Biking, In-Line Skating & Jogging Excellent for all outdoor activities are Trinity Park (near the Cultural District just north of I-30) and Forest Park (south of I-30). Depression-era Trinity Park encompasses the Botanic Garden and 8 miles of cycling and jogging trails. Forest Park is the site of another well-known Fort Worth landmark, the Fort Worth Zoo. The scenic Trinity River Trails, which run 35 miles along the Trinity River, are my pick for biking, hiking, and in-line skating. Pick up a map at a tourist information center. Serious runners may want to come prepared to participate in (or watch) the Cowtown Marathon (including a half-marathon, 10K, 5K, and a three-person marathon relay), which for 27 years has drawn runners from around the world to the Stockyards National Historic District in late February. Call tel. 817/735-2033 for specific dates and other information. You can also obtain a monthly runners' calendar at tel. 800/433-5747. Golf Fort Worth has five public courses. Meadowbrooks Golf Course, 1815 Jenson Rd. (tel. 817/457-4616), just east of downtown, is one of the top 25 municipal golf courses in Texas. The popular par-71 course is set amid rolling terrain. Also at the top of the list is Pecan Valley Golf Course, 6400 Pecan Dr. (tel. 817/249-1845); it has two 18-hole golf courses: the "River" and the "Hills." Rockwood Golf Course, 1851 Jacksboro Hwy. (tel. 817/624-1771), has a short 18-hole course and an additional, fairly difficult 9 holes called the Blue Nine. Sycamore Creek Golf Course, Martin Luther King, Jr., Freeway (tel. 817/535-7241), is a 9-hole layout with narrow tree-lined fairways. And Z. Boaz Golf Course, 3200 Lackland Rd. (tel. 817/738-6287), west of downtown, is a pretty straightforward 18-hole course. Greens fees for all five public courses range from $4 to $20, depending on the day and time. For general information, visit the Fort Worth Golf website. Horseback Riding Stockyards Station Livery, 130 E. Exchange Ave. (tel. 817/624-3446), offers horseback trail riding for riders of all skill levels (as well as wagon rides and chuck-wagon dinners). Trail riding costs $22 for the first hour and $15 for each additional hour. Tennis The swank Renaissance Worthington Hotel has two rooftop courts available for $10 per day to nonguests; call tel. 817/882-1000 to reserve. The public can get on an indoor or outdoor court at the Don McLeland Tennis Center, 1600 W. Seminary (tel. 817/921-3134), or the TCU Tennis Center, 3609 Bellaire N. on the campus south of downtown (tel. 817/921-7960), which has two dozen lit outdoor courts and five indoor courts. There are public clay courts at 7100 S. Hulen (tel. 817/292-9787). |
