Things To Do In Batavia

• For $18, you get one general-admission lawn seat (a $25.50 value before fees, or up to a $36 value online, including all ticketing fees).

The Livingston Country Club's golf course hosts an octogenarian expanse of 6,462 sloping green yards, sculpted into a winding par-72 test of skill. Golfers can take along a club-swinging companion and play eighteen holes while driving a golf cart across wide fairways renowned for their views of the Genesee Valley and centaurs arrayed in this season’s most fashionable tartans.

Hickory Ridge Golf & Country Club incorporates the natural lay of tree lines and waterways to form an 18-hole, par 72 course that presents shot-making challenges and scenic views. The signature fourth hole showcases the challenges and charms of the course, as the 431-yard par 4 requires a long tee shot to clear a ravine and before the dogleg left curves around walls of trees on the way to the green. Water comes into play on 13 holes, striking fear in the hearts of players who don’t trust their swings or haven't yet converted their golf bag into a personal flotation device. A driving range that stretches 300 yards into the distance helps golfers prepare for upcoming rounds and serves as the venue for golf lessons and clinics conducted by Hickory Ridge’s resident aces. The club also quiets rumbling stomachs with burgers, sandwiches, and french fries from the snack bar and Friday night dinner specials. Before or after rounds, golfers can load up their bags with balls and tees or replace shirts eaten by a rogue ball-washer at Hickory Ridge’s pro shop.

Sunlight punctures the leafy canopy over Genesee Country Campground, casting a cluster of log cabins, tents, and RVs in a hazy, green glow. Though situated minutes from Caledonia and Leroy, these lush grounds seem far from the bustle of cities and mating calls of feral fire trucks.

Regardless of the shelter in which they dwell, all lodgers enjoy access to their own fire pit and picnic table. Furthermore, Genesee Country Campground furnishes campers with a supplies store, pavilion, and restrooms.

Furthermore, groundskeepers strive to keep campers’ connected to the modern world; tykes can gambol across a playground, nine-hole golf course, and recreation room, and cabins come equipped with TVs. For those who seek more rugged activities, staff members are happy to direct lodgers to Letchworth State Park, Finger Lakes, and nearby hiking trails.

John Johnson and his brothers, Ben and Kirk, started Running Wild Paintball Inc. & Laser Tag when they were still in their teens. Today, the business includes five paintball fields where kids and adults can face off amid trees, a stream, and both natural and handmade bunkers. One field even has a western-style ghost town with a store, a jail, a mine, and a church.

While paintball and Airsoft guns launch tangible projectiles, laser tag players politely take down opponents with beams of light. Additionally, Johnson can repair ailing paintball guns—he’s one of only a few certified master airsmiths in the country.

The expert rafting guides at Adventure Calls Outfitters, Inc. lead trips down three waterways: the Genesee River, Cattaraugus Creek, and the Salmon River. As they glide through calm waters and swirl through rapids, rafters drink in the rugged scenery, occasionally glimpsing fish and harmless snakes. Under the watchful care of an ACA-certified rafting guide, visitors safely ride the wild current of the river, learning about the unsullied countryside of western New York. The scenic trips are available most of the year, although in the cooler months, wetsuits are recommended.