Sports and Recreation

Phoenix's mild winters make it an all-year sports paradise. For spectators the winter months mean horse racing at Turf Paradise from October through early May; phone (602) 942-1101. Dog racing at Phoenix Greyhound Park takes place Thursday through Tuesday all year; phone (602) 273-7181.

In spring baseball arrives as the Oakland Athletics begin their training at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, (602) 495-7239. Other teams with spring training sites in the Phoenix area include the Anaheim Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe, (480) 350-5205; Chicago Cubs at Ho Ho Kam Park in Mesa, (480) 964-4467; the Kansas City Royals and the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, (623) 594-5600; the San Diego Padres and the Seattle Mariners at Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, (623) 878-4337; and the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium in Scottsdale, (480) 312-2580. The Arizona Diamondbacks, 2001 World Series champions, play ball at the domed Chase Field, 401 E. Jefferson St. in downtown Phoenix; phone (602) 514-8400.

The US Airways Center, 201 E. Jefferson St., is the site of many of Phoenix's sporting events. It is the home court of the NBA Phoenix Suns basketball team November through April; phone (602) 379-7867. The WNBA's Phoenix Mercury take over the arena's court May through August; phone (602) 252-9622. April through August the arena also houses the Arizona Rattlers, Phoenix's professional arena football team; phone (602) 514-8383. September through April Glendale Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Ave., is the home of the Phoenix Coyotes, the city's National Hockey League team; phone (480) 563-7825.

Professional football is played in Glendale, where the NFL Arizona Cardinals take the field at Cardinals Stadium, 1 Cardinals Dr.; phone (602) 379-0102. The Fiesta Bowl football classic at the stadium is a January highlight.

National Hot Rod Association drag racing as well as dragboat racing are at Firebird Raceway, about 8 miles south of Phoenix at Maricopa Road and I-10; phone (602) 268-0200. Indy cars, NASCAR stock cars and trucks, and Grand Am sports cars race at Phoenix International Raceway; phone (623) 463-5400 .

Licensed drivers can experience race car driving at Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, I-10 and Maricopa Road; phone (480) 403-7600.

A round of golf in a panorama of mountain peaks and blue skies entices not only Arizona residents but visitors too. Golfing is a year-round activity in Arizona. There are more than 325 golf courses in the state, both public and private, appealing to all levels of proficiency--Phoenix has nearly 120.

Phoenix courses include Club West, (480) 460-4400, 16400 S. 14th Ave.; Encanto, (602) 253-3963, at 2775 N. 15th Ave.; The Foothills, (480) 460-4653, at 2201 E. Clubhouse Dr.; Maryvale, (623) 846-4022, at 5902 W. Indian School Rd.; Papago, (602) 275-8428, in Papago Park at 5595 E. Moreland St.; Phantom Horse, (602) 431-6480, at 7777 S. Pointe Pkwy.; The Pointe Golf Club at Lookout Mountain, (602) 866-6356, at 11111 N. 7th St.; and Stonecreek, (602) 953-9110, at 4435 E. Paradise Village Pkwy. S.

Golf courses in nearby Mesa include: Dobson Ranch, (480) 644-2291, at 2155 S. Dobson Rd.; Red Mountain Ranch, (480) 985-0285, at 6425 E. Teton Cir.; and Superstition Springs, (480) 985-5555, at 6542 E. Baseline Rd.

Courses in Scottsdale include: Marriott's Camelback, (480) 596-7050, at 7847 N. Mockingbird Ln.; Marriott's Mountain Shadows Resort, (480) 905-8999, at 5641 E. Lincoln Dr.; McCormick Ranch, (480) 948-0260, at 7505 E. McCormick Pkwy.; Starfire at Scottsdale Country Club, (480) 948-6000, at 11500 N. Hayden Rd.; TPC Scottsdale, (480) 585-3600, at 17020 N. Hayden Rd.; and Troon North, (480) 585-5300, at 10320 E. Dynamite Blvd.

Other area courses include: Gold Canyon, (480) 982-9449, at 6100 S. Kings Ranch Rd. in Apache Junction; Hillcrest, (623) 584-1500, at 20002 N. Star Ridge Dr. in Sun City West; The Legend at Arrowhead, (623) 561-0953, at 21027 N. 67th Ave. in Glendale; Ocotillo, (480) 917-6660, at 3751 S. Clubhouse Dr. in Chandler; We-Ko-Pa, (480) 836-9000, at 18200 East Toh Vee Cir. in Fort McDowell; and The Wigwam Resort, (623) 935-3811, at 300 E. Wigwam Blvd. in Litchfield Park. In Tempe are ASU-Karsten, (480) 921-8070, at 1125 E. Rio Salado Pkwy.; and Ken McDonald, (480) 350-5250, at 800 E. Divot Dr.

Tennis courts open to the public are plentiful at several high schools and park areas, including Encanto Park, 15th Avenue and Encanto Drive, and Granada Park, 6505 N. 20th St. The Phoenix Tennis Center, (602) 249-3712, at 6330 N. 21st Ave., has 22 lighted courts and reasonable rates; reservations are accepted.

The valley's beautiful desert country lends itself to horseback riding. The Ponderosa and South Mountain Stables, (602) 268-1261, at 10215 S. Central Ave., offers trail rides.

Trails for hiking and bicycling are plentiful. A favorite hike is the 1-mile scenic trek to the summit of Piestewa Peak. Formerly known as Squaw Peak, the peak was renamed in honor of Lori Piestewa, an American servicewoman and Hopi who was killed in combat during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.

The Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department, (602) 262-6861, operates a number of parks; some have municipal swimming pools. Saguaro Lake and Canyon Lake offer water skiing, boating and fishing. The Salt River is popular with tubing enthusiasts. Salt River Tubing and Recreation, (480) 984-3305, rents tubes and also provides shuttle-bus service along the Salt River.

For the shooting enthusiast, the Ben Avery Shooting Range, (623) 582-8313, 25 miles north of Phoenix off I-17 exit 223, offers pistol, rifle and archery ranges and trap and skeet fields.

The suburb of Tempe boasts inland surfing at Big Surf, (480) 947-7873; roller skating at Surfside Skateland, (480) 968-9600, at 1625 E. Weber Dr.; and ice skating at the Oceanside Ice Arena, (480) 947-2470, at 1520 N. McClintock Dr.

Hot air balloon rides over the metropolitan area and the Sonora Desert are available through several companies. Balloon rides average 1 hour and are usually followed by a champagne brunch. Many companies operate October through May, but some offer flights year-round. Prices range from $145 to $225 per person. Companies include: A Aerozona Adventure, (480) 991-4260 or (888) 991-4260; Aerogelic Ballooning, (602) 595-9793 or (866) 359-8329; Hot Air Expeditions, (480) 502-6999 or (800) 831-7610; and Unicorn Balloon Co., (800) 755-0935. Soaring is available at Turf Soaring School, (602) 439-3621, at 8700 W. Carefree Hwy. in Peoria.