A Sports Adventure Vacation
It’s well known that Southwest Florida’s coastal climate is conducive to a variety of outdoor sports and recreational activities year round. While our friends to the north are battling freezing temperatures and blizzards, Charlotte County is a buzz with activity from hiking and biking the trails and scenic byways of our community to playing an affordable round of golf or two. For those looking for a more passive approach to the area’s sporting life, options include taking in a spring training or collegiate baseball game, attending a variety of auto races at Three Palms Speedway, or sailing the 270 square miles of Charlotte Harbor.
For those wishing to challenge the links of Charlotte County there are many high quality, affordable courses from which to choose. This is validated by Golf Digest who, not too long ago, ranked our area as the “3rd Best Place in the Country to Live and Play Golf”. Other criteria considered in this ranking included access/availability of the courses as well as the area’s climate throughout the year. From the 4 ½ star Riverwood Golf Club, which recently was ranked the #15 course in the state, to Rotonda Golf & Country Club’s 99 holes, to the naturally wild settings of Myakka Pines and Lemon Bay Golf Clubs, there’s plenty of inventory to construct a memorable golf vacation.
Baseball is a big hit in Charlotte County for most of the year. The peanuts and cracker jacks begin flowing in the middle of February when the five-week Snowbird Baseball Classic kicks off featuring dozens of NCAA Division I and III teams. The Tampa Bay Rays players also report for training at this time and competition typically starts at the beginning of March. Once the major league squad heads 90 miles up the road for their regular season, their Florida State League minor league affiliate, the Charlotte Stone Crabs open their season and will play 70 home games from April through the first week of September.
A new attraction to Charlotte County is sure to offer something for everyone. Florida Tracks & Trails features 4 motocross tracks, over 25 miles of ATV trails, 80 acres of paintball, a man-made recreation lake with beach for swimming and sunbathing, and a concert venue that will host a variety of shows including major headliners. Florida Tracks & Trails is located in Punta Gorda and is just 20 minutes from the historic downtown district where you’ll find lodging, dining, entertainment and shopping options.
