Gulf To Bay St. Pete Clearwater FL - Gulf To Bay 2024
Sports
2024-05-10 12:41:58
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No matter the season, St. Pete/Clearwater is a dream destination for professional sports, recreation and some of the biggest events in the nation.
MOST EXCITING SPORTING EVENT
TAMPA BAY RAYS, ST PETE
➋ Firestone Grand Prix, St Pete
➌ MLB Spring Training, Clearwater & Dunedin
➍ Valspar Championship, Palm Harbor
➎ Clearwater Offshore Nationals, Clearwater Beach
Watch the action
Ideal weather throughout the year means nonstop action for spectator sports enthusiasts — it’s one of the reasons why several Major League Baseball teams have made our slice of the Sunshine State their spring-training headquarters. You’ll have a chance to see some of the game’s superstars and exciting newcomers during spring, when the Philadelphia Phillies prepare for the new season at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater and the Toronto Blue Jays play at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, their southern home. You can also check out their local minor-league affiliates, the Clearwater Threshers and Dunedin Blue Jays. The New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles are also nearby during spring training season. Take an easy drive to Tampa, Bradenton or Sarasota, respectively, to catch one of their afternoon or evening games.
St. Pete is the official home of the MLB’s exciting Tampa Bay Rays, who clinched their fourth American League East championship in the 2021 postseason and advanced to the playoffs again in 2022, with a wild card berth in 2023. Catch a Rays game at the gloriously air-conditioned Tropicana Field (aka “The Trop”) to escape the heat, avoid the storms, and have a (base)ball.
Soccer is also on the rise in our region, and it’s easy to understand why. You can’t beat sipping a craft beer and watching a Tampa Bay Rowdies game at Al Lang Stadium on the beautiful downtown St. Pete waterfront. The USL Championship pro soccer team recently advanced to the playoffs in the 2023 season.
If you prefer American football, take a brief drive over to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa to watch the National Football League’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers play. The stadium also hosts two college bowl games each year (the Gasparilla Bowl in December and the ReliaQuest Bowl on New Year’s Day). Hockey lovers can savor the fast-paced action of the Tampa Bay Lightning, two-time National Hockey League Stanley Cup winners since 2020, at Amalie Arena in downtown Tampa.
Shifting gears (quite literally), the annual Firestone Grand Prix of St. Pete brings powerful IndyCars roaring through closed streets along the St. Pete waterfront every March. If your need for speed isn’t quite satisfied, check out the Clearwater Offshore Nationals in the fall, one of the top boat races in Florida. For more fast boats in the fall, the P1 Offshore Grand Prix powerboat races makes waves in St. Pete.
The PGA TOUR’s Valspar Championship is held at the renowned Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort & Golf Club in Palm Harbor each spring, bringing with it some of the world’s top golfers and thousands of spectators. In November, The Annika driven by Gainbridge LPGA Tour event takes place at the Pelican Golf Club in Belleair. One of the premiere multi-sport events in the U.S., the St. Anthony’s Triathlon celebrates its 42nd year in April 2025 with great fan support, tremendous competition and a course winding in and out of beautiful downtown St. Pete.
Join the action
Ready to get out of the stands and into the action? St. Pete/Clearwater is an athlete’s paradise, offering everything from golfing and hiking trails to paddleboarding and volleyball. Come springtime, thousands of locals and runners from across the nation race over the iconic Sunshine Skyway Bridge during the Skyway 10K. In the fall, St. Pete Run Fest features three days of family-friendly fun that include running events, live music and more.
Embark on a cycling adventure along the Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail, a linear 46-mile pathway for cyclists, runners and rollerbladers that stretches from St. Pete to Tarpon Springs. For an aerial view, Empower Adventures will send you ziplining over Mobbly Bayou Wilderness Preserve in Oldsmar. Enjoy a laid-back evening of classic Old Florida fun at St. Pete Shuffleboard Club (founded in 1924), which offers “open shuffle” every Friday at its popular St. Pete Shuffle event.
Golfers rejoice: You'll discover nearly 50 public and private courses throughout the Tampa Bay region. Play a round at the Donald Ross-designed Dunedin Golf Club, a hidden gem on the National Register of Historic Places, or hit the links on the executive-style course at Mainlands Golf Club in Pinellas Park. Seminole’s Bardmoor Golf & Tennis Club features wide fairways and room to play, but don’t let that fool you: The course has been home to both the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour. In St. Pete, Mangrove Bay municipal course features well-maintained greens and straightforward design, while the par 72-course at the Vinoy Golf Club has lots of water and gorgeous natural scenery.
Disc golf is offered on wooded courses like the Tocobaga Disc Golf Course in St. Pete’s Maximo and Azalea parks, Taylor Park Disc Course in Largo and at Clearwater Disc Golf in the Ballpark at BayCare Ballpark.
Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America and the St. Pete/Clearwater area has a number of beautiful resorts with pickleball courts on-site, including the Island Grand Beach Resort at TradeWinds on St. Pete Beach.
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