SportsEvents is edited for those who plan tournaments or other sports events.
Issue link: https://sportsevents.epubxp.com/i/362723
www.sportseventsmagazine.com August 2014 37 rom snow-capped mountains to low- lying deserts, Arizona offers an abun- dance of opportunities to enjoy any out- door sport. Thanks to this varied terrain and its numerous state-of-the-art venues—including University of Phoenix Stadium, TPC Scottsdale and Chase Field—the Grand Canyon State has become known as a sports playground. "Looking for a sports lover's dream?" asked Tony Alba, media relations manager for the Arizona Office of Tourism. "You'd be hard- pressed to find a better location than Arizona, regular season home to four Major League teams, spring training baseball, professional golf tournaments, two college football bowl games, four major NCAA universities, the 2015 Super Bowl and the 2016 College Football Playoff Championship Game." ■ DESERT BOTANICAL GARDEN The Sonoran Desert's beauty is on display at the Desert Botanical Garden. Nestled in Papago Park, the 145- acre garden con- tains 50,000 plants, includ- ing more than 2,000 native plant species, creating one of the world's finest collections of desert flora. Its offerings include 169 rare and endangered species, as well as perennial favorites like herbarium, cacti and succulents galleries. www.dbg.org www.sportseventsmagazine.com What's Going On… Goodyear A suburb of Phoenix, Goodyear sits in southern Arizona. The Estrella Mountains to the south of the city offer a beautiful backdrop for outdoor sports like biking, golf and baseball. Hotel rooms: 912 Major facilities: Goodyear Ballpark, the spring training facility for the Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds, has a seating capacity of 10,311. Contact: City of Goodyear, www.goodyearaz.com. Mesa Mesa is located about 20 miles east of Phoenix. Some of the biggest sports in the city include swim- ming and baseball, but with facilities like the Red Mountain Softball Complex and the Red Mountain Soccer Complex, Mesa is a sought- after host for essentially any sport. Hotel rooms: 5,455 Major facilities: Cubs Park, the spring train- ing facility for the Chicago Cubs, offers 9,200 fixed seats in the stadium and six practice fields. Fitch Park features four baseball fields. Gene Autry Sports Complex has three fields. Quail Run Sports Complex houses four baseball/ ➤ BEAUTY ON DISPLAY ARIZONA F Scottsdale CVB S I T E S E L E C T I O N G U I D E | A R I Z O N A BY PAIGE TOWNLEY ▼ Mesa is located 20 miles east of Pheonix and offers space for a variety of competitions. Visit Mesa Mesa is the third largest city in Arizona. DID YOU KNOW?