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Sport Miami is an excellent city for spectator sports. Several major American teams hail from Miami, including basketball heroes, Miami Heat (website: www.nba.com/heat), who play at home between November and April, at the American Airlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Boulevard (tel: (305) 577 4328 or (305) 960 8500; website: www.aaarena.com). Miami’s top football team, the Miami Dolphins (website: www.dolphinsendzone.com), plays at the Pro Player Stadium, 2267 Northwest 199th Street (tel: (305) 623 6100), from August to December, as do the Florida Marlins (website: www.flamarlins.com), winners of the 1997 Baseball World Series. Their season runs from April to September. For years, South Florida has been a popular horseracing centre. Celebrated racetracks include Calder Racecourse, 21001 Northwest 27th Avenue (tel: (305) 625 1311; website: www.calderracecourse.com) with thoroughbred racing from May to January, and Hialeah Park and Racecourse, 2200 East Fourth Avenue, Hialeah (tel: (305) 885 8000; website: www.hialeahpark.com), with racing from March to May. Tickets to sporting events are available for purchase direct from the venues or from Ticketmaster (website: www.ticketmaster.com). Diving: The Biscayne National Underwater Park, 9700 Southwest 328th Street, Homestead (tel: (305) 230 7275; website: www.nps.gov/bisc), with over 72,400 hectares (181,000 acres) of marine habitat, is popular for diving, snorkelling and glass-bottom boat rides. PADI-registered South Beach Divers, 850 Washington Avenue (tel: (305) 531 6110; e-mail: info@southbeachdivers.com; website: www.southbeachdivers.com), offers lessons, equipment and daily diving trips. Fishing: Deep-sea fishing day trips are operated by a variety of companies, including Therapy-IV, 10800 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach (tel: 305) 945 1578; website: www.therapy4.com), and Reward Fishing Fleet, Miami Beach Marina (tel: (305) 372 9470; website: www.fishingmiami.com). Fitness centres: Most fitness centres and gyms require private membership. However, the Spa at Doral, 8755 Northwest 36th Street (tel: (305) 593 6030), offering the latest in health and fitness programmes with a choice of half-day to seven-night programmes, is open to the public by appointment only (daily 0700-2000). Golf: Florida is a golfers’ paradise, with favourable weather year round and more courses than any other American state. The Biltmore Golf Club, 1210 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables (tel: (305) 460 5364), is among Miami’s most beautiful courses. Green fees are US$76 before 1400, US$48 after 1400, including the cart. Crandon Golf Course, 6700 Crandon Boulevard, Key Biscayne (tel: (305) 361 9129), is one of America’s top-ranked municipal courses and home to the Royal Caribbean Classic golf tournament. Green fees are US$131, including the cart, or US$36.21 after 1500. Doral Golf Resort and Spa, 4400 Northwest 87th Avenue (tel: (305) 592 2000; website: www.doralresort.com), boasts five 18-hole courses, each varying in difficulty, from the Great White course to the notorious Monster Blue. Green fees (depending on course and season) are US$125-275. All golf clubs mentioned are open to the public and do not require membership. In-line skating: Visitors can join the South Beach crowd and rent a pair of in-line skates from Skate 2000, 1200 Ocean Drive (free lessons on Sundays). Sailing: Moorings, 2550 South Bayshore Drive, Coconut Grove (tel: (305) 858 8650; website: www.moorings.com), charters yachts from Miami Bay. Tennis: There are public courts at the North Shore Tennis Center, 350 73rd Street, Miami Beach (tel: (305) 993 2022), the Biltmore Tennis Centre, 1150 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables (tel: (305) 460 5360), and Key Biscayne Tennis, 6702 Crandon Boulevard, Key Biscayne (tel: (305) 361 5263). |
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