Sport
Baseball’s San Francisco Giants (website: www.sfgiants.com) play in Pacific Bell Park (tel: (415) 972 2000), a ‘state-of-the-art old-fashioned ball park’, which opened in 2000. Located at King Street and Third Street, on the waterfront, it is not unknown for a powerful hitter to knock a ball into the Bay. The 40,800-seater stadium is accessible by all forms of public transport. Tickets are often limited but are available at the ballpark, on the day of the game, two hours before the start (tel: (800) 467 8000 or 734 4268; website: www.sfgiants.com). The season ends in early October, not long after the city’s second major team, the San Francisco 49ers (website: www.sf49ers.com), don helmets and get ready for the start of the American football season, which runs until January. The team enjoys considerable success, hovering at the top end of the NFL West team standings. Tickets, priced at US$45, are often sold out. Home games take place at 3Com Park, Candlestick Point, Jamestown Avenue and Harney Way (tel: (415) 656 4900). Visitors might have a better chance scoring tickets to see the Oakland Raiders (website: www.raiders.com) play football at the Network Associates Coliseum (tel: (510) 569 2121), Coliseum Way, off I-880, north of Hegenberger Road, in Oakland. Tickets are available through Tickets.com (tel: (510) 762 2277).
Fitness Centres: San Francisco is an active city and its number and variety of specialty gyms, including a chain of 24-hour fitness centres, testify to that. Gyms in the Castro are popular with the neighbourhood’s buff, gay locals. Many gyms sell day passes for about US$20, which include fitness classes and yoga. Drop-in yoga studios located throughout the area typically cost US$15 per one-and-a-half-hour class. Budget-minded visitors might prefer to opt for a hotel with a gym.
Golf: This ever-popular sport is well served, with a number of courses open for public use. The 18-hole Presidio Golf Course, Finley Road (tel: (415) 561 4653; website: www.presidiogolf.com), is managed by Arnold Palmer’s company and is known as one of the best courses in the region. Another popular public links is Harding Park Golf Course, Harding Park Road and Skyline Boulevard (tel: (415) 664 4690; website: www.harding-park.com), which has both nine and 18-hole courses. Fees start at around US$88 for the day plus cart rental; booking well in advance is essential.
Tennis: There are around 130 free public tennis courts within the city, which operate on a first-come first-served basis. Mission Dolores Park, 18th Street and Dolores Street, has six such lighted courts. For around US$10, visitors can reserve one of the 21 Golden Gate Park courts (tel: (415) 743 7001 and 753 7101), which fill up on weekends. More information is available from the San Francisco Parks and Recreation Department (tel: (415) 753 7032; website: www.parks.sfgov.org).
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Sport