For the golfer who’s also a major league baseball fan, the dream vacation is one that combines the two. There’s no better time to do that than right now, mixing your pre-season tune-up with spring training.
You have two options—the Grapefruit League in Florida and the Cactus League in Arizona, with 15 major-league teams based in each sunny locale. If you’re a rabid follower of a particular team, it’s a no-brainer: You go where they play. It’s also an easy choice for anyone with a decided preference for (or seething aversion to) dueling with the desert or battling bermudagrass.
If you don’t fall into one of those camps, know that spring training east and west are about as different as, well, grapefruit and cactus. In Florida, the home fields of the 15 teams are spread all over the center and south of the state, whereas in Arizona all the teams are within roughly a 60-mile radius of Phoenix. Also, while almost every Grapefruit League team has its own stadium (the Marlins and Cardinals share and the Astros and Nationals will share one in 2017), only five Cactus teams have dedicated home fields, with the other 10 pairing up to share five arenas. Bottom line, the logistics are generally easier in Arizona, but you’ll never feel an ocean breeze.
Whichever way you choose to go, here are some delectable doubleheaders.
Grapefruit League
Houston Astros/ Washington Nationals |
The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach |
PGA National GC, Palm Beach Gardens |
Toronto Blue Jays | Florida Auto Exchange Stadium, Dunedin |
Dunedin GC, Dunedin |
Atlanta Braves | Champion Stadium, Kissimmee |
Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando |
St. Louis Cardinals/ Miami Marlins |
Roger Dean Stadium, Jupiter |
Abacoa GC, Jupiter |
New York Mets | Tradition Field, Port St. Lucie |
PGA Village GC, Port St. Lucie |
Baltimore Orioles | Ed Smith Stadium, Sarasota |
Legacy Golf at Lakewood, Bradenton |
Philadelphia Phillies | Bright House Field, Clearwater |
Innisbrook Golf Resort, Palm Harbor |
Pittsburgh Pirates | McKechnie Field, Bradenton |
River Strand, Bradenton |
Tampa Bay Rays | Charlotte Sports Park, Port Charlotte |
Bobcat Trail GC, North Port |
Boston Red Sox | Jet Blue Park, Fort Myers |
Old Corkscrew, Estero |
Detroit Tigers | Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland |
Streamsong Resort, Streamsong |
Minnesota Twins | Hammond Stadium, Fort Myers |
Raptor Bay GC, Naples |
New York Yankees | George M. Steinbrenner Field, Tampa |
TPC Tampa Bay, Lutz |
Cactus League
Los Angeles Angels | Tempe Diablo Stadium, Tempe |
Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort, Chandler |
Oakland Athletics | Hohokam Stadium, Mesa |
Papago GC, Phoenix |
Milwaukee Brewers | Maryvale Baseball Park, Phoenix |
Grand Canyon Univ. GC, Phoenix |
Chicago Cubs | Sloan Park, Mesa |
TPC Scottsdale, Scottsdale |
Arizona Diamondbacks/ Colorado Rockies |
Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, Scottsdale |
Talking Stick Resort, Scottsdale |
San Francisco Giants | Scottsdale Stadium, Scottsdale |
We-Ko-Pa GC, Fort McDowell |
Seattle Mariners/ San Diego Padres |
Peoria Sports Complex, Peoria |
Trilogy GC at Vistancia, Peoria |
Cincinnati Reds/ Cleveland Indians |
Goodyear Park, Goodyear |
GC at Estrella, Goodyear |
Kansas City Royals/ Texas Rangers |
Surprise Stadium, Surprise |
Quintero GC, Peoria |
Chicago White Sox/ LA Dodgers |
Camelback Ranch, Glendale |
Raven GC, Phoenix |