Sports & Staying Active

Staying Active and Cheering for the Home Team

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important for Columbus residents . With beautiful parks and outdoor activity amenities, it’s easy to stay active outside. But we’re also fierce sports fans. It’s easy to tell when an Ohio State University game is happening because the city is buzzing with excitement . No matter what type of sport or activity you enjoy, there’s something here for you .

Ohio State University Sports

ohiostatebuckeyes .com

OSU Football

Football Saturdays in Columbus are unlike anything you’ve seen before . Carloads of fans stream toward the Lane and High Street to park and spend hours tailgating or joining parties at the local bars and restaurants near the OSU stadium . It’s more than a game . It’s a social event . An average game sees more than 90,000 fans packing the stadium to madly cheer “the best damn band in the land!” Just looking around Columbus, you will see signs that say “Go Bucks!” on buildings, rooftops, and doors .

OSU Basketball

The Ohio State men’s and women’s basketball teams have made “The Shot” (Schottenstein Center), a hot spot during winter weekends and evenings . Preseason play starts in late November and The Big Ten season kicks off in January . For more than a decade the women’s basketball team has been a powerhouse, winning numerous Big Ten titles .

Other OSU Sports

Ohio State has the nation’s largest athletic department with almost 40 sports and more than 200 annual events . OSU also offers many spectator sports, some of which are free, including baseball, soccer, wrestling, volleyball, synchronized swimming, field hockey, ice hockey, rugby, golf, tennis, cross country, fencing, swimming, and diving .

More Sporting Events in Columbus

The Memorial Tournament

thememorialtournament.com

pgatour.com Every spring, Dublin receives national attention with the Jack Nicklaus Muirfield Memorial Golf Tournament . Broadcast far and wide, the tournament attracts star players and big names ass they challenge the demanding par 727, 104-yard course . The main attraction is hometown favorite, Jack Nicklaus, a two-time winner of the tournament . The event draws huge crowds and spectators get an excellent view of the action as the course is designed with high banks and hills, creating natural amphitheaters .

LPGA Tours

lpga.com Ohio hosts several LPGA golf tours including the New Albany Golf Classic, Memorial Tournament and the Wendy’s Golf Tournament at Tartan Fields .

Little Brown Jug

littlebrownjug.com Every September in the city of Delaware, just north of Columbus, horse racing fans gather at the Delaware County Fairgrounds to witness a jewel in the triple crown of harness racing . It is the nationally known Little Brown Jug, which is run on the Thursday after county fair week and features the best three-year-old pacers in the United States . Schools are closed in Delaware during “Jug Week” .

Columbus Clippers

columbus.clippers.milb.com The Columbus Clippers play in a beautiful stadium located in the magnificent Area District of downtown Columbus . The stadium won 3 consecutive Ballpark of the Year Awards after opening in 2009 . It seats over 10,000 and includes different areas around the ballpark so fans can have their preference .

Columbus Polo Club

playpoloclub.com The Columbus Polo Club, Ohio’s largest running polo club, plays Sundays from late May to early October .

The Ohio Expo Center

ohioexpocenter.com The Ohio Expo Center is home to more than 150 events each year, including the Ohio State Fair . Don’t miss out on all the exciting events they have on offer including antique shows, rodeos, sporting events, and more .

Columbus Blue Jackets

bluejackets.nhl.com The Columbus Blue Jackets are the city’s NHL team . Playing at the Nationwide Arena in downtown Columbus, which was home to the 2015 All-Stars game .

Columbus Marathon

columbusmarathon.com The Columbus Marathon is one of the top 20 U .S . marathons . Seventeen percent of its runners qualify for the Boston Marathon each year . The course starts in downtown Columbus and winds through various neighborhoods: The Short North, The Ohio State University campus, Upper Arlington, German Village, Victorian Village, and Bexley. It finishes near Nationwide Arena .

Columbus Crew SC

columbuscrewsc.com Professional soccer debuted in Columbus in 1996 with much success . The Columbus Crew SC is a popular soccer club and winner of the MLS Cup in 2008 . The Crew plays in a stadium downtown in the Arena District .

Auto and Motorcycle Racing

midohio.com One of the nation’s top permanent road racing tracks is Mid-Ohio Sports Course . A 2 .5 mile, 15 turn race track near Lexington Ohio . Events for cars and motorcycles take place between mid-June and mid-September on this course . The course also offers a race car driving school .

National Trail Raceway

nationaltrailraceway.com For fans of drag racing, the trail offers over 22-weekend events each year . In Hebron, Ohio about 30 miles east of Columbus, competition categories range from souped-up muscle cars to the fire-belching, ear-splitting “Top Fuel” dragsters that reach speeds of up to 300 miles per hour in 1/4 mile!

High School Championship

ohsaa.org Ohio is known nationally for its high school athletics . Local schools have won national awards in cheerleading, baseball, gymnastics, baseball, cross country track, golf, soccer, tennis, track and field, and much more.

Recreational Sports in Columbus

If you’re more interested in doing activities rather than watching them, Columbus has you covered with exceptional sporting amenities and active organizations for amateur athletes .

Columbus residents are typically very active, taking part in sports like tennis, golf, swimming, baseball, soccer, hockey, and more . Recreational sports like jogging and cycling, and even triathlon are also gaining popularity . Fitness clubs and health spas are also gaining popularity in the area, giving you numerous opportunities to stay active and healthy .

Fitness Clubs

There seems to be a new fitness club opening every week here in Columbus! Here’s a brief list of some of our favorite clubs to get started .

Athletic Club of Columbus

accolumbus .com

Beyond Limits Training

beyondlimitstraining .net

California Fitness

calfit10.com

Go Fitness Center

gofitnesscenter.com

Life Time Fitness

lifetime .life

Metro Fitness Center

metrofitnessohio.com

Planet Fitness

planetfitness.com

Victory Fitness Center

victoryfitnesscenter.net

Running

Central Ohio offers a variety of running events for competitive and recreational joggers, ranging from short “fun runs” to premier sporting events like the 26 .2 miles Columbus Marathon . The Run Guides calendar is a great resource to see what runs are coming up .

runguides.com/columbus/runs

Backpacking & Hiking

Many parks throughout the state have hiking trails, but for serious backpacking, there are a few parks with exceptional trails in southern Ohio . The best trails are at Burr State Park in Glouster, featuring a 29-mile trail . East Fork State Park in Bethel, with a 47-mile trail that is shared by horseback riders . Zaleski State Forest in Vinton County featuring a 21 mile with a 10-mile loop . Shawnee State Forest near Portsmouth has a tough 42-mile trail that includes two 20 mile loops . Hocking Hills in Logan has a 13-mile trail, and Wayne National Forest at Lake Vesuvius has several trails, the longest is 13 miles . For more information on the State Parks, call the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation office.

Of particular note: the Olentangy Trail offers a seamless route from Worthington to downtown Columbus . This trail winds through several neighborhoods along the Olentangy River, with trailheads at several major city parks, including Antrim Park and Whetstone Park . The path also travels through the heart of The Ohio State University campus .

columbus.gov/recreationandparks/trails/Olen tangy-Trail/

Skiing & Snowboarding

Central Ohio’s topography is generally flat. However, several hills near central Ohio offer a shady-side ski slope most of the winter . These rely heavily on snowmaking equipment and aren’t overly challenging, so they are a great place to learn to ski .

Alpine Valley

10620 Mayfield Rd. Chesterland Ohio, 44026 (440) 285-2211 alpinevalleyohio .com

Big Creek

12721 Concord Hambden Rd . Concord Township, Ohio 44024-8818 (440) 352-2121 bigcreekski .org

Boston Mills/ Brandywine

7100 Riverview Rd . Peninsula, Ohio 44264 (216) 467-2242 (800) 875-4241 bmbw .com

Mad River Mountain

1000 Snow Valley Rd . Zanesfield, Ohio 43360 (937) 599-1015 (800) 231-SNOW skimadriver .com

Ski Clear Fork

341 Resort Dr . Butler, Ohio 44822 (419) 883-2000 clearforkski .com

Snow Trails

3100 Possum Run Rd . Mansfield, Ohio 44903-7524 (800) OHIO-SKI snowtrails .com

Columbus Ski Club

This non-profit club has more than 2,000 members . The club frequently hits area slopes, schedules about a dozen U .S . and international trips, and multiple local trips a year . It is also the organizer of the annual Ski Swap, held just before the ski season starts, where skiers can buy and trade used equipment and obtain information from ski resorts .

columbusskiclub.org

Cross Country Skiing

Cross country skiers and sled riders will find accommodations in area metro parks . Cross country trails are available at Battelle Darby Creek, Blacklick Woods, Blendon Woods, Sharon Woods, and Highbanks park .

Softball and Baseball

Softball may be the most popular adult participation sport in central Ohio . Columbus’ Recreation and Parks Department offers hundreds of slow pitch leagues for more than 35,000 men and women on hundreds of diamonds throughout the city each summer . When you add suburban, church, and fast-pitch leagues, it seems everyone is batting or fielding.

An additional 300 softball leagues are offered through Sportsite, an indoor facility . The facility also has baseball clinics for children . Baseball fans of all ages can hone their skills at Big League Baseball School, a facility that has batting cages and pitching tunnels and offers private lessons and clinics year-round .

Basketball

Basketball players never should be at a loss to find a game somewhere in central Ohio. Many central Ohio cities’ parks, schools, churches, and recreation centers have organized basketball leagues for boys, girls, men, and women .

All Ohio Girls BasketBall

allohiogirlsbasketball .com

Bicycling

Bicycling is a popular way to tour some of central Ohio’s picturesque back roads . The most extensively traveled roads wind through Alum Creek State Park, near Hoover Reservoir, the Scioto River valley, and the Metro Parks . There are also bikeways to cruise such as the Olentangy-Lower Scioto path and trails through Sharon Wood and Blacklick Woods Metro Parks . Many abandoned railroad tracks have been changed to paved bikeways throughout central Ohio, including in Westerville, Johnstown, and Neward-Granville . There are also many organized biking clubs in central Ohio, generally organized through bicycle shops .

columbuscyclingclub.org

Platform Tennis

Scioto Country Club, Granville Platform Tennis, Columbus Country Club, Worthington Hills Country Club, and Rocky Fork Country Club all have platform tennis courts and teams that play in an inter-club league .

gcta.net

Boating, Sailing, and Rowing

For a landlocked area, central Ohio has a surprising number of exuberant sailors and fisherman who take to the waters of Hoover Reservoir, O’Shaughnessy Dam, and Alum Creek State Park’s 4000-acre reservoir, Griggs Reservoir on the Scioto River, and Buckeye Lake accommodate water skiers, Skidoos, and boogie board riders behind large powerful boats . Hoover and O’Shaughnessy reservoirs are popular with sailors, and both have yacht clubs that conduct races and regattas . The local universities use Hoover Reservoir and Scioto River for their rowing practice and races . Rowers can join the Greater Columbus Rowing Associates, which uses the Scioto River at Griggs Reservoir .

hooversailingclub.com surfohio.com columbusrowing.org

Scuba

Scuba diving instruction is readily available in central Ohio at several PADI-certified instructors . These instructions are for beginners, intermediate, advanced, and instructor levels . Most sell scuba equipment . The Department of Natural Resources does permit diving in about 20 state parks, several of them in central Ohio .

underwaterconnection.com aquaticadventuresohio.com divecosd.com

Senior Olympics

Senior Olympics are available through the Columbus Department of Recreation and Parks .

Disc Golf

Disc Golf offers a twist on conventional golf and involves throwing discs into large baskets . Like the traditional golf game, disc golf is played over natural terrain . Columbus has three disc-golf courses . One at Hoover Reservoir, Blendon Woods Metro Park, and Big Run Park .

columbusdiscgolf.com

Ice Skating

Ice skating is popular on ponds and lakes around Columbus when temperatures permit . Sharon Woods and Blacklick Metro Parks open their ponds to skater when ice thickness is at least 4 inches . Dublin, Worthington, Nationwide Arena, Ohio State University, and the Chiller Rink have indoor ice skating facilities for year-round use . Hockey has become a popular high school sport .

ohioseniorolympics.org thechiller.com

Football

Football is perhaps central Ohio’s most popular sport, and the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department conducts touch football leagues for men and women each fall at Berliner Park on Greenlawn Ave .

Darts

The area has more than 800 active darters . Six major leagues hold play during the four seasons at more than sixty bars, taverns, and bowling alleys . One of the better-known places is Crest Tavern . Others include Gahanna Lanes, Groucho’s, Short North Tavern, Ledo’s Lounge, Sawmill Lanes, Zorba’s, and Kelley’s Tavern .

Tennis

Columbus has a multitude of tennis courts open to the public, with many more at country clubs, area high schools, colleges, suburban parks (although proof of residency is sometimes required), and apartment complexes . Outdoor tennis courts are easy to come by in the city .

Some suburban communities hold tennis tournaments in the summer, and each year the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department hosts the Central Ohio Tennis Tournament . It features competition in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles for players from age 13 and up . Final rounds will be played at Wolfe Park in East Columbus .

For the serious tennis buff, Central Ohio offers many tennis clubs . Each charges a membership fee and most have hourly court fees:

Champions Tennis Club

3900 Westerville Rd . Columbus, Ohio 43224 (614) 645-7111 championstennisclub .com

Columbus Country Club

4831 E . Broad St . Columbus, Ohio 43213 (614) 861-0800 columbuscc .com

Elysium Tennis

7637 Commerce Place Plain City, Ohio 43064 (614) 873-8749 elysiumtennis .com

Olympic Indoor Tennis Club

3480 Indianola Ave Columbus, Ohio 43214 (614) 267-1213 olympicindoor .com

The Players Club

3333 Mill Meadow Dr . Hilliard, Ohio 43026 (614) 529-0030 tpctennis .com

The Racquet Club of Columbus

1100 Bethel Rd . Columbus, Ohio 43220 (614) 457-5671 racquetclub1 .com

Scarborough East Tennis & Fitness Club

5641 Alshire Rd . Columbus, Ohio 43232 (614) 868-5683 setennisclub .net

Wickertree Tennis Club

5760 Maple Canyon Ave . Columbus, Ohio 43229 (614) 882-5724 wickertree .com

Fishing

In the summer you will find fishermen trying for carp on the Scioto River, but there are sportier fish available too. Area lakes, rivers, and reservoirs may have bluegill, sunfish, catfish, walleye, crappie, and largemouth and smallmouth bass, plus rock bass. Two excellent spots to fish are Griggs and O’Shaughnessy dams on Riverside Drive . Alum Creek Lake, just east of Delaware along S .R . 36, is stocked with walleye that sometimes run from 15 to 20 inches .

Hoover Reservoir, a 3,300-acre city-owned lake, is just east of Westerville along Sunbury Rd . Buckeye Lake, on S .R . 79 east of Columbus and south of Newark, is the place to go for largemouth bass to catfish. Deer Creek State Park in Mt. Sterling is a popular place to catch bluegill, sunfish, carp, crappie, sauger, channel, and flathead catfish and bass . It is about 60 miles southwest of Columbus .

thecityofcolumbus.com/fishing gameandfishmag.com/ohio

Soccer

There are many recreational soccer leagues run by the city and suburban recreation centers . There are all men and all women leagues as well . The city conducts four fall co-rec soccer leagues featuring 30 teams . Indoor leagues are offered at Oak Creek Indoor Soccer and many sports facilities, including Sportsite .

mossl.org cesasoccer.org/home.php lockersoccer.com

Swimming

In addition to a large number of private clubs, indoor pools, and country club pools, there are many outdoor pools operated by the city of Columbus in the summertime . There is one city-run indoor pool, on Hunter Avenue, that is open year-round . Many of the suburbs of Columbus have their own parks and recreation pools . Swimming is prohibited in most of the central Ohio rivers, lakes, and streams, but there are some smaller man-made beaches at Alum Creek, Buck Creek, Buckeye Lake, Caesar Creek, Deer Creek, Delaware, Dillon, and Madison Lake State Park .

gcsto.com nwswimclub.org swimandracquet.com

Volleyball

Volleyball is among the most popular indoor sports in central Ohio, attracting hundreds of players to area gyms during the winter months . Suburban communities such as Westerville, Upper Arlington, Gahanna, and Hilliard rent out high school gyms for open play as well as volleyball leagues . Columbus has a winter volleyball program that consists of roughly 40 leagues and 4,000 players . The program uses the Anheuser Busch, Berliner, Dumaree, Willis, and Big Run athletic complexes . The city of Columbus also has dozens of more summer leagues .

thevolleypark.com buckeyevolleyballclub.com

Golf

The Columbus area is rich in golf tradition with four recognized world-class golf courses and a host of other fine clubs and public courses. The acknowledged “Big Four” listed whenever anyone talks about the best courses in the country, are Muirfield Village Golf Club, where Jack Nicklaus designed a gem and then created the Memorial Tournament . Scioto Country Club is the “Old Lady” which has hosted the USGA and other national tournaments throughout the years . Last but not least, The Ohio State University’s Scarlet Course, which is perhaps the best collegiate course in the United States .

ohiogolf.org

Public Golf Courses

Franklin County

Airport Golf Course

900 North Hamilton Rd . Columbus, Ohio 43219 (614) 645-3127 columbuscitygolfcourses .com/course_airport

Blacklick Woods Golf Course

7309 E . Livingston Ave . Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068 (614) 861-3193 blacklickwoodsgc .com

Champions Golf Course

3900 Westerville Rd . Columbus, Ohio 43224 (614) 645-6513 crpdgolf .com

Gahanna Municipal Golf Course

220 Olde Ridenour Rd . Gahanna, Ohio 43230 (614) 342-4270 gahanna .gov/golf/

Golf Club of Dublin

5805 Eiterman Rd . Dublin, Ohio 43016 (614) 792-3825 golfclubofdublin .com

Homestead Springs Golf Course

5888 London-Lancaster Rd . Groveport, Ohio 43125 (614) 836-5872 columbusgolf .com/courses/homestead-springs

Mentel Memorial Golf Course

6005 Alkire Rd, Galloway, Ohio 43119 (614) 645-3050 crpdgolf .com/mentel_memorial

New Albany Links

7100 New Albany Links Dr . New Albany, Ohio 43054 (614) 855-8532 newalbanylinks .com

Raymond Memorial Golf Course

3860 Trabue Rd . Columbus, Ohio 43228 (614) 645-3276 crpdgolf .com/raymond_memorial

Thorn Apple Country Club

1051 Alton Darby Creek Rd . Galloway, Ohio 43119 (614) 878-7703 thornapplegolf .com

Turnberry Golf Course

1145 Clubhouse Rd . Pickerington, Ohio 43147 (614) 645-2582 crpdgolf .com

Westchester Golf Course

6300 Bent Grass Blvd . Canal Winchester, Ohio 43110 (614) 834-4653 westchestergolfcourse .com

Willow Run Golf Course

PO Box 234 Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068 (740) 927-1932 golfwillowrun .com

Wilson Road Golf Course

1900 Wilson Rd . Columbus, Ohio 43228 (614) 645-3221 crpdgolf .com/wilson_road

Delaware County

Arrowhead Lakes Golf Course

580 N . Walnut St . Galena, Ohio 43021 (740) 965-5422 arrowheadlakesgolf .com/index .php

Bent Tree Golf Course

350 Bent Tree Rd . Sunbury, Ohio 43074 (740) 965-5140 benttreegc .com

Big Walnut Golf Course

6683 State Route 61 Sunbury, Ohio 43074 (740) 548-8642 bigwalnutgolf .com

Delaware Golf Club

3329 Columbus Pike Delaware, Ohio 43015 (740) 362-2582 delawaregolfclub .com

Glenross Golf Course

231 Clubhouse Dr . Delaware, Ohio 43015 (740) 657-3752 glenrossgc .com

Hidden Valley Golf Course

580 W . William St . Delaware, Ohio 43015 (740) 203-1470 delawareohio .net/parks-natural-resources/hid den-valley-golf-course/

Mill Creek Golf Club

7259 Penn Rd . Ostrander, Ohio 43061 (740) 666-7711 millcreekgolfclub .com

Oakhaven Golf Club

2871 U .S . Highway 23 N . Delaware, Ohio 43015 (740) 548-5636 oakhaven .com

Royal American Links

3300 Miller-Paul Rd . Galena, Ohio 43021 (740) 965-1215 royalamericanlinks .com

Safari Golf Club

4850 Powell Rd . Powell, Ohio 43065 (614) 645-3444 safarigc .com

Private Golf Courses

Franklin County

Brookside Golf & Country Club

2770 W . Dublin Granville Rd . Columbus, Ohio 43235 (614) 889-2581 brooksidegcc .com

Columbus Country Club

4831 E . Broad St . Columbus, Ohio 43213 (614) 861-0800 columbuscc .com

The Country Club at Muirfield Village

8715 Muirfield Dr. Dublin, Ohio 43017 (614) 794-1714 www .tccmv .com

The Golf Club

4522 Kitzmiller Rd . New Albany, Ohio 43054 (614) 855-1564 worldgolf .com/courses/usa/ohio/newalbany/ golf-club-the-private .html

Heritage Golf Club

3525 Heritage Club Dr . Hilliard, Ohio 43026 (614) 777-1690 heritagegc .com

Hickory Hills Golf Club

3344 Georgesville-Wrightsville Rd . Grove City, Ohio 43123 (614) 878-0576 hickoryhills .com

Jefferson Golf and Country Club

7271 Jefferson Meadows Dr . Blacklick, Ohio 43004 (614) 759-7500 jeffersoncountryclub .com

Little Turtle Golf Club

5400 Little Turtle Way Westerville, Ohio 43081 (614) 882-5920 littleturtlegc .com

Muirfield Village Golf Club

5750 Memorial Dr . Dublin, Ohio 43017 (614) 889-9700

mvgc .org

New Albany Country Club

1 Club Ln . New Albany, Ohio 43054 (614) 939-8500

nacc .com

Oakhurst Country Club

3223 Norton Rd . Grove City, Ohio 43123 (614) 878-6443 oakhurstgc .com

Ohio State University Golf Club

3605 Tremont Rd . Columbus, Ohio 43221 (614) 514-4653 ohiostategolfclub .clubhouseonline-e3 .com

Scioto Country Club

2196 Riverside Dr . Columbus, Ohio 43221 (614) 486-4341 sciotocc .com

Worthington Hills Country Club

920 Clubview Dr . Columbus, Ohio 43235 (614) 885-3516 worthingtonhills .com

York Golf Club

7479 N . High St . Columbus, Ohio 43235 (614) 885-5968 yorkgolfclubonline .com

Delaware County

Double Eagle Club

6025 Cheshire Rd . Galena, Ohio 43021 (740) 548-7799 doubleeagleclub .net

Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club

3737 Village Club Dr . Powell, Ohio 43065 (740) 881-6500 golfkinsale .com

The Lakes Golf and Country Club

6740 Worthington Rd . Westerville, Ohio 43082 (614) 882-2582 lakesclub .com

Northstar Golf Club

1150 Wilson Rd . Sunbury, Ohio 43074 (740) 854-4653 thenorthstargolfclub .com

The Medallion Club

5000 Club Dr . Westerville, Ohio 43082 (614) 794-6999 medallionclub .com

Rattlesnake Ridge Golf Club

1 Rattlesnake Dr . Sunbury, Ohio 43074-8018 (614)410-1313 rrgolfclub .com

Scioto Reserve Golf Club

7383 Scioto Pkwy . Powell, Ohio 43065 (740) 881-9082 sciotoreserve .com

Tartan Fields Golf Club

8070 Tartan Fields Dr . Dublin, Ohio 43017 (614) 792-0900 tartanfields.com

Wedgewood Golf & Country Club

9600 Wedgewood Blvd . Powell, Ohio 43065 (614) 793-9600 wedgewoodgolfcc .com