Curling is for everyone. Even in Florida.

Welcome to the Tampa Bay Curling Club. We are a volunteer-run club that plays the winter sport of curling on indoor ice in the Tampa Bay area, and we have spent years proving that you do not need a frozen pond - or even a cold day - to fall in love with the roaring game. If you have watched curling during the Winter Olympics and thought it looked like fun, this is where you find out for yourself.

Curling is a team sport played on a sheet of prepared ice with heavy granite stones and brooms. It rewards strategy, touch, and teamwork far more than raw speed or strength, which is exactly why players of almost every age and fitness level can pick it up and enjoy it together. Two teams of four take turns sliding stones toward a set of rings called the house, sweeping the ice to coax each rock into place. People often call it chess on ice, and once you have thrown a few stones you will understand why.

New to curling? Start on the ice

The best way in is a Learn to Curl session. In a couple of hours, certified instructors walk you through the delivery, the sweep, and how scoring works, and then put you on the ice to try it yourself. You will be throwing rocks down the sheet the same day. Plenty of our members started with a single introductory session, had a great time, and signed up for a league the following season.

A little club that gets noticed

For a curling club in Florida, we have drawn a surprising amount of attention. Our club has been featured on NPR and WBUR's national radio program Only A Game, profiled in The New York Times Magazine, and visited by Tampa television crews from WTSP 10 News and WFLA News Channel 8, who came out to throw a few stones and learn what keeps us coming back. You can read more on our in the press page.

Why our curlers keep coming back

• A friendly, welcoming group that genuinely enjoys teaching the game to newcomers
• Indoor ice, so Florida weather is never a reason to miss a draw
• Recreational leagues where first-timers and seasoned curlers play side by side
• The spirit of curling - handshakes before and after every game, and good company once the stones are put away

Have a look around to learn more about the club and the sport, see how our leagues and events work, or find out how to learn to curl. When you are ready, we would love to hear from you.