Kansas City Sports & Recreation
On any given year the Kansas City Royals draw a loyal baseball following from April through September to Kauffman Stadium. The team thrilled fans in 2015, besting the New York Mets in just five games and winning the World Series for the first time since 1985. Kauffman claims to have Major League Baseball's largest replay system; phone (800) 676-9257.
Football is a passion for the die-hard fans of the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs, who play to capacity crowds in Arrowhead Stadium; phone (816) 920-9300.
College basketball is popular during the winter months. Major league soccer's Sporting KC place their spell over fans at Children's Mercy Park April through October; phone (913) 387-3400 or (888) 452-4625 for schedule and ticket information.
Kansas City's 302 public parks provide opportunities for a variety of fun things to do outdoors, including boating, hiking and picnicking. Three parks in particular are known for their natural beauty and developed facilities: Jacob L. Loose Park, 51st Street and Wornall Road; Swope Park, Meyer Boulevard and Swope Parkway; and Fleming Park, at US 40 and Woods Chapel Road in Lee's Summit and Blue Springs, in eastern Jackson County.
Swope Park has two of the oldest golf courses in the city. The Minor Park Golf Course, 11215 Holmes Rd., offers a challenging 18 holes. River Oaks is at 14204 St. Andrews Dr. in Grandview, just south of the Kansas City limits.
Courses outside Kansas City, Mo., include Shamrock Hills, 3161 S. SR 291 in Lee's Summit.
Courses outside Kansas City, Kan., include the Sykes/Lady Overland Park Golf Club, 12501 Quivira Rd. in Overland Park; the St. Andrews Golf Club, 11099 W. 135th St. in Overland Park; and Tomahawk Hills, 17501 Midland Dr. in Shawnee.
More than 200 public tennis courts are within the Kansas City metropolitan area. Most are free and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Phone the Parks and Recreation Department, (816) 513-7500, for locations. In Swope Park there are courts at the picnic area north of the Starlight Theatre.
The following parks have at least four courts: The Concourse Park, at Benton Boulevard and St. John Avenue; Martin Luther King, Jr. Square Park, at Swope Parkway and Woodland Avenue; Loose Park, at 5200 Wornall Rd.; and Central Park at 31st Street and Indiana Avenue.
Bicycling is popular on the trails in Swope Park.
In the winter Kansas City's parks draw visitors for cross-country skiing. Ice Terrace, an outdoor rink at Crown Center, 2450 Grand Ave., is open November to mid-March for ice skating.
Kansas Speedway, at I-70 and I-435, draws motorsports fans for NASCAR Cup Series, XFINITY Series and additional racing events; phone (866) 460-7223.