Things to Do in Auburn Hills

Avon Players has been a cultural and civic mainstay of the City of Rochester Hills before it was even known as City of Rochester Hills. Founded in what was then known as the Avon Township, the non-profit theater group has spread its contagious "Let's put on a show!" spirit throughout Southeast Michigan since 1947. With a wealth of local talent onstage and behind the scenes, Avon Players mount an average of five elaborately produced shows a year, all featuring special effects, live orchestras, lavish sets, and dazzling lighting. In addition to entertaining the community with a variety of Broadway musicals, British comedies, and award-winning dramas, the Players also mount youth theater productions, which teach budding thespians the craft and how to cook thrown tomatoes into a mean marinara sauce.

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.

Compassion is the mantra at Yoga Oasis, a mind-body haven lined with glowing candles and shimmering golden curtains. Here, a teaching team draws on a combined 50 years of experience to guide students through ancient poses and breathing exercises that infuse consciousness with a sense of peace. The studio makes yoga accessible to all manner of student, from those who have never touched a sticky mat to those who can perform a headstand on a flying carpet. Yogis even travel to the Great Lakes Cancer Institute, where they help members of the Swan for Life Cancer Foundation find peace and strength through meditation and graceful movement.

Beginners downward-dog into Back to Basics sessions to master hatha poses such as Warrior 1, which forms the foundation for faster-paced classes such as Vinyasa and Flow. In these classes, clear cues and alignment adjustments engage the entire body, bolstering strength, balance, and flexibility. In the Therapeutic & Yoga with Ease class, deep breaths propel students into calming poses that can be modified with props such as blocks, straps, and Shakespearean stage armor.

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

Designed in 1929 by Michigan Golf Hall of Famer Wilfred Reid—a British immigrant who studied golf-equipment design under Tommy Armour's father, outdueled Gene Sarazen to win the 1924 Augusta Open, and crafted a multitude of courses on both sides of the Atlantic—Bald Mountain's championship golf course spans 6,624 yards of undulating, timber-lined fairways. Though sand traps are sparse throughout the round, the layout counters with obstacles including greenside swales, grassy thickets, and deranged windmills invading from the nearest mini-golf course. Well-manicured greens sit at the end of each hole, providing a fair, true roll for par-seeking putters.

Novice players may prefer Bald Mountain's nine-hole executive course, where seven par-3s ease beginners into the game or allow aces to boost the probability of netting an elusive hole-in-one. Bald Mountain also encompasses a grass-tee driving range, a practice green, and a banquet area that can host up to 250 people for bridal showers, graduation parties, or group therapy meetings for short-irons that feel like drivers on the inside.

Championship Course at a Glance:

• Designed by Wilfred Reid
• 18-hole, par-71 course
• Length of 6,624 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 71.5 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 121 from the farthest tees
• Three tee options
• Link to scorecard