11 minute read
Sports & Recreation
SPORTS
& Recreation
Top Photo: Delray Chamber Sports Members © Dangerwing Photography Bottom Photo: Putt’n Around Delray Beach WITH ITS MANY PICTURESQUE LINKS, its world-class tennis facility, its downtown gyms and its enviable access to 2 miles of unspoiled beachfront, Delray Beach is heaven for recreationists of all stripes. Cyclists can spin their wheels at indoor fitness facilities or in the city’s bike-friendly outdoor lanes, and runners enjoy our frequent 5K walk/runs or everyday trails with great views—one website, mapmyrun.com, says there are 3,700 running trails in Delray Beach! Not only can you practice your sport of choice, but there are also numerous training facilities where you will learn from well-established professionals. If you prefer to just sit back and watch a sporting game, we are home to several high-profile tennis and golf tournaments. Each February, top-ranked tennis players and retired legends descend on the Delray Beach Tennis Center for the Delray Open, an ATP Tour event that is also one of the city’s most popular social occasions. In the fall, celebrities visit the city to participate in the Chris Evert Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic, sharing laughs and backhands for charity. You will be impressed with our many parks and recreational facilities, beautifully maintained by the local parks and recreation department. Whether you’re seeking the perfect place to have a picnic or throw a Frisbee, or are interested in joining an athletic league, there is a recreational opportunity waiting for you.
Municipal Beaches
Visitors rush to enjoy the opportunity to sunbathe and swim at Delray Beach’s beautiful beaches when they’re in the area, while our residents know how to enjoy the white sand and clear blue waters year-round. There are two miles of public beachfront, and together the Atlantic Dunes Park and Delray Municipal Beach attract approximately 1.8 million visitors a year. Oceanside Beach Service, the longest-running beach chair company in South Florida, is your source for chairs, umbrellas and cabanas, with hourly, daily, 10-day and 20-day rental options, along with annual memberships; call (561) 840-3373 or visit www.beachservice.com.
PARKS AND RECREATION FACILITIES
Veterans Park
Delray Beach, named “Best of the Road Most Fun Small Town in America” by Rand McNally and USA Today (2012), provides enjoyable recreational opportunities in innovative park environments. The City is proud to offer more than 40 parks and numerous sports complexes to residents and visitors including the Seacrest Soccer Complex and Hilltopper Stadium (2505 N. Seacrest Blvd.), and the Robert P. Miller Park (1905 S.W. Fourth Ave.), home to the Miracle League ball field for special-needs children to play in a structured baseball league. Other recreational facilities in Delray Beach include the 505 Teen Center and Hobbit Skate Park (505 S.E. Fourth Ave.), Catherine Strong Splash Park (1500 S.W. Sixth St.) and the Elizabeth “Libby” Jackson Wesley Plaza, at Southwest Fifth Avenue and Atlantic avenues. Nestled along the Intracoastal is Veterans Park (802 N.E. First St.), a recreational facility offering programs for all ages, from preschoolers to senior citizens. Parks and Recreation administrative offices are located in the Community Center, which also provides courts for basketball and pickleball. Pompey Park (1101 N.W. Second St.) is a great place to visit, equipped with a gymnasium, auditorium, outdoor racquetball courts, meeting rooms, full kitchen, tennis courts and ball fields. “Learn to Swim” programs and fitness classes for all ages and ability levels are available at the city’s municipal pools. The Parks Maintenance Division maintains all open green space areas, sports fields and nature areas as well as the municipal cemetery. The Parks and Recreation Department is host to a wide variety of special events including the Holiday Parade, the Amazing Mom and Son Challenge, Dad and Daughter Date Night, Annual Egg Hunt, Senior Games and much more. Recreational facilities and parks can be permitted for rentals or special events by calling the individual site facility or general information number at (561) 243-7250.
City of Delray Beach Parks and Recreation
Palm Beach County Recreation Contacts
Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation Department
2700 Sixth Ave. S., Lake Worth Beach (561) 966-6600 | www.pbcparks.com
Palm Beach County Sports Commission
2195 Southern Blvd., Suite 550, West Palm Beach (561) 233-3180 | www.palmbeachsports.com Designated a Blue Wave Beach from the Clean Beaches Council for the clean and well-managed beach, the City of Delray Beach is classified as an “Advanced Lifesaving Agency” by the United States Lifesaving Association, which indicates the capability to provide a higher level of care. In addition to emergency response services, Ocean Rescue promotes safety through a Junior Lifeguard Program. CPR classes are open to the general public, and an educational Ocean Awareness Program is provided to 4,000 local students annually. Ocean Rescue urges every beach visitor to remember: “Always swim in front of a lifeguard.” Overseeing public safety at the Municipal Beach and Atlantic Dunes Park, the Ocean Rescue team has received numerous awards for its professional achievement from the USLA, Florida Beach Patrol Chiefs Association and Emergency Medicine Foundation. For information on beach conditions, call (561) 27-BEACH or visit the City of Delray Beach’s Beach Conditions page at mydelraybeach.com.
Beach Flag Meanings
GREEN = Low Hazard Conditions are calm, and normal caution should be exercised. YELLOW = Moderately Hazardous Indicates moderate currents and/or surf
are present. RED = Very Hazardous Rough surf and/or strong currents exist. Swimmers strongly discouraged from entering water. TWO RED FLAGS = Water and/or Beach are Closed to the Public Severe currents and/or surf. Also may indicate water pollution, lightning or the presence of predatory fish. Purple = Marine Pests Man-o-war, sea lice and jellyfish. This flag may be flown with any of the above flags.
Youth Baseball
Delray Beach is served by two Little League programs. Learn more at mydelraybeach.com/parks-and-recreation. South Florida Collegiate Baseball League provides amateur players an opportunity to showcase themselves in hopes of reaching the professional ranks. Teams play a 40-game regular season schedule with games beginning in June and ending the last week in July. For more information visit www.southfloridacollegiateleague.com.
Golf
Boasting more than 160 golf courses with varying amenities, Palm Beach County is proud to say it is Florida’s Golf Capital®.
Ronnie Dunayer’s Kids Rule Golf Camp & Academy
Delray Beach Golf Club 2200 Highland Ave., Delray Beach (561) 243-7380 www.delraybeachgolfclub.com/events/clinics Private & Group Lessons, Professional Teaching Staff, Afternoon & Weekend Sessions
Delray Beach Golf Club & Restaurant
Gleneagles Country Club
7667 Victory Lane, Delray Beach (561) 498-3606 | www.gleneagles.cc Private, Two 18-hole courses, Par 71/72
King’s Point
7000 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach (561) 638-2719 www.kingspointdelray.com Public, Two 18-hole courses, Par 54/60
Lakeview Golf Club
Putt’n Around (mini golf)
The Seagate Country Club
3600 Hamlet Drive, Delray Beach (561) 498-7600 www.seagategolf.com Private, 18 holes, Par 72
Martial Arts
Central Park Taekwondo Academy Inc.
215 N.E. Fifth Ave., Delray Beach (561) 573-7876 | www.cpktd.com Central Park Taekwondo is a family martial arts center with a New York City flagship location. It offers classes for ages 3 and up. Group classes and private classes are available in addition to monthly seminars and evening instruction.
Scuba Diving / Snorkeling
Due to our warm year-round temperatures, the waters of the Atlantic Ocean
offer such underwater treasures as shipwrecks, reefs and colorful marine life, attracting visitors and residents every season. A favorite to those in the diving community is the S.S. Inchulva, also known as the Delray Wreck. Situated about 15 to 20 feet below the surface of the Atlantic, the ship sank during a storm in 1903, and the wreckage now attracts a variety of marine life even though only the boiler and the top sections of the 386-foot-long ship remain exposed above the sand. Amount of exposure varies with the shifting of the beach sand; it is best to contact Delray Beach lifeguards for an updated status. To find the shipwreck from land, take Linton Boulevard east to A1A and go north to Casuarina Road. The wreck is located a few hundred yards from the beach. Just south of the Boynton Beach/Delray Beach border are the Delray Ledges, which offer ample diving opportunities through vertical cracks and tunnels in the reef with stretches of 15- to 20-foot ledges. Three coastal freighters intentionally scuttled within one-half mile north of the “Ledges” include the Bud Bar (180 feet), Becks (175 feet) and the Castor (240 feet) lying in 80-110 feet of water. No matter what level of diving experi-
MasterWing Creative Agency
Wakodahatchee Wetlands
ence you have, there is a snorkeling or scuba diving opportunity for you in Delray Beach. You’ll find several local dive and snorkeling centers offering dive boats, kayak rentals, guided snorkeling tours and much more.
Soccer / Lacrosse
The Delray Beach Athletic Club serves more than 1,000 youth participants annually in its soccer and lacrosse programs. For more information and youth sports registrations, visit www.delrayac.com.
Tennis
Whether you enjoy sitting by the sidelines or swinging a racket yourself, Palm Beach County is home to an incredible 1,100-plus tennis courts, with many facilities located right here in Delray Beach.
Delray Beach Open
(Feb. 11-20, 2022) 30 N.W. First Ave., Delray Beach (561) 330-6000 www.yellowtennisball.com The Delray Beach Open, the world’s only 10-day ATP Champions Tour & ATP World Tour event, is televised nationally (Tennis Channel) and internationally in over 100 countries. It welcomes over 50,000 spectators and hosts 10-plus hospitality and amateur tennis events.
Delray Beach Tennis Center
201 W. Atlantic Ave. Delray Beach (561) 243-7360 | www.delraytennis.com The Delray Beach Tennis Center is a full-service public tennis facility with 14 clay courts, six hard courts, an 8,200-seat stadium and a hitting wall located in the heart of Delray Beach just to the west of the world-famous downtown area on Atlantic Avenue. The Delray Beach Tennis Center features an upstairs pavilion and conference room and a pro shop with locker rooms, racket stringing and merchandise. The club offers a wide variety of adult and junior programs, leagues, clinics and camps and is open to the public.
Delray Swim & Tennis Club
2350 Jaeger Drive, Delray Beach (561) 243-7058 | www.delraytennis.com The Delray Beach Tennis Center has a second location, the Delray Swim & Tennis Club, located on Jaeger Drive. The Delray Swim & Tennis Club features 24 clay courts and a clubhouse with a pro shop featuring merchandise and locker rooms. The club offers a variety of adult and junior programs, leagues, clinics and camps, and is open to the public year round.
Wetlands
10216 Lee Road, Boynton Beach (561) 734-8303 www.fws.gov/refuge/arm_loxahatchee Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge preserves a portion of the once vast northern Everglades. It provides habitat and protection for wildlife such as the endangered snail kite, the threatened wood stork and the iconic American alligator. The main entrance is 2.5 miles south of Boynton Beach Boulevard, west off U.S. 441/SR7. It is open every day from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., and the Visitor Center is open
& Recreation
Catherine Strong Water Park
every day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with the exception of Christmas Day and Thanksgiving Day. Costs: automobiles $10 per day; annual passes cost $25.
Wakodahatchee Wetlands
www.pbcgov.com/waterutilities/ wakodahatchee The Wakodahatchee Wetlands are located in Delray Beach on Jog Road between Woolbright Road and Atlantic Avenue. Constructed on 50 acres, the wetland ecosystem has attracted a vast array of wildlife including birds, turtles, frogs and alligators. A 3/4-mile elevated boardwalk meanders through three ponds. Open sunrise to sunset. Admission is free.
Green Cay Wetlands and Nature Center
Not far from Wakodahatchee, the Green Cay Wetlands encompass approximately 100 acres of freshwater wetlands, a nature center and 1.5 miles of elevated boardwalk trails. The nature center features interactive exhibits, a gift store, an audio-visual room and classes for all ages. For information, call (561) 966-7000 or visit www.pbcparks.com/nature.
