Sports & Leisure

Cypress Village hosts putting tournament

Cypress Village hosted its fifth annual putting tournament on the Cypress Green March 29, with 55 resident putters involved and an additional 30 employee participants, along with spectators.
Senior Emily Perry scored two home runs  – including a grand slam – in Fletcher's win over Bolles. (photo submitted)

Senior Emily Perry scored two home runs – including a grand slam – in Fletcher's win over Bolles. (photo submitted)

Fletcher defeats Bolles in softball

The Fletcher High School girls softball team scored a 7-3 win over the Bolles Bulldogs March 29. Senior Emily Perry hit a grand slam home run, followed by another home run in the sixth inning to secure the win for Fletcher. Perry will play softball at Newberry College next year.

Billy Horschel APGA Tour Invitational returning to Ponte Vedra

Six-time PGA TOUR winner and 2021 BMW PGA Championship winner Billy Horschel announced April 1 that the Billy Horschel APGA Tour Invitational presented by Cisco will return to THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on May 4 through 6.
Reel Dream had a hot tuna fishing trip. (photo submitted)

Reel Dream had a hot tuna fishing trip. (photo submitted)

Everything is warming up quickly

Spring is in the air, and it’s certainly starting to feel like it on the water. Everything is warming up quickly, and the fishing has been wide open. Offshore, nearshore or inshore, there are plenty of options this time of year for local anglers.
Vanessa Collier will perform Saturday at the Springing the Blues festival in Jacksonville Beach. (photo from www.vanessacollier.com)

Vanessa Collier will perform Saturday at the Springing the Blues festival in Jacksonville Beach. (photo from www.vanessacollier.com)

Springing the Blues returns to Jacksonville Beach

Over the last 30-plus years, the annual Springing the Blues festival wasn’t always welcomed by blue skies. Artists have played their way through heavy rains, and faithful fans have bundled up against the cold, but everyone charged on through together.

Spiny lobster season closes April 1

The spiny lobster recreational and commercial seasons close to harvest in state and federal waters starting April 1 and will reopen Aug. 6. The two-day recreational sport season is the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday of July, which is July 27 and 28 this year. Learn more at MyFWC.com/Marine.
Angler Will Vogt with a blacktop shark caught off Jax Beach. (photo submitted)

Angler Will Vogt with a blacktop shark caught off Jax Beach. (photo submitted)

Inshore conditions are perfect

Spring break signals the start of beach season, and the fish are right on time. If you enjoy surf fishing, the pompano are beginning to show up with the whiting already thick. It’s looking like it will be a perfect weather weekend of sunny skies with a breeze out of the west.

Cameron Smith wins The Players

Following several days of wild and windy conditions, Olympic golfer and First Coast resident Cameron Smith captured the win March 14 at The Players Championship. Weather delays pushed the tournament to a fifth day for the eighth time in Players’ history.

This is the time to catch black drum

Welcome back late afternoon and evening sunshine! Finally, the dark evenings of winter are behind us, and the average working angler can take advantage to get their fix after work. The afternoons are consistently a good time to fish during the winter and spring.
photo submitted

photo submitted

Catch a pink-tagged bass for big prizes

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is celebrating 10 seasons of the TrophyCatch program with $70,000 in prizes for some special largemouth bass – FWC has tagged 10 bass with bright pink tags in 10 freshwater locations across the state: catching a TAG gets you in on the...