Upping the Game

from Gulfshore Life May 2023

Digging Deeper

This month, Bonita Bay Club is home to one of the foremost tournaments for female tennis players to break out.

Blistering serves, long baseline rallies and sudden drop-shot winners—some of the next big names in women’s tennis take the court at Bonita Bay Club for the FineMark Women’s Pro Tennis Championship from May 1 to 7. One of only five annual Women’s U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) Pro Circuit tournaments held nationwide that draws players who vie for $100,000 in total prize money, the event gives athletes a chance to earn points to improve their Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour rankings and get into the larger tournaments. “This event is where the rising stars come out,” says Paula Scheb, Bonita Bay Club’s director of sports and a U.S. Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) Master Professional.

American tennis star Coco Gauff, now ranked sixth in the world, played the inaugural event as a 15-year-old in 2019. Later that summer, she reached the Round of Sixteen at Wimbledon, and last year, she was the runner-up at the French Open. Lauren Davis, who won the FineMark tournament in 2019, reached a career-high ranking in the top 30. And 2021 champion Katie Volynets made it to the third round of the Australian Open in January.

The only $100,000 Women’s USTA tournament in Florida frequently features the top-ranked 125 female players.

The draw is particularly rich in American talent, with half of last year’s singles field hailing from the United States. (Several wild card entries are usually bestowed upon members of the Florida Gulf Coast University tennis team.) Tennis fans may also recognize some established names, like former top-10 player CoCo Vandeweghe, who played last year’s event as part of her return to the sport after an injury.

In addition to brushing up on young talent, you can pick up some tips for your own game. “[You] learn by watching the footwork, what they do with their eyes and their focus between points and games,” Paula says. “The sheer athleticism is amazing.”

SWFL is For Car Lovers, A Sonnet

Writer Michael Korb pens a love letter to our region’s motorhead culture, with new Lamborghini and Porsche dealerships on the horizon, weekly car meet-ups, a world-class automobile festival and supercars on every major road.

Shall I compare thee to the brash Countach? From the Lamborghini Naples brand new, Or a Ferrari Spider paid in cash; Stuck on 41, hurling words of blue.

Buy a car condo to be safe and sound. Though Cars & Coffee will find you bested, True fanatics are Revs Institute bound. But Miles digs those who are Sebring or Daytona tested.

For in our land of sunshine and beaches, Where Bentleys grow and G-Wagons rise, Our Cars on 5th taste it doth teaches; Fort Myers’ Porsche is growing four times its size.

We do love our rides from boot to bonnet, As proven by this car lovers’ sonnet.

10 Gabby Song

Front & Center Gala / Hosted at Sugden Plaza in support of The Naples Players

The Front & Center Gala marked the biggest fundraiser of the season for The Naples Players. Guests enjoyed dinner from Ocean Prime, a show from KidzAct students and dancing to music from CTO High Voltage. Patty and Jay Baker generously matched all donations, which benefit programming, including the KidzAct performing arts classes for children.

Z OObilee / Hosted at and in support of Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens

No doubt one of the most fun events of season, Zoobilee fills Naples Zoo with stands from top restaurants, beer and cocktail stations, and plenty of opportunities to interact with wildlife after hours. One of the highlights for guests this year was meeting the African crested porcupine, Necco.

1 Amy & John Quinn

2 Laura & Tori Georgelos

3 Jana Seaman, Daniella Garcia, Allison Rainey

4 Sally & Adam DeFrancesco

5 John & Carrie Cooney

6 Michael Enos, Carrie Brigham

7 Mary & Joe Smallwood

8 Sonya Ansari

9 Holly & Marc Shapiro, Nancy Iuculano

10 Jon & Sharon Lockwood

11 STARs on the dance floor with Pzazz entertainers

12 Matt Martel, Katelyn Healy

STAR Gala / Hosted at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón in support of STARability

More than 600 attendees united for STARability Foundation’s fifth-annual STAR Gala to support individuals with disabilities. Guests bid on experiential prizes during the live auction—including a Bahamas yacht trip and a Cabos getaway—raising $2.8 million for the organization.

Hospital Ball / Hosted at Arthrex One in support of NCH Healthcare System

The focus for this year’s Hospital Ball, themed Body in Motion, was orthopedics—and what a party it was. Arthrex founder and president Reinhold Schmieding and his wife, Erika, served as honorary chairs for the event, which included the award for Physician of the Year, Dr. Mazen AbuAwad. In its 64th year, the longest-running fundraiser in Naples raised $1.3 million, and Patty and Jay Baker once again stepped up for our community, announcing a $20 million matching grant for the healthcare nonprofit.