Published April 2, 2020

TALKING STICK GOLF RESORT in Scottsdale is one of the many great golf courses in Arizona. (Stephen Martellucci Photo)

By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI

PHOENIX — With people being told to stay at home due to the Coronavirus pandemic many folks are planning vacations once things get back to normal. For sports fans, one of the most desirable areas in the country is Phoenix, Arizona.

The last two April’s I have visited this southwestern city and have really enjoyed it.

Phoenix features all four teams in the four major sports, the Arizona Coyotes (NHL), Arizona Cardinals (NFL), Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB) and the longest tenured team, the Phoenix Suns (NBA).

They also have a WNBA team, the Mercury, and a NASCAR track (Phoenix Raceway) in nearby Avondale.

Just east of Phoenix is Tempe where Arizona State University is located for college sports fans.

The Diamondbacks, Suns and Mercury play in downtown Phoenix as the ballpark and arena are right next to each other.

Chase Field is the home of the Diamondbacks and the ballpark, which was built in the late 1990’s, is one of the biggest in Major League Baseball seating over 48,000 spectators. It has a retractable roof due to the brutally hot summers as the roof is usually open only in April and early May. It is, obviously, air-conditioned.

THE PHOENIX SUNS play at Talking Stick Arena. (Stephen Martellucci Photo)

Talking Stick Resort Arena is the home of the Suns and Mercury and was built in the early 1990’s. The arena sits over 18,000 fans.

There are several garages and a Metro Rail station for public transportation.

Just like the basketball and baseball teams, the football and hockey teams also play next to each other. They both play in the city of Glendale which is around 15 miles Northwest of downtown Phoenix.

The Cardinals play at State Farm Stadium which opened in 2006. It sits a little over 63,000 fans but, for events like the Super Bowl or major college games, can be expanded to over 73,000 seats.

Just like Chase Field, State Farm Stadium also has a retractable roof which is open, usually, for games in late November and December.

Next door to State Farm, is the Coyotes’ home, Gila River Arena. The arena, which sits a little over 17,000 for hockey, sits in the Westgate Entertainment District which features restaurants, bars, shops, a comedy club, bowling alley and movie theater.

If you park in the District they will give you a receipt you can use in those restaurants.

At Arizona State, the football team plays at Sun Devil Stadium. After some renovations the past few years, it now sits over 53,000 fans while next door, the basketball team plays at Desert Financial Arena which sits over 14,000.

Phoenix Raceway hast two NASCAR races in March and November and sits over 42,000 fans.

The greater Phoenix area is also known for their many world-class golf courses. The PGA Tour takes place in nearby Scottsdale every February at the TPC Stadium Course and draws huge crowds.

The public can play the course but greens fees are over $200 per round.

By doing your homework you can find reasonably priced courses in the area.

Spring Training is also very popular as 15 Major League teams call the greater Phoenix area home in March.

There are several tours of the city and surrounding areas you can do by bus or walking.

Another popular destination is checking out the natural beauty of Sedona which is a little over 100 miles north of Phoenix.

You want to avoid going to Phoenix from mid-May to early October due to the oppressive heat. October averages 89 degrees high while November averages an average high of 76.

In December and January the average high is 68. In February it goes up to 72 and March increases to 74.

It gets back into the 80s in April.