About Longboat Key

The beach draws them here - the tourists, the retirees and those seeking a piece of paradise. But for many Longboat residents, after they settle in, the beach becomes a secondary amenity to all the other recreational opportunities within a sea shell's throw. If you get bored on Longboat Key, there's no excuse. In fact, we know a long list of so-called retired Longboaters who are busier now than when they pursued their careers.

Golf

Sarasota lays claim to having the first golf course in the United States. That fact alone gives you some sense of how rooted golf is in the Greater Sarasota-Bradenton area. 
As you might expect, then, there are plenty of golfing choices on the mainland. We won't detail all of them here, but there are many Longboaters who go off the Key and belong to such private clubs as the Bradenton Country Club and El Conquistador Country Club in Manatee County and Sara Bay Country Club, the all-men's Gator Creek and the Tournament Players Club at Prestancia, all in Sarasota County. Beyond these there is a long list of semi-private and public courses that are worth a visit (if you get the chance, try the Legacy at Lakewood Ranch and University Park Country Club).
But far and away, Longboat's golfing afficionados find themselves attached to the convenience and joy of staying on the Key and playing the 45 holes at the Longboat Key Club.
There is only one course on Longboat, but the 45 holes are divided into two areas three miles apart. One section of 27 holes is known as the Harbourside course, located at mid-Key on the bay side inside the gates of the Bay Isles development. The other 18 holes are on the southern tip of the Key, visible from Gulf of Mexico Drive. This course is known as Islandside.
Members consider the course challenging because all 45 holes in some manner are bounded by water. Be advised: Bring plenty of balls and a long retriever.
While the Harbourside and Islandside courses are attractive in themselves, golfers are drawn to them also because of the camaraderie they find. Men's and women's clubs are active and play weekly schedules and tournaments. You'll find most of this activity at the Harbourside course; Islandside is often considered the course where most visitors to the Inn on the Beach play.

Tennis

Second to golf in popularity, tennis is big on Longboat. 
One of the Key's claims to tennis fame is the Colony Beach & Tennis Resort - ranked by Tennis magazine as the number one tennis resort in the United States. In high season, the Colony's courses are packed with its winter visitors and guests. In fact, this is how many of Longboat's future residents get their introduction to the Key.
Once they make the move to be seasonal or full-time residents, tennis players have tended to join the Key's two active private clubs - the Longobat Key Club or the Cedars Tennis Club. During the winter, the Har-Tru courts at both these facilities are filled, with players engaged in weekly round-robin events or tournaments with teams from the mainland. 
In the past two years, however, the tennis scene has taken on a little different tenor with the opening of the Longboat Key Public Tennis Center. With six Har-Tru courts nestled behind the post office on Bay Isles Road, the public tennis center offers an inexpensive way for non-club members to enjoy great facilities: an hour and a half of tennis is $6. The popularity of these courts has grown so quickly that is users have begun lobbying the Longboat Key Town Commission to expand the facilities.

Boating / Fishing

Sailboat and powerboat afficionados will tell you the waters of Sarasota Bay are a well-kept secret (and they like it that way). Wide and deep enough for almost any craft, Sarasota Bay gives boaters plenty of room to maneuver, winds that are strong but not as rough as Tampa Bay and easy access to a long list of dock-side restaurants - perfect for those who like to take a morning cruise, dock for lunch and then head home.
"All you have to do is ride up to Tampa Bay, and it's no comparison," says Cannons Marina owner David Miller, whose family has operated its Longboat marina for 45 years. Miller notes that Longboat's waters give boaters and fishermen easy access to a lot of protected areas, shielding them from the winds and bad weather. Plus, there are plenty of places to throw anchor and enjoy an afternoon swim. Among the most popular spots near Longboat: the sand bar and Beer Can Island near Longboat Pass on the north end, and the sandbar at Lighthouse Point near New Pass on the south end.
Fishing in this area 50 years ago made anglers' mouths water - the catches were so plentiful. Today, there are fewer fish, but compared to many regions Longboat's waters are still considered an anglers' paradise. Says Miller of Cannons Marina: "You can fish the back waters of the bay or go out in the Gulf of Mexico. There's usually something out there no matter what time of year." And there's usually something in all sizes - from the half-pound cat fish pulled from the backyard canals to the 85-pound tarpon that swim off Longboat's coast in late spring and early summer.
Adds Rusty Chinnis, longtime outdoor editor of The Longboat Observer: "The best part I like about fishing here is the habitat. We have lots of magrove shore line and sea grass beds. Clean water and habitat - that's what make fish." 

Walking / Biking

Longboat Key residents take pride in the sidewalk and bike path that run the length of Gulf of Mexico Drive. While you might expect to see most walkers getting their regular exercise up and down the beach, it's more common on Longboat to see them walking along the GMD sidewalk. During season, walkers are especially numerous in the early morning hours. 
Biking is less popular than walking. But Longboat Key's bike paths on the shoulders of Gulf of Mexico Drive attract long clusters of bikers who belong to the region's bicycle clubs. In the summer (when there aren't as many cars on Gulf of Mexico Drive), more than 100 bikers at once often can be seen racing up the key on Wednesdays at dusk.

Nature Trails

Longboat Key has two popular nature trails: Quick Point at the southeastern most tip of the Key and Joan M. Durante Park in the 5500 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive.
Quick Point meanders through a heavy stand of pine trees, mangroves and oak and follows along the shore of the bay and the New Pass channel. If you want a quiet spot to enjoy nature, this is it.
Joan M. Durante Park, a gift of more than $1 million from Longboat Key resident Jim Durante, is one of Longboat's greatest treasures. The 28-acre park stretches from Gulf of Mexico Drive to the bay and consists of peaceful paths that wind through lush plantings of native Florida shrubs, fruit trees and flowers. In the middle of the park is a children's playground, complete with swings, slides and climbing equipment. The park is also used during the winter for the "Sunday in the Park" concert series. Like Quick Point, this is a refuge of tranquility and peace.

Classes / Volunteering

Many Longboaters spend their recreational time taking classes at the Longboat Key Education Center, the Longboat Key Center for the Arts or the Bayfront Recreation Center. The Education Center offers a wide variety: cooking, lectures, back stage tours of the region's performing arts, yoga and other classes. The art center, of course, specializes in such skills as painting, ceramics and sculpture. And the recreation center is where residents participate in such programs as aerobics or show up for the weekly bridge games.
If those things don't interest you, Longboat's churches and temple have plenty opportunities for volunteers. Other organizations with Longboat volunteers: the Key's popular Turtle Watch organization, which monitors turtle nests during hatching season; the Longboat Key Garden Club, which sponsors the Key's annual home tour; Mote Marine Laboratory on City Island; and Pelican Man's Bird Sanctuary, also on City Island south of the Key.

Just for Kids

It's no secret children are almost as rare on Longboat as vacant waterfront property. For one thing, the Key has no elementary schools. The closest schools are Anna Maria Island to the north and Southside Elementary on the mainland in Sarasota. 
Still, Longboat children do have access to a variety of activities. The Bayfront Recreation Park conducts a summer-long day camp that provides children with five-day-a-week activities, including tours to mainland attractions, games, safety classes and weekly supervised swims in the Gulf. The Longboat Key Center for the Arts offers art classes for children, often on Saturday morning. And the Anna Maria Island Community Center is where many Key kids go to play organized soccer, basketball and baseball.