Fiddlesticks Country Club (Long Mean Course), Fort Myers, Fla.
Yardage: 5,862 yards
Par: 36-36—72
Defending champion: Sherry Herman
Opened: 1982
Designer: Ron Garl
USGA championships: This will be the first USGA championship at the club and the third Senior Women’s Amateur held in the state of Florida. The 1963 Senior Women’s Amateur was conducted at the Country Club of Florida in Delray Beach and 1970 event at Coral Ridge C.C. in Fort Lauderdale.
Florida and the USGA: After going six years without a national championship, Florida suddenly is a hotbed for USGA activity. Both Senior Amateurs will be held in Florida in 2010 – the Senior Amateur is set for Oct. 2-7 in Orlando – and the 2009 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur was held at Golden Hills Golf & Turf Club in Ocala. The two Senior Amateurs will be the 18th and 19th USGA events held in the Sunshine State.
Long and Friendly: Fiddlesticks C.C. features 36 holes of golf – The Long Mean Course and the Wee Friendly Course, which is a little shorter. Both layouts were designed by Ron Garl. While the fairways are fairly open, the Long Mean Course offers more trouble than its sister course. The Wee Friendly Course, originally known as the Piper’s Challenge, was redesigned by Bob Cupp in 1999.
Course notes: The Long Mean Course has either waste bunkers or water hazards that come into play on 75 percent of the layout. The course hosted the Fila Invitational in 1986 for 30 of the top professionals.
Not just golf: The club features eight Har Tru tennis courts and a state-of-the-art fitness facility that includes a licensed masseuse.