Visit Sarasota County, the official tourism marketing arm of Sarasota County, hosted a busy April 2023 for sporting events. Notable tournaments this month, which drew significant tourism numbers for the area, included adult and youth competitions in golf, tennis, swimming, rowing, soccer and softball at world-class facilities throughout Sarasota County and Lakewood Ranch. Among the events supported by Visit Sarasota County in the last month, the Association of Tennis Players (ATP) Challenger Tour Elizabeth Moore Sarasota Open at Payne Park, the USA Swimming Open Water National Championships at Nathan Benderson Park, and the 5th Annual LECOM Suncoast Classic at Lakewood National Golf Club drew elite adult athletes and fans, while the Florida Scholastic Rowing Association’s Sculling and Sweep Championships at Nathan Benderson Park, the 11th Annual Sarasota Cup (soccer) at Premier Sports Campus, and the Miss Florida Mid-Season Tournament at the Miss Sarasota Softball Complex attracted youth teams and their families. Nathan Benderson Park, Payne Park and the Miss Sarasota Softball Complex at 17th Street Park and Fruitville Park are all public facilities built and maintained in part through Sarasota County funds, and are available for public recreation. The Miss Sarasota Softball Complex, built more than 40 years ago as the area’s first softball facility, is currently undergoing Phase 1 of an extensive renovation and expansion valued at $46 million.

To learn more click here.