Whether they’re serving a winning pickleball shot, teeing up on the greens, or sailing on the Gulf or the Bay, generations of Venice’s gentlemen are finding connection and fulfillment through recreational sports and activities. Plantation Golf & Country Club’s pickleball courts provide fun, accessible games that build connection across age groups, while local tournaments such as Wellen Park’s Inaugural Brightmore Pickleball Invitational offer competitive matches that gather talented, dedicated players. Likewise, generations of golfers engage in light-hearted competition at Lake Venice Golf Club among old friends; and new friendships emerge over a shared love of boating at the Venice Yacht Club.
“Pickleball [is a sport] that anybody at any age can play,” said Dan Talbott, Director of Racquets at Plantation Golf & Country Club. Talbott noted that spring break is the time of year younger and older players commonly team up on the club’s six pickleball courts. “A lot of younger kids [come] out to play, and they maybe just have a sibling with them, or a cousin, or a friend … but they don’t have [enough] people to … get a game going,” said Talbott. As a solution, younger players are introduced to older, often retired, members. “They just get in and start playing together,” said Talbott, “pickleball is very accommodating to all levels … even if you’ve never done it before.”
Although pickleball can be played with ease, its health benefits are substantial. In terms of children, “you’re creating hand-eye coordination, motor skills, [and] muscle development,” said Talbott. “Even with older adults who are now retired from their jobs, they’re now able to pick up a paddle, grab a friend, and get an easy workout,” he explained. “Plus [it’s just] fun joking around with your buddies, too … the social [aspect] is always good” he added.
Talbott also mentioned the rise in the inclusion of pickleball courts among neighborhood amenities—a trend local recreational pickleball player Mike Fusco appreciates. “One of the great things about the Wellen Park area is that all of the communities have their own pickleball courts,” said Fusco, “I have been blessed to meet so many incredible people that invite me to play with them at their courts.” Fusco, who has been playing pickleball for a little more than four years, was drawn to the sport as a source of entertainment, exercise, and community-building.
“Playing pickleball has introduced me to countless connections, not just within my Renaissance community, but across a half dozen other communities within Wellen Park,” he said, noting that he has made several close friendships with men across different age groups. “I’m not alone in this either,” he said, adding that he knows of others who have formed similar bonds. Fusco, 54, finds inspiration in playing with men who may be decades older or younger than himself. Passionate and skilled players in their 60s and 70s have demonstrated to him the longevity of the game and, “as for the 20-year-olds, it’s fun watching how much court they can cover and how fast they are, getting to your best drop shot while making it look easy. Can’t help but bring a smile to my face,” he admitted, “as a social activity, there’s not much better.”
Fusco met another pickleball enthusiast at a friend’s event just before the Inaugural Brightmore Pickleball Invitational, and the two quickly paired up for the competition. “I took some fantastic memories from the experience,” said Fusco, “including playing with a new partner, meeting several new players, and getting to play on the stadium court in the finals against two friends from my community.” Despite winning gold in the tournament, he noted that one doesn’t have to be a pickleball pro to enjoy the game. “Pickleball is about having fun, meeting people, and getting exercise. Anybody, any age, any skill level, can achieve all three of those goals,” Fusco said. “But be careful,” he warned, “before you know it, you’re looking to play every day.”
In addition to playing pickleball, Fusco regularly makes time to golf with his father. “I do try to take a day off from work each month or two to play a round of golf with my dad and his group,” he said. “That is a very special connection for me as it reminds me of my youth, when I would golf with my dad after school or on weekends.” Numerous gentlemen of Venice have similar attachments to golf, which, in many cases, has remained a staple activity in their lives since childhood.
Ralph Adrian, retired Venice Police Department officer, now 69, has been playing golf at Lake Venice Golf Club since he was 12 years old. “It’s part of Venice,” said Adrian of the course, which opened in 1959. Adrian plays skins games every Wednesday and Saturday with men he has known since he was a child and young adult. Married 49 years, Adrian laughed that his wife “knows not to schedule anything those two mornings.” Bill Davies, who currently runs the skins games, noted that they have been operating for over 20 years. “[In season,] I usually bring anywhere from 60 to 70 golfers in here [and sometimes when I introduce people] they go, ‘wow I knew that guy one time!’” said Davies. Lake Venice Golf Club General Manager Rod Parry stated that hundreds of people a day visit the course in season, and that the club sees “tremendous repeat business.”
Adrian said that he shares the course with players as old as 92—and noted that “there’s some young guns” as well. Of the wide age range of the golfers, he said, “I think it’s a good combination … you get both younger and older [players], they both can get into it.” “I’ve got a grandson who’s 10 who has his own golf clubs, [and I have] a son who’s 49 who plays all the time,” shared Adrian. On the health benefits of golf, he recognized that the game challenges the mind and keeps the body moving. He also enjoys the social aspect: “It’s a great way to develop friendships,” he said.
Dr. Chris Roberts, 38, and Jim Boldt, 71, found friendship to be one of the biggest takeaways of their shared time at the Venice Yacht Club (VYC). Roberts, orthopedics and sports medicine surgeon and current physician for Venice High School’s varsity football team, and Boldt, City Council member and mayoral candidate, met at the Yacht Club through their wives. It was only after they met that they realized they already attended the same church and were part of similar social circles. “Next thing you know, we’re all hanging out and having dinners,” said Roberts. Boldt, who has been a member of the club for 20 years, and Roberts, for three years, have since established a relationship built on guidance, trust, and mutual support. “I wouldn’t have [an issue] calling up Chris and saying, ‘hey, I [have] a problem … what do you think?’” said Boldt. “He’s a mentor,” said Roberts, “when you call, he’s going to give you the truth—no matter what it is,” he laughed.
As the VYC reaches its 75th anniversary, its spirit of mentorship and involvement holds strong. “I love how this is a generational club,” said Roberts, “I know I can go to Jim, I can go to my generation [which] has the dads, and then there’s … the younger kids, too, that you can mentor.” Boldt himself is a third-generation member, and his wife began frequenting the VYC at just 11 years old. “It’s very welcoming,” said Roberts, “[no matter what] stage of life you’re in, you’re [going to find] what you’re looking for in a place like this.”
Roberts has found value in the simplicity of experiencing sunshine and water, and Boldt appreciates the freedom, independence, and thrill of being out at sea. “Every once in a while, you see a little tiger shark or a lemon shark and it’s pretty fascinating,” said Boldt of his boating adventures. He also enjoys the VYC’s cruiser group, which allows access to 35 other clubs in the Florida Council of Yacht Clubs they reciprocate with. “We have plenty of places we can go, we have a great cruiser group [at the VYC] and every month we take a trip to [another club],” said Boldt.
Like many gentlemen of Venice, Roberts takes pride in the sense of community he has found, and hopes to share it with generations to come: “When my kids come back from college [someday] and [return to Venice, I want them to be] proud to come here … proud to bring friends here, proud to bring our [relatives] here.”