Things to Do in Bardstown

Designed by renowned architect David Pfaff, the 27-hole championship golf course at Quail Chase Golf Club splits into three par-36 courses that wind through the area's lush scotch pine, maple, oak, and dogwood trees. Limber up stiff clubs at the course’s practice facilities, which prep ungainly irons for an 18-hole run with bermuda-grass tees, a USGA practice putting green, and a reserved area for rehearsing pre-shot ritual baths. Golfers can strike through two of the club's three 9-hole courses, manipulating orbs past the angular detours of dogleg holes and around four water hazards during approximately 4.5 hours of play. Concealed cart paths obscure scenery-marring vehicles and help to keep play flowing by restricting fairway victory laps to every other shot.

Baseball in Louisville dates back to 1876 when the Louisville Grays began playing as part of the National League. Soon after the turn of the 20th century, minor league baseball arrived in Derby City and for 70 years, the Louisville Colonels commanded it. Their departure in 1972, however, led to a period of inactivity, as well as a period of unemployed umpires roaming the city shouting "SAFE!" at landing birds. Ten years later, baseball returned with the arrival of the Louisville Redbirds, who eventually became the RiverBats in 1998, and simply the Bats in 2002. Over the years this franchise has spent time as the affiliate of three big league teams: the St. Louis Cardinals, the Milwaukee Brewers, and its current affiliate, the Cincinnati Reds.

Discovered by brothers Squire and Daniel Boone in the late 1700s, Squire Boone Caverns is a vast network of underground caverns filled with stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstone, all formed by the gritty sands of time. Rushing rivers and waterfalls carry more than a million gallons of water through the caverns each day, often accompanied by disoriented surfers and bewildered penguins. A trained tour guide leads visitors through the nearby woods and into a man-made entrance to the caverns, where lighted walkways take visitors through the same enchanted labyrinth discovered by the brothers Boone, winding past natural formations, the coffin of Squire Boone, and a goblin king played by David Bowie.

Awash in fog and neon lights, the labyrinthine ramps, walkways, and passageways of the multi-level LaserMatrix keep players on their toes. Laser battles play out throughout the more than 5,000-square foot arena, open year-round. In the arcade, guests earn prizes by defeating more than 30 games, including skeeball and Time Crisis 3, which depicts a post-apocalyptic world without daylight saving's time. Outside, single- and double-seated go-karts hug the twists and turns of the four-acre park's track. Slower competitions unfold at the miniature golf area, whose two 18-hole courses challenge golfers of all levels with curving greens and tricky hole placements.

Discovering the mission of The Artist In You is as simple as reading its name—to help every guest unleash their creative side. A knowledgeable staff guides participants through pottery-painting and glass-fusing experiences. Hundreds of pieces of pottery, ranging from dishes to tiles to figurines, await personalization from paint, fingerprints, stamps, stencils, and image transfers before taking a toasty trip into one of the studio's three kilns. Bits of colorful glass gain new life during fusing sessions in which visitors can assemble gleaming jewelry or prismatic plates. The studio hosts private birthday parties, bachelorette gatherings, fundraising events, and children's camps, and individual walk-ins are allowed during all of these events.

The Tennis Club at Springhurst places USPTA- and PTR-certified instructors at the helm of both of its professional-level facilities, where programs, camps, and classes help players of all ages develop their skills. Opened in 1998, the multifaceted Springhurst location combines 10 indoor tennis courts with areas for golf, field hockey, volleyball, and basketball to form a one-stop training haven. The club’s other location, Top Gun Tennis Academy, has sprawled its 16-court campus before competitors since 2010, and includes smaller-scale QuickStart courts for pint-size players and baby ball machines not yet strong enough to rifle shots across full courts. Dually dedicated to tennis's future, both facilities offer programs that have helped produce college-level players and championship teams.