masiello responded, “I’ve talked to the guys, and I think we should be able to get it up next week.”

At the close of the Fort Myers Key Private Bank Pro League, Mike and T.A.’s team, Johnny Malloy’s, finished as the official winner of the 2009 season. Although League Commissioner, Jim Katterfield, hasn’t yet released the final tallies, he did confirm the order in which the teams finished. Joel’s team, Team Ritzman, finished second, Team Fraser/Dooley finished third, and Team Andreae finished in fourth place.

T.A. and Joel are both still battling in the 6.0 Ultimate Tennis League, although T. A. has been toppled from the top spot he held for the majority of the season. T.A. lost to Jared Kalpin, the two-time defending champion, 6-7, 5-7 this past Saturday. Joel is in third place with two weeks left in the spring season.

Well that's about it for this particular update. Stay tuned for next week's season wrap-up. Game, set, match...

Welcome to Gulf Harbour's Tennis Blog!

Hello Fellow Tennis Lover,

How about that! A blog created just for you. We think it might be easier to post pictures and do a few more things here than we can at the Gulf Harbour website, so if you enjoy getting our updates, here's the place to get them...at least until we determine it isn't the best place to get them.

Here's where you will find out "the rest of the story" with what's going on with Gulf Harbour teams, events, and such. You might also find a little story here and there, maybe a poem once in a while, and just some fun stuff to keep our tennis community smiling. Don't hesitate to share your thoughts and opinions about anything you read here by posting your comments.

Game, set, match...

T. A.