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Sport Locals and visitors alike pass time in Atlanta in sporting pursuits. On sunny weekends, the locals like nothing better than getting out of the city to Stone Mountain (see Excursions). The legacy of the 1996 Olympic Games has left Atlanta with several world-class sporting venues, including Turner Field (the former Olympic Stadium and now home of the Atlanta Braves Major League Baseball team); the Georgia Institute of Technology Aquatic Center; the Georgia International Horse Park and the Stone Mountain Lincoln Tennis Center. April to September is baseball season, when fans can catch the Atlanta Braves (website: www.atlantabraves.com) in action, often in early evening games. Tours are available of Turner Field, including visits to Coca-Cola Sky Field and a Braves luxury suite. Fans can view Braves memorabilia at the Ivan Allen, Jr Braves Museum & Hall of Fame (tel: (404) 614 2311 for information, Ticketmaster (tel: (404) 249 6400; website: www.ticketmaster.com) for tickets), including tributes to Hank Aaron, Phil Niekro and the championship teams of the 1990s. The Atlanta Falcons American football team (website: www.atlantafalcons.com) plays at the Georgia Dome (tel: (404) 223 9200), which was also the venue for the NFL Super Bowl XXXIV Series in 2000 and will host the NCAA basketball championships in 2002. The Atlanta Thrashers (website: www.atlantathrashers.com), a new professional (NHL) hockey team, and the Atlanta Hawks (website: www.hawks.com) basketball team share the facilities at the Phillips Arena, 1 Phillips Drive (tel: (404) 878 3000; website: www.phillipsarena.com), a new sports arena and concert venue. Tickets for all sporting events are available through Ticketmaster (tel: (404) 249 6400; website: www.ticketmaster.com). Golf: Twenty four of Atlanta’s golf clubs have combined in a Last Minute Tee Service (tel: (800) 671 0750 or (770) 664 GOLF or 770 4653; website: www.lmtt.com), to enable visitors to check availability and book a day’s golf, with prices starting from US$70. A booklet called Last Minute Tee Times Golf Course Guide is available at travel centres and courses. The better courses are generally north of the city. There are also 12 driving ranges, also mostly north of Atlanta. Two public courses at Stone Mountain Stonemont and Lakemont serpentine through a forest of Georgia pines and around Stone Mountain Lake (tel: (770) 465 3278). They offer breathtaking views of natural rock formations. The rest of the family can enjoy other amusements while one member plays golf. Stonemont is the more demanding, but both have teaching pros, a golf shop and run golf schools in season. Motorsport: Atlanta has a 2.5km (1.5-mile) speedway track, just 48km (30 miles) south of the city at Hampton, on Highway 19-41, which is the venue for two NASCAR races, the Coca-Cola 500 and the NAPA 500 (the season finale). Road Atlanta in Braselton, northeast of the city, was rebuilt and modernised in 1999. It is home to an American Le Mans Series race, the Petit Le Mans, held in October. Tennis: The Atlanta Athletic Club hosts a Tennis Challenge tournament in April (website: www.atlanta-tennis.com). The Racquet Club of the South (tel: (770) 449 6060), 6200 Peachtree Corner Circle, off Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, is an upmarket recreation centre, which has outdoor and indoor tennis courts. More informal is the Bitsy Grant Tennis Center, 2125 Northside Drive, Buckhead (tel: (404) 609 7193), or the Piedmont Park Tennis Center in Piedmont Park (tel: (404) 853 3461), which charges on average US$1.50 per person, per hour. Whitewater rafting: The Chattahoochee River is blessed with stunning scenery and is rated as one of the USA’s ten best whitewater-rafting venues. Two sections are raftable (June-August); Section 3 is suitable for children from ten years upwards and experienced rafters do not need a guide. Section 4 is technically difficult, with whirlpools and drops over waterfalls; guides are required for this stretch. Southeastern Expeditions (tel: (404) 329 0433; website: www.southeasternexpeditions.com) runs one- and two-day trips. |
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