Things to Do in Auburn Hills

Bounce Around Rental spices up gatherings with bright red, yellow, and blue bounce houses that let partygoers of all ages popcorn about to their heart’s content. The company, certified by the Safe Inflatables Operators Training Organization, dispatches staff members who promptly set up inflatable structures before birthday bashes or extraterrestrial welcome parties, then return after the event to efficiently disassemble and whisk away the structures. In between visits, jumpers can ricochet until they’re out of breath, play lively games of tag, and clamber up a blue incline while grasping yellow, red, and green handholds before whooshing down the slide.

Initially conceived of in 1987 as a way for an avid paintball player and his friends to acquire discounted merchandise, Lone Wolf Paintball swiftly evolved into a multi-location business throughout Michigan. One year after opening, Bristol Apple Orchard in Almont accommodated the budding business with its first playing field. These days, Mount Clemens' Lone Wolf East locale serves as home to six fields spread across more than 40 acres of varied terrain. The field's designers make it possible for players to blast at opponents hiding behind inflatables, dive behind barrels or wooden spools to escape enemy fire, or find shelter atop a two-level structure deep in the woods. Referees ensure that each player competes safely in scenarios such as Capture the Flag and Return the Flag to Avoid Library Fines.

Mark McCucumber’s keen architectural mind gave birth to the 18 championship holes that nestle amid Devil’s Ridge Golf Club’s 400 acres of woods, wetlands, and hills. Trees line the emerald fairways, which challenge golfers with rolling terrain that reaches elevation changes of up to 80 feet, inspiring some players to conscript mountain goats as caddies. Four sets of tees invite golfers of all stripes to aim their orbs away from the rippling surface of water hazards and more than a dozen mischievously placed sand bunkers. Sixty tee stations await golfers at the driving range to help them warm up before hitting the course. Then, after working up an appetite sawing down aim-blocking trees, they can relax with a bite to eat at The Devil’s Grille.

The 2012 golf season at Mulberry Hills Golf Club marks 50 years since architect Hank Clayton unveiled his verdant brainchild, a celebration that showcases the course’s maturation of ancient oak trees and tangled heather that now engulf the site's 188 meadowed acres. The natural habitat invites all players, from greenhorns to green-jacket holders, to take on the 18-hole excursion that covers 6,635 yards of pristine fairways, well-kempt greens, and vibrant flowers that border playable areas. As players captain their GPS–equipped 2012 Yamaha golf carts over the terrain, they encounter a gauntlet of obstacles that attempts to thwart drives, putts, and 3-iron swordfights. The par 3, 155-yard fourth hole presents a difficult forced carry over water onto a peninsula green, the most challenging of the four holes featuring shots over water. The course superintendants keep rounds moving with a pace-of-play program that ensures rounds last 4.5 hours or less, leaving plenty of daylight for sunbathing golf balls or knitting a skirt from collected divots. After the round, players can celebrate their dominance over nature at Hank's Place Bar & Grill with a menu of American fare, draft beers, and free WiFi.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 71 course

• Total length of 6,635 yards from the back tees

• Course rating of 70.9 from the back tees

• Course slope of 122 from the back tees

• Four sets of tees per hole

• Designed by Hank Clayton