Peanut Island won our latest Taking Your Pulse poll for favorite local camping site, but had to hold off a hard-charging write-in candidate.

Normally, we try to stay within the bounds of Palm Beach County for our polls, but so many of you expressed your fondness for Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Hobe Sound that we’d added it later in the week.

When we closed voting Monday, Peanut Island had 24.2 percent of the vote, and Dickinson had 22.7 percent.

Lion Country Safari KOA in Loxahatchee finished in third place with 9.5 percent, while John Prince Park in Lake Worth placed fourth with 8.7 percent.

Rounding out our top five was Sunsport Gardens, the naturist (otherwise known as nudist) camping area in Loxhatchee, with 6.8 percent.

Besides Dickinson, other top write-in votes went to the Belle Glade Marina and the Tanah Keeta Scout Reservation near Tequesta.
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As Palm Beach County is one of the world’s golf capitals, it should come as no real shock that a golf tournament would win our Taking Your Pulse poll for favorite annual local sporting event.

The Honda Classic — which has only seen its profile rise recently with players such as Tiger Woods and this year’s champ, Rory McIlroy — took 33.6 percent of the vote to win the poll.

Spring training baseball ended up in second place at 20.7 percent, followed by the Palm Beaches Marathon at 12.1 percent.

In fourth was the Race for the Cure at 7.8 percent, while in a tie for fifth were the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships and the SunFest TGI5K.

Among the top write-in vote grabbers were the Winter Equestrian Festival and Palm Beach International Raceway events.

Click here for the full results.

We've got major events in several sports, but what do you like best?

When it comes to annual sporting events, we’ve actually got it pretty good in Palm Beach County.

We’ve got major golf tournaments, tennis tournaments and road races. And, of course, spring training baseball.

So what’s your favorite? Do you like to head down to the golf course and watch the pros? Check out the superstars of tennis? Chill out with a cold one watching Major League’s finest get ready? Keep an eye on the fleet feet?

Let us know in our poll. Or maybe you have a favorite we didn’t list — click on other and write it in, and if we get enough feedback, we’ll add it to our poll.
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After its revamping in 2007, North Palm Beach Country Club's course is full of challenges (Palm Beach Post file)

The challenging North Palm Beach Country Club golf course, which went through an extensive redesign and revamping in 2007, is your choice for the area’s favorite local public golf course.

North Palm, which was redesigned by Jack Nicklaus, ended up with 12 percent of the vote, finishing just ahead of Abacoa Golf Club of Jupiter, which had 9.2 percent.

Finishing in third was Okeeheelee Golf Course in suburban West Palm Beach at 7.7 percent, followed by the Links at Madison Green in Royal Palm Beach at 6.8 percent and Park Ridge in Lake Worth at 6.1 percent.

Among top write-in vote grabbers were the President course in West Palm Beach and Westchester in Boynton Beach.

Click here for the full results.

UPDATE: Info about the kind of courses we chose — regulation-size, as opposed to par-3 courses

I remember when I first moved here that I heard Palm Beach County had the most golf courses of any county in the United States. It certainly is known as a golf mecca.

And while some great courses are behind gates and come with big membership fees, others are wide open to the public — just a greens fee, maybe a cart fee if you’re so inclined, and you’re pretty much on your way.

We’d like to know your favorite local public course. What’s the place you love to try and shave a few shots off your handicap?

Our list comes straight from golflink.com, so if you don’t see your favorite on here, click “other” and give your place a write-in vote. (Keep in mind, it’s gotta be a public course.)

In addition, we’ve chosen only regular-length courses, rather than par-3s. We think par-3s deserve their own poll, and we’ll do that later on.
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Putt’n Around in Delray Beach was voted the favorite local miniature golf course in our latest Taking Your Pulse poll.

Putt’n Around dominated with 56 percent of the vote.

Second place went to 76 Golf World in Stuart, outside Palm Beach County but enjoyed by its residents. The Martin County attraction ended up with 24 percent.

Boomers in Boca Raton was third at 12 percent.

Click here for the full results.

There aren't many mini-golf courses in the area, but each has its own style.

There may not be too many left, but Palm Beach County still has a few good miniature golf courses around.

Which course challenges you while still remaining a lot of fun?

(Note: It’s rare we do this, but due to a lack of courses here, we’ve added a nearby course in Stuart, the 76 Golf World amusement area.)

If you don’t see one of your favorites, you can “write-in” your choice in the spot marked “other”.

We’ll have the results Monday.
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Jupiter Community Park emerged as the winner of this week’s Taking Your Pulse vote, where we were looking for the area’s favorite softball field.

Community Park had 18.3 percent of the vote, beating out Lake Lytal Park, which had 13.4 percent.

Third place went to Lake Catherine Park in Palm Beach Gardens at 11 percent. Rounding out the top five were Okeeheelee Park at 9.8 percent and Seminole Palms Park in Royal Palm Beach at 7.3 percent.

Among write-in votes, Tiger Shark Cove in Wellington had a good number of fans.

Click here to see the full results.

Softball is one of the biggest activities down here, considering that most of the time, the weather is just fine for it.

But some softball fields seem to stand out — the grass always seems freshly mowed, the lines always seem chalked and ready, and it raises your enthusiasm just a little more.

What’s your favorite place to play softball in our area? Vote in our poll below and let us know.

Don’t see your favorite? Click on “other” and give us a “write-in vote” — if your favorite gets enough write-ins, we’ll add it to the poll and also give it a mention when we announce the results.
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Two waterfront parks tied for the top spot in Taking Your Pulse’s poll on favorite local park.

Both Bryant Park in Lake Worth and DuBois Park in Jupiter had 10.5 percent of the vote in a very spread-out competition.

John D. MacArthur Park in Riviera Beach and Gaines Park in West Palm Beach finished in a tie for third place at 7.9 percent.

Click here for the full results.