With one of the deepest benches and a top-tier defense, the Magic are building something special. Third-year star Paolo Banchero has already shown flashes of MVP-level potential, making it clear that this team is on the verge of a breakthrough. They …
With one of the deepest benches and a top-tier defense, the Magic are building something special. Third-year star Paolo Banchero has already shown flashes of MVP-level potential, making it clear that this team is on the verge of a breakthrough. They may be one year away from taking that next big step, though. In a stacked Eastern Conference, they’ll be fighting for the sixth seed, but even if things don’t go perfectly, they’re almost certain to make the playoffs through the play-in tournament.
After a surprise finish last year, breaking their playoff drought and securing a Top 5 seed in the East, the Magic solidified their roster for the 2024-25 season. Their big offseason move was signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a three-year, $66 million contract. Caldwell-Pope is a high-level defender and one of the league’s most durable players, having played in 96 percent of regular-season games since 2013. His toughness and experience add a valuable veteran presence to this young roster.
Orlando also prioritized continuity, re-signing key free agents like Goga Bitadze, Gary Harris, and Moritz Wagner, while renegotiating Jonathan Isaac’s deal. Meanwhile, young talents Jett Howard and Anthony Black are ready to step up. Although they didn’t play major roles last season, both are brimming with potential and could be key to the Magic’s next leap.
Let’s get one thing straight: Notre Dame will aim for the College Football Playoff as long as it has a chance. At this point, the best thing it can do is run the table for the rest of the regular season. But there always is a chance that that won’t happen, and the Irish thus will be on the outside looking in.
Brett McMurphy of the Action Network has released his weekly bowl projections, and he has the Irish out of the playoff. Instead, he projects that the Irish will face TCU in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
It’s worth noting that McMurphy has had the Irish in this particular game ever since they lost to Northern Illinois. The only thing that occasionally has changed during that time is the opponent. So in his view, the Irish have not beaten anybody of high-enough quality since that loss to prove they belong in the playoff.
While it would be fun to see the Irish end their season eating their bowl game’s mascot, it’s not the end goal. Hopefully, they can make it so that it won’t have to be.
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Notre Dame currently has two receiver commits for its 2025 recruiting class: [autotag]Jerome Bettis Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Elijah Burress[/autotag]. One more would round that group out, and the Irish are going after someone who’s already committed.
Three-star Florida receiver Isaiah Mizell from Boone in Orlando committed to Arizona on July 10. However, the Irish apparently have reason to believe that he’s not completely sold on the Wildcats. Whatever that might be, they have extended an offer to him, so it’s now up to him on whether he wants the ditch the desert for South Bend.
Mizell took to social media upon receiving the offer and said this:
And if that wasn’t enough, 2026 quarterback commit [autotag]Noah Grubbs[/autotag] responded to the post with the eyes emoji. One has to wonder how much of a role he might be playing in this.
While Mizell might not be the most sought-after 2025 receiver, the Irish clearly see some value in him. Let’s hope he appreciates that enough to want to go to them.
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I sit on a rock in an artificial lagoon, watching workers feed rays. “One for Pinky!” a worker calls as she throws a fish to a large pink whipray. Another woman notes the treat on a clipboard. There’s only one pink whipray in the lagoon, but I’m really impressed when the keepers can tell the five spotted eagle rays apart. These tropical rays can reach 10 feet wide and 16 feet long. Despite looking pretty flat, they tip the scales at more than 500 pounds. Here, the biggest eagle ray weighs in at a svelte 290.
In a land of theme parks, Orlando, Florida’s Discovery Cove is a relaxing respite from lining up for rides. Owned by SeaWorld, it’s a manicured nature experience — the fake coral is brightly painted like an amusement park ride backdrop, and the rays have their barbs clipped so they can’t sting you. It’s part aquarium, part water park, and a lot of fun if you can stomach animals in captivity. While I’m always conflicted about animal attractions, I really enjoyed my day at Discovery Cove.
An eagle ray at Discovery Cove. / Photo by Teresa Bergen
About Discovery Cove
Discovery Cove opened in 2000 and bills itself as “an all-inclusive day resort.” You arrive in the morning between 7 and 9, show your ID, get your lanyard, then enter the lush grounds.
Breakfast and lunch at a big cafeteria are included in your admission, as are shorty wetsuits, towels, lockers, and animal-safe sunscreen. Guests can add extra amenities such as a private beach cabana or animal experiences like snorkeling with sharks or feeding flamingos.
Photo by Teresa Bergen
Freshwater swimming at Discovery Cove
The park is divided into three main water areas: freshwater, the Grand Reef, and a dolphin lagoon. After eating breakfast — they made a special vegan tofu scramble for me, which was very nice — I decided to start with the warm freshwater area, with a water temperature in the low 80s. You can lounge in a couple of lagoons or grab a pool noodle and float along the lazy river.
I wound up drifting the lazy river three times over the course of the day. The best part is after passing through a pounding curtain of water, you float right into a fabulous aviary with gorgeous tropical birds flying overhead. You can float on through or get out of the water and feed birds from cups of chopped fruit. The lazy river alternates between being shallow enough to stand and depths of about 8 feet.
A green aracari in the aviary. / Photo by Teresa Bergen
Exploring the Grand Reef
My favorite part of the park was swimming with rays and tropical fish in the Grand Reef. It was a little crowded, with snorkelers bumping into each other at times, but exciting to be so close to so many rays. There were shallow parts where people could stand and deeper parts for floating or swimming.
The shovelnose ray, which mostly spends its time on the sandy bottom, was especially large and odd-looking. People who are anxious about real-life snorkeling in the ocean will appreciate the safety of having the park’s sharks separated from the main lagoon.
Shovelnose rays swimming underfoot. / Photo by Teresa Bergen
Swim with dolphins
Swimming with bottlenose dolphins is perhaps Discovery Cove’s most popular animal interaction — and the most controversial. The Humane Society and other animal welfare organizations have come out strongly against swim with dolphin attractions. It was not something I’d ever planned to do. But as a visiting travel writer, I found myself with a booked appointment time. The dolphin swim was going to happen with or without me, so I decided to see for myself what it was all about.
At the appointed time, participants were divided into groups of about 10 or 12, paired with a trainer, an assistant, and a dolphin. Coral, 23 years old and born into captivity, was our dolphin. We humans waded into the chilly lagoons, wearing our wetsuits. When the trainer signaled, Coral swam up to us. We got a little education, a lot of photo ops where we took turns posing with Coral, and a few dolphin tricks. It was cool to get up close and pet her rubbery tail, but I was embarrassed to see a creature smarter than I am reduced to making fart sounds for laughing tourists.
People prepare to meet dolphins at Discovery Cove. / Photo by Teresa Bergen
Throughout my day at Discovery Cove, I asked various employees what they thought about swim with dolphin experiences. The strongest justification is the same one that’s always used for zoos: people don’t care about things we don’t see and experience. The idea is that if we see animals in captivity, we’ll care about preserving them in the wild. This could lead to votes and dollars benefiting conservation efforts.
One employee said that she believes this is the most humane swim with dolphin concession, and she wouldn’t do it anywhere else. The keepers assured me that the dolphins can choose whether or not to participate on any given day, and they get the same amount of food either way.
I asked what the dolphins get out of towing visitors across the lagoon while we hold onto their dorsal fins and flippers. “It’s enrichment,” the trainer said, adding that she wished she knew more about how much Coral was really enjoying herself. The trainer emphasized that the dolphins have different personalities and different relationships with the trainers. While Coral is keen on interacting with humans, some dolphins can only tolerate us for about five minutes. The trainer told me she hadn’t worked with Coral for a while, so the dolphin probably wanted to hang out with her.
Except for the very oldest dolphins, who were captured before the laws changed, all the Discovery Cove dolphins were born in captivity. Maybe it’s sort of like a different culture. If you’re born in captivity and spend your life in an artificial lagoon, you take whatever fun is on offer —whether that’s interactions with humans or the rich, complex relationships that these creatures have with each other.
If you visit Discovery Cove
If you decide to visit Discovery Cove, sign up ahead, as some of the animal experiences sell out. Wait until you get there to apply sunscreen; the park has animal-safe lotions on tap. If you want a nice base of operations for your group, splurge on a private cabana.
Despite my unease about dolphin swims, this activity gets very high TripAdvisor reviews, with people finding it very special and magical. I was glad to see that all the trainers care about the animals, knowing them by name and treating them as individuals — whether dolphins, flamingos, or eagle rays.
One of Discovery Cove’s private cabanas. / Photo by Teresa Bergen
Disclaimer: While this article was not sponsored, Outdoors Wire did visit Kissimmee during a press trip withExperience Kissimmee and its partners. As always, Outdoors Wire operates independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
The new Toptracer Range combines a cool pub scene with plenty of golf tech at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate.
CHAMPIONSGATE, Fla. – Want to beat a bucket of range balls near the tourist corridor in Central Florida? If you’re looking to throw in dinner and a cocktail and do it all under the lights, check out the new Eagle’s Edge range with Toptracer Range technology at Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate.
Hardly a week goes by without a golf club – typically multiple clubs – announcing the installation of a Toptracer Range. The popular tech tracks a golf ball’s flight with a system of cameras and sensors then projects its flight onto a screen. If you’re reading this golf story, you’ve surely seen the tech at work on TV broadcasts of the PGA Tour.
There are other similar systems, with Trackman’s radar-based system being a prime example. All such systems are designed to elevate the range experience from merely beating a bucket of balls, giving players data about their practice shots or allowing them to virtually play famous courses as a video game come to life.
Since being acquired by Topgolf in 2016 and rebranded from its original name of Protracer, Toptracer’s tech has taken off and been installed at more than a thousand facilities. The company says on its website that there are now more than 24,000 Toptracer hitting bays.
The new Toptracer Range at Eagle’s Edge at Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate is just a few hundred yards out the back door of the massive resort hotel. The facility is open to public bookings. (Courtesy of Omni)
Many private clubs have installed a few bays with food and beverage options for members, especially in colder climates where courses might be closed seasonally. Plenty of public-access ranges also have installed Toptracer tech, where players can hit balls and monitor their results on a monitor. There already were several facilities in Central Florida to have installed the tech, such as Tee It Up Golf Driving Range in Oviedo, some 20-30 minutes of driving northeast of downtown Orlando on the opposite side of town from the region’s theme parks.
The new public-access Eagle’s Edge at ChampionsGate ramps it up several notches, combining a high-end pub scene and Toptracer tech on the southwest side of Orlando not far from Disney World.
Eagle’s Edge offers 30 ground-level hitting bays playing out to an un-netted range, which on the far end serves as the practice facility for ChampionsGate’s two full-size golf courses, the National and International. The new Toptracer Range was constructed where coach David Leadbetter’s golf academy formerly resided.
The 6,000-square-foot Eagle’s Edge includes dining and a central bar just a few hundred yards out the back door of the massive Omni hotel, with food and drinks delivered to each bay. Raised and lit targets large and small were built on the half of the range closest to Eagle’s Edge, giving players something to aim for night or day. Shots are tracked on monitors adjacent to the high-end hitting mats, and balls are supplied via a machine with the swipe of a club in front of a sensor, the same as at a Topgolf facility.
The total Eagle’s Edge experience is much more like a Topgolf, which helped define the industry term of “eatertainment,” than it is a regular range. Hang out on a couch watching TV with a craft cocktail and plate of nachos, or pound balls with purpose; the choice is yours.
Food and drink are an integral part of Eagle’s Edge at Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate. (Courtesy of Omni)
And like the targets at a giant Topgolf facility, those at Eagle’s Edge light up when a ball strikes home and the bayside screen registers the hit. Many players will spend most of their time whaling at a driver to see how far they might be able to hit a ball, but on opening night it was just as fun for the more serious golfers in attendance to try to make the lights dance with wedge shots bouncing off the smaller targets closer to the bays.
“With Eagle’s Edge, we are transforming the way our guests partake in the game and event gatherings through an all-encompassing venue that brings state-of-the-art technology, topline service and unmatched food and beverage offerings,” Scott Tripoli, general manager of Omni Orlando at ChampionsGate, said in a media release announcing the opening of the facility.
Each of the 30 hitting bays can accommodate one to six players. Walk-ups are accepted, but it’s best to reserve a bay via opentable.com. The price of a bay varies on demand, but expect to pay $40-$58 per hour depending on date and time as judged by a recent glance at the booking site – that price is the same per bay regardless of one player or six. The facility also accommodates large groups. Players can use their own clubs or swing with clubs provided at each hitting bay.
Check out a selection of images of the new facility and its Toptracer tech below.
StrackaLine offers a hole-by-hole course guide to Bay Hill and the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard.
Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando, site of the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by Mastercard on the PGA Tour, opened in 1961 with a design by Dick Wilson. Arnold Palmer took over the property on lease in 1970, bought it in 1975 and made adjustments to the course multiple times over the following decades.
Bay Hill will play to 7,466 yards with a par of 72. The layout is one of the toughest on the PGA Tour each year.
Thanks to yardage books provided by StrackaLine – the maker of detailed yardage books for thousands of courses around the world – we can see exactly the challenges the pros face this week at Bay Hill.
Khalil Mack was among the two Chargers players who were voted onto the 2024 Pro Bowl team to represent the AFC. However, Mack won’t be participating in the annual games this weekend.
Mack decided to opt out and was replaced by Jets edge defender Jermaine Johnson.
The reason why Mack won’t be participating remains to be seen. His fellow teammate Keenan Allen, the other Charger to make it, will participate in the festivities.
Mack had one of the best years of his career this past season. He set a career-high in sacks for a season with 17 and became the 43rd player in NFL history to hit the 100-sack mark.
The 2024 Pro Bowl Games will include several competitions, including a flag football game on Feb. 4.
The games will be held in Orlando, FL, at Camping World Stadium.
Organizers from the PGA of America say exhibitors from 25 countries are on hand this year.
ORLANDO — It wasn’t long ago that many were wondering whether or not the PGA Show at Orange County Convention Center was losing its fastball.
The 2024 edition of the annual trade show, however, is proving definitively the lasting power of the show — and perhaps how important it’s become in the wake of remote working quarters and increased travel.
According to organizers from the PGA of America, more than 1,000 exhibitors from 25 countries are on hand this year, and the event still includes a robust series of speakers and prominent guests, like 2022 U.S. Open champ Matthew Fitzpatrick and 8-time major champ Tom Watson. Attendees from 80 different countries registered for the event.
Also, while most guests come from the United States or Europe, many of the exhibitors come from China, Korea and Canada. A handful of the major golf club manufacturers still haven’t returned to the show, but many have and the floor has been an endless stream of activity.
“The PGA of America is actively sourcing more opportunities to partner with like-minded organizations, golf facilities and mission-driven individuals across Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa,” said Sean D. Thornberry, Director of Global Development at the PGA of America.
Thanks to Golfweek’s Best rankings, we break out the top courses around Orlando and Central Florida.
Looking for a break from the theme parks around Orlando? Whether you want to stay close or you’re willing to drive a bit, there are several courses available that appear on the Golfweek’s Best rankings of top public-access layouts in Florida.
But it’s not as easy as pulling up our state-by-state rankings, which lists Florida courses that might be a full day’s drive away from Central Florida. We wanted to focus on the eight top-ranked courses that, while they might require golfers spend up to 90 minutes in the car, are within reasonable driving distance.
For the purpose of this exercise, we limited driving time to within 90 minutes of Disney World. Why 90 minutes? Because it can take a while to get anywhere around Orlando, especially if you’re stuck on Interstate 4, so 90 minutes seemed like a reasonable amount of time in a car to reach great golf.
And why Walt Disney World Resort? Because chances are if you’re visiting Orlando, you will be bunking up not far from that entertainment giant’s theme parks or Universal Orlando nearby.
We used Google Maps for its drive times, keying in Walt Disney World Resort at a time with no significant traffic slowdowns. Take all drive times around Orlando and Central Florida with a grain of salt, of course, as backups frequently happen.
None of this is to say there aren’t plenty of other worthy places to play around Orlando. As a nearby resident, this author will attest to the simple pleasures to be found at Winter Park Golf Course – frequently called WP9 – just north of downtown Orlando. The short nine-holer is one of the most fun two hours you’re likely to spend on a golf course.
Included with this list is a general map of where to find all these courses. Each one on the list below is represented with a number on the map – keep scrolling to see the numbers.
Included with each course is its position in Florida on the Golfweek’s Best public-access list. For any course that appears on our other popular rankings lists, those positions are included as well.
A little background: The hundreds of members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them on 10 criteria on a points basis of 1 through 10. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings are averaged to produce all our Golfweek’s Best course rankings.
The courses on this list allow public access in some fashion, be it standard daily green fees, through a resort or by staying at an affiliated hotel. If there’s a will, there’s a tee time – no membership required.
(Google Earth/Golfweek)
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he’s found a new home at an Ohio-based Mid-American Conference university.
Former Notre Dame linebacker and special teams player Jonathan Jones was previously in the transfer portal but now he’s found a new home at an Ohio-based Mid-American Conference university.
Jones enrolled in classes at Toledo University last week and will spend 2020 as a member of the Toledo Rockets football program.
Jones finished his Notre Dame career with 16 career tackles, playing for the Irish in the last three seasons.
Jones was recruited to Notre Dame from Oak Ridge High School in Orlando, Florida as a four-star linebacker based off of 247’s rankings. He graduated from Notre Dame in December and will immediately eligible at Toledo.
