Bournemouth has excellent sporting facilities, including a wide range of spectator sports, such as football and cricket. There are also good sports facilities in Bournemouth for participants, and these include golf courses, tennis courts, badminton courts, swimming pools, fitness centres and gymnasiums, as well as surfing. The local Bournemouth newspapers provide a sports section listing daily local sports events.Walking is a particularly popular pastime in the Bournemouth area and there are many excellent walking trails, often providing superb views of the seafront and the surrounding countryside. These include:
- The Stour Valley Way - a 37 km / 23 mile footpath through the valley of the River Stour, running from Christchurch to Sturminster Marshall
- The Wilderness Way - through an area of the Stour Valley Nature Reserve
- The Meadows Walk - also through the Stour Valley Nature Reserve
- Stream, Heath and Woodland Walk - including Bournemouth Gardens, the scenic Coy Pond, Talbot Heath and also the Meyrick Park Golf Course
- The Chines of Bournemouth and Poole - a popular self-guided walking trail including Alum, Branksome and also Branksome Dene Chines
Football / Soccer Club
Address: Bournemouth Football Association, George Few House, Hurn Bridge, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 6AY, England
Tel: +44 (0)1202 490000
Football / soccer is another one of the town's popular spectator sports and the Bournemouth Football Association was founded in 1920 and runs all of the major football competitions in the area. These include the Hayward Saturday Football League, which has six divisions, the under 17's Priory Football League, and the M.A. Hart Football Cup Competitions, which are held at the weekend.
Surfing
Surfing here has been popular since the 1960s and there are often some of the best waves on the south coast, particularly following the successful introduction of an artificial reef, which is the size of a football pitch and cost a whopping £3 million. Popular places for surfing include Bournemouth pier, Boscombe pier, Southbourne Beach, Highcliffe and Kimmeridge Bay. Bournemouth Bay is highly regarded as a safe surfing location and is known for its clean beaches.
Bowls
Tel: +44 (1)1202 394439
Bowls is one of Bournemouth's most popular sports and there are over 15 individual bowling greens in the area. Most are open daily from 10:00 to 19:00, between April to September, and each of the bowling greens are run by a local club. Tourists and visitors to the Bournemouth area are always welcomed at the clubs. Bowling greens here include:
- Argyle Gardens
Tel: +44 (0)1202 767395 - Kings Park (outdoor and indoor greens)
Tel: +44 (0)1202 398519 - Knyveton Gardens
Tel: +44 (0)1202 555142 - Meyrick Park
Tel: +44 (0)1202 551325 - Moordown Recreation Ground
Tel: +44 (0)1202 512817 - Pelhams Park
Tel: +44 (0)1202 572184 - Redhill Park
Tel: +44 (0)1202 515360 - Seafield Gardens
Tel: +44 (0)1202 427522 - Swanmore Gardens
Tel: +44 (0)1202 426841 - Woodland Walk
Tel: +44 (0)1202 427810 - Winton Recreation Ground
Tel: +44 (0)1202 515435
Cycling
Tennis
Fitness Centres and Gyms
Cyclists are permitted to cycle along the scenic seafront promenades and there are also excellent cycle routes from Shore Road at Sandbanks in Poole, to the west, and at Hengistbury Head.
Golf Courses
Bournemouth has a number of golf courses in and around the town and this is a particularly relaxing sport, and the golf courses often have exceptional views of the seafront. The three main golf courses are:
Address: Tel: +44 (0)1202 292524
The Meyrick Park Golf Course is situated close to Bournemouth's town centre and is an 18-hole golf course for both novice and more experiencers golfers in Bournemouth.
Address: Tel: +44 (0)1202 394466
Founded in 1906, this Bournemouth golf course is one of the oldest golf courses in England. The Queen's Park Golf Course is a popular 18-hole golf course close to central Bournemouth and has excellent facilities.
Address: Tel: +44 (0)1202 420795
Overlooking Hengistbury Head in Bournemouth, the Solent Meads Golf Course is an 18-hole course with driving range.
Tel: +44 (0)1202 298570
Bournemouth has around 30 public tennis courts in and around central Bournemouth. Advance booking is available, although this is not usually necessary, and tennis coaching courses are often available. Tennis courts in the this area include:
Tel: +44 (1)1202 555142
Tel: +44 (1)1202 551325
Tel: +44 (1)1202 512817
Tel: +44 (1)1202 515360
Tel: +44 (1)1202 427522
Tel: +44 (1)1202 303200
Tel: +44 (1)1202 426841
Tel: +44 (1)1202 515435
There are numerous well-equipped fitness and sports centres in central Bournemouth, with excellent state-of-the-art fitness and weight training equipment, aerobic courses, personal trainers, saunas, solariums, steam rooms, hydrotherapy and massage. Most gyms and sports centres in the town are open daily, from early in the morning until late at night.
Littledown Sports Centre
Address: Chaseside, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH7 7DX, England
Tel: +44 (0)1202 417600
This large sports centre is situated to the north-east of central Bournemouth, close to the A338 and A3060. Littledown Sports Centre has many excellent sports facilities and activities, including activity mornings, children's clubs, children's football, children's swimming, children's trampolining, a crèche, football, a gym and fitness centre, health referral scheme, holiday programmes, racquet sports, a spa, sports clubs, stag and hen events, sunbeds, swimming, a café and a treatment centre,
