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Sport As the home of the legendary George Herman ‘Babe’ Ruth (1895-1948), it is not surprising to find that Baltimore takes it baseball seriously. The Orioles (website: www.theorioles.com) are the home team, with a new stadium complex at Oriole Park, Camden Yards, 333 West Camden Street (tel: (410) 685 9800). The season is from April to October. The home American Football team is The Ravens (Tel: (410) 547 8100; website: www.baltimoreravens.com), who play at brand-new PSINet Stadium, 200 St Paul Place, Camden Yards. The professional soccer team is the Baltimore Blast, 1801 South Clinton Street (tel: (410) 732 2285; website: www.baltimoreblast.com), in the American Conference league, while the Baltimore Bay Runners (tel: (410) 332 4667) are in the International Basketball League (IBL). The Baltimore Bayhawks, 100 West Padonia Road (tel: (410) 560 3511, website: www.baltimorebayhawks.com) is the city’s new professional lacrosse team. For those inclined to flutter on the horses, there is racing at the Pimlico Racecourse, Hayward and Winner Avenues (tel: (410) 542 9400; website: www.marylandracing.com) in the northeast of the town. Tickets to sporting events are available for purchase direct from the venues or online from Ticketmaster (tel: (410) 752 1200; website: www.ticketmaster.com). Bowling: There are several AMF Bowling Centers in the metropolitan area, including 6608 Ritchie Highway (tel: (410) 761 3800) and 4991 Fairview Avenue (tel: (410) 347 2400). Fitness centres: The major hotels in Baltimore have health clubs, gyms and swimming pools, while those that do not, often have associate membership with a nearby club for their guests. The Downtown Athletic Club, 210 East Centre Street (tel: (410) 332 0906) has racquetball, basketball, weight and fitness machines, aerobics, swimming pool and sauna. Entrance is US$20 for visitors with a hotel key. Harbor Nautilus, in the Hyatt Regency, 300 Light Street (tel: (410) 685 5115), has tennis courts, weight and fitness machines, a swimming pool, a seven-hole golf putting range and half-court basketball. Entrance is US$10 for non-members. Aerobics, weight training and fitness equipment in an all-female environment costs US$10 at Lynne Brick’s Women’s Heath & Fitness, 5911 York Road (tel: (410) 433 8200). Golf: A 25-minute drive southeast into the countryside is The Woodlands Golf Course, Ridge Road (tel: (410) 887 1349), which has been sculpted from heavily wooded parkland. Greystone, 2115 White Hall Road (tel: (410) 887 1945), is another good course, while others include Longview, 1 Cardigan Road, Timonium, and Diamond Ridge, 2309 Ridge Road. Only 20 minutes from the Inner Harbor, is the Waverly Woods Golf Club, 2100 Warwick Way, Marriottsville (tel: (410) 313 9182; fax: (410) 313 9168; website: www.waverlywoods.com). All these courses can be contacted through Baltimore County Revenue Authority (tel: (410) 887 4653; website: www.baltimoregolfing.com). Off-peak rates range from US$29 to US$45 and membership is not required, as these clubs are not private. Hiking: A general central contact point is the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (tel: (877) 620 8367; website: www.dnr.state.md.us/index.asp). Within an hour radius of Baltimore, there are many hiking trails in the various hills and parks. A particular variation on the hiking theme, in August-September, is Maize Quest (tel: (717) 382 4846; website: www.cornmaize.com/pa), a ‘Cornfield Maize Adventure’ through nearly two miles of cornfields in nearby Pennsylvania. Ice skating: There is an outdoor rink at the Inner Harbor during winter. Tennis: Public outdoor courts are dotted throughout the city’s various neighbourhoods and parks, such as Druid Hill Park, Madison Avenue, Druid Park Lake Drive (tel: (410) 396 7900). Facilities usually are free. Outdoor school courts throughout the USA are, by law, open to the public outside school hours. The Cross Keys Tennis Centre, 4 Harnill Road (tel: (410) 433 1800) provides indoor tennis courts at US$22-US$28 per hour. Some of the larger hotels also have facilities and equipment for hire. |
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