After the men’s and women’s teams from nearby Florida Golf Coast University take on teams from the universities of Memphis, Louisville, Minnesota and Connecticut, plus Purdue University, in a three-day Collegiate Open at the start of the month, the Bonita Springs, Fla., club will be the site on November 16th of the 39th Naples-Fort Myers Challenge, which features more than 50 area club pros and other top recreational players competing for bragging rights between the two cities.
The Bonita Bay Club in Bonita Springs, Fla. will showcase an impressive variety of high-quality tennis via two major tournaments in a span of two weeks during the first half of November
From November 1 to 3, the men’s and women’s tennis teams from nearby Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) will take on counterparts from the universities of Memphis, Louisville, Minnesota and Connecticut, plus Purdue University, in the FineMark FGCU Collegiate Open.
Then, more than 50 outstanding pros and other recreational players will compete in the 39thannual Naples-Fort Myers Challenge, one of the longest-running events of its kind, at Bonita Bay on November 16.
Paula Scheb, a USPTA Master Professional and Director of Sports at Bonita Bay Club, expects both events to have broad appeal. “The FGCU teams both have strong fan bases, and members of the clubs where the pros work and teach are loyal and passionate followers of them,” Scheb said. “Further, this is a dream for all tennis fans to see such a variety of playing styles, [first through] the immense talents of all of the schools during three days and then the pros ‘practicing what they preach’.”
The format for the Collegiate Open will be round-robin play with eight singles and four doubles positions per team, with results posing national-ranking implications for the players.
Bonita Bay Club members have donated approximately $90,000 to scholarships for both of the FGCU teams over the years, and an on-campus court is named for the club.
Launched in 1981 by Ted Norris, the first Director of Tennis at the Naples Bath and Tennis Club, the Naples-Fort Myers Challenge has fulfilled its original mission of connecting with players from Collier and Lee counties. The Bonita Bay Club’s central location within the entire region will provide an ideal setting for many pros and fans who will come to the club for the event.
The club’s 18 Har-Tru courts will be put to full use for the Challenge, with 14 separate matches encompassing men’s and women’s singles and doubles for the age categories that range from 35 to 60, plus open categories beginning at 3:30 p.m. on the 16th.
There will also be a delayed start for the men’s 45 doubles competition on the club’s championship court that will pit Adam Lane, Bonita Bay Club’s Assistant Director of Sports and captain of the Fort Myers team, and Mike Curran, Director of Tennis and Fitness at Gulf Harbour Yacht & Country Club against the duo of Jerome Moenter, who has excelled in several world senior tournaments, and Bryan Twente.
The winners of each match nets one point for their team. Since 2013, Naples, captained by Jose Pastrello, Director of Sports at Quail Creek Country Club, has a three-to-two edge in the series over Fort Myers.
“Some fans will focus on one match, while others will stroll around and catch some or a little of all of them,” Scheb said. “[The Challenge is] a concentrated extravaganza of high-quality play for fans and a resumption of friendly yet competitive rivalries for the pros, who relish playing in it and pursuing ‘bragging rights’ for their team for the next year!”
Proceeds from the three events will benefit programs at the Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. Single-day tickets are $15 and a three-day ticket is $30 for the Collegiate Open, and the Challenge can be viewed with $15 general-admission tickets or $75 Skybox tickets.
Bonita Bay Club will also host the FineMark Women’s Pro Tennis Championships, the only $100,000 Women’s U.S. Tennis Association Pro Circuit Tournament in Florida, from May 11 through 17, 2020, with rising stars also vying for ATP and WTA points and the winner receiving a wild-card entry to the French Open.
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