Avenal, CA Outdoor Activities

Tucked amid the shadows of eucalyptus trees and mexican palms, Buena Vista Golf Course roams across 6,710 yards of dramatically undulating terrain. Throughout the par-72 layout, golfers grapple with uneven lies wrought by the hilly topography, as well as large, contoured greens that require a soft touch with the putter. As players make their way from tee to green, hillcrests offer glimpses of the surrounding farmland, the two lakes that comprise Buena Vista Aquatic Recreation Center, and distant mountains as they ripple out into the horizon and hide the unsightly edge of the earth. Guests looking to polish their game can consult Buena Vista's two PGA Class A professionals, who offer private lessons and club-fitting services.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par-72 course

• Total length of 6,710 yards from the back tees

• Course rating of 72.9 from the back tees

• Slope rating of 124 from the back tees

• Four sets of tees per hole

• Scorecard

When Brian McInerney reflects on the humble beginnings of Wheel Fun Rentals, he points to his childhood passion for bikes. "As far back as I can remember, I had a real love affair with bicycles," he recalls. During a trip to Italy in 1987, Brian's affinity for cycling blossomed into a full-fledged obsession when he spotted locals' transporter of choice, the surrey. Inspired, he began importing the Italian four-wheelers to a rental business in the U.S. that eventually expanded into Wheel Fun Rentals, now a nationwide web of shops that also loans out bikes, electric cars and mopeds, and man-powered watercraft. Atop bicycles and surreys built for solo riders or entire families, patrons embark on self-guided tours of major U.S. cities. Led by maps and lists of nearby sites of historical or cultural significance, riders zoom down bike paths and safe, lightly trafficked streets. Adventuresome athletes can also compete in activities such as surrey scavenger hunts and blindfold obstacle courses navigated via shouted instructions from a seeing teammate or exceptionally long rounds of trial and error.

Originally sculpted into the California countryside in 1928, Lemoore Golf Course’s 18-hole, par 72 course stretches across 6,591 yards of lush greenery and challenging hazards. A moderately difficult layout when played from the back tees, the course features four tee options to cater to both bona fide aces and disoriented golfers who can’t differentiate between a three-wood and a hardened mannequin leg. The golf complex also fosters sound swing mechanics with an on-site driving range and practice green. Clubbers can take refuge from the sun-soaked fairways or undead divot tools at the course’s cozy bar and grill, or peruse a stock of the latest golf gear and equipment at the pro shop.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course

• Length of 6,591 yards from the farthest tees

• Course rating of 70.9 from the farthest tees

• Slope rating of 125 from the farthest tees

• Four tee options

The male and female firearm experts of American Home Defense shape their shooting and self-defense classes around legal regulations with an emphasis on personal safety. In private shooting lessons, students learn to handle three of the most common handguns and home-defense classes equip participants with the know-how to protect their families from intruders or a neighbor's moat monster.

Every Saturday and Sunday, Air Warriors Paintball opens its four outdoor playing fields to the public for simulated combat. Three of the four battlegrounds play host to adrenaline-fueled matches that pit players against each other in scenario games. Obstacles include tire mounds, corrugated metal, and dugout trenches. The facility also features an inflatable-packed speedball arena that’s perfect for fast-paced games. Much like a college student who has trouble scrounging up quarters, Air Warrior’s speedball field changes once a week.

The flight instructors at Just Fly Paragliding steer students over California landscapes in tandem paragliding lessons and USHPA flight-training programs. They teach basic paragliding maneuvers as well as more advanced flips, turns, and a range of landing approaches. Before taking off, though, they prep students for the risks of getting airborne by covering risk assessment, proper gear handling, weather interpretation, and landing under emergency conditions such as high winds or raining meatballs. In addition to helping customers commemorate flights through photos and video, Just Fly Paragliding provides the means to fly with beginner and intermediate gliders by Ozone, Shoo'ka, and Flying Planet.:m]]