Sport
Baseball and basketball are the most popular sports in Memphis, which lacks a major league football team. The Memphis Redbirds (tel: (901) 721 6000; website: www.memphisredbirds.com) are the new local baseball team, a Triple A affiliate of the St Louis Cardinals. They play at the AutoZone Park, 200 Union Avenue, in the Downtown area.
The enormous Pyramid Arena, One Auction Avenue (tel: (901) 521 9675; fax (901) 528 0153; e-mail: pyramidinfo@pyramidarena.com; website: www.pyramidarena.com), is the home of the Memphis Grizzlies (tel: (901) 888 4667; website: www.grizzlies.com), the city’s NBA basketball team, as well as the University of Memphis Tigers (tel: (901) 678 2331; website: www.gotigersgo.com), the local basketball team. This is a respected team, which has previously reached the finals of the NCAA Championships and matches attract large crowds.
The Memphis RiverKings (tel: (662) 342 1755; website: www.riverkings.com), a professional hockey team, skate at De Soto Civic Center, 316 West Commerce Street, Hernando, from October to April.
Tickets for major sporting events can be purchased from Ticketmaster (tel: (800) 521 7328 or (901) 525 1515; website: www.ticketmaster.com).
Fitness centres and spas: Fitness centres around the city include Fogelman Downtown YMCA, 245 Madison Avenue (tel: (901) 527 9622; fax: (901) 527 9638; website: www.ymcamemphis.org), and Mona Spa of Well Being, 5101 Sanderlin Centr (tel: (901) 683 0048; website: www.spamona.com).
Golf: Memphis is well served with golf courses, many of them open to the public. They include Stonebridge Golf Club, 3049 Davies Plantation Road South (tel: (901) 382 1886; website: www.stonebridgegolf.com), the par-70 Audubon Park Municipal Golf Course, 4160 Park Avenue (tel: (901) 683 6941), Davy Crockett Park, 4380 Range Line Road (tel: (901) 358 3375), and Wedgewood Golf Club, 5206 Tournament Drive (tel: (901) 521 8275), a semi-private, par-72 course. Green fees for most public courses cost US$32-56 for 18 holes. There is also Cherokee Valley Golf Club, 6635 Crumpler Boulevard (tel: (901) 525 4653; website: www.olivebranchgolf.com), where 18 holes of golf cost from US$29.50 (after 1300) to US$46.50 with a golf buggy.
Sailing: The Memphis Yacht Club, Mud Island (tel: (901) 525 3808), provides information on sailing in Memphis. Jet skis and boats are available for hire from Sam’s Jet Ski and Boat Rental, 1875 McKellar Lake Drive (tel: (901) 486 2470; e-mail: gqthesigma@aol.com).
Swimming: Memphis Park Commission (tel: (901) 454 5200; website: www.ci.memphis.tn.us/divisions/park.cfm) operates 16 swimming pools in the Memphis area.
Tennis: The Memphis Park Commission (see Swimming above) operates 70 tennis courts around the city. Fees for outdoor courts are approximately US$3.00 per person for 90 minutes. Courts include Leftwich, 4145 Southern Avenue (tel: (901) 685 7907), and Wolbrecht, 1645 Ridgeway Road (tel: (901) 767 2889).
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Sport