Bexley, OH Outdoor Activities

A professional golf instructor since 1999, Bobby Steiner augments golfers’ swings and course management skills during private and nine-hole playing lessons. At Little Turtle Golf Club, where Bobby is director of instruction, students can sign up to join a group of up to four players consisting of Mr. Steiner and two other pupils. The troop plays out a nine-hole, three-man scramble while Bobby analyzes and offers advice for each swing, helps formulate short-game strategies, and carefully avoids blocking the suns rays while players sunbath in the bunkers. Each on-course lesson takes approximately two hours to complete, and students should show up early to check in and warm up. During private lessons, players of every skill level receive stroke-shaving instruction on aspects of their full swing and short-game techniques. Though private lessons offer golfers the best opportunity for one-on-one instruction that focuses on improving their unique swing mechanics, people can combine two Groupons to take their lesson together.

After spending years penning a golf instruction column for a number of papers throughout the West and Midwest, Bobby compiled the observations, stories, and people he’d encountered as a teaching professional into a book, titled Munie.

Under the choppy surface of Ohio's quarries and waterways, the Columbus Scuba team guides students into the world of underwater exploration with specialized training courses. In order to prepare students for diving situations and encounters with bullies in schools of minnows, the team also holds classroom sessions, including PADI open-water certification. In addition to training students, Columbus Scuba dedicates itself to the diving community by operating the Mid-Ohio Divers club, through which they organize barbecues, camping trips, and group dives in far-off reefs and caves.

Renowned course architect Pete Dye sculpted Little Turtle Golf Club's 18-hole course from 6,622 yards of Ohio countryside, artfully incorporating the waters of Big Walnut Creek into the par 72 layout. As golfers pass through the course's tree-lined fairways, they can imagine themselves walking in the footsteps and divotsteps of 1992 Masters champion Fred Couples, who holds the Little Turtle course record along with Champions Tour player Rod Spittle, the club's director emeritus of golf. Water hazards come into play on 10 holes throughout the round, often positioned close to greens to make approach shots a daunting task. The club complements its championship course with a practice facility that boasts a full-length driving range and a green with a practice bunker and designated areas for chipping.

Little Turtle Golf Club pairs its par-hunting pursuits with a lively social regimen, which includes holiday events, gatherings for sports fans, and poker nights. The epicenter for all friendly get-togethers, the Grille Room regales guests with a limestone fireplace, a copper bar, and outdoor seating that overlooks the placid waters and amphibious caddies of Lake Turtle.

Course at a Glance:

• Designed by course architect Pete Dye
• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 6,622 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 71.6 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 131 from the farthest tees
• Four tee options
• Scorecard

At Scarborough East Tennis & Fitness Club, manager Bob Hilborn and his dedicated staff of tennis professionals impart cross-court wisdom to racket wielders of all ages. The team keeps members and guests in shape year-round by hosting lessons on indoor courts during cold months and on outdoor courts when it starts to rain inside. Membership programs gives ball swatters the ability to reserve courts, plus they get access to the workout facility, complete with computerized bikes, rowing machines, free weights, saunas, and towel service. Members can also take advantage of exclusive opportunities such as the yearlong junior program. This multilevel program pairs up to four students with an instructor who will attempt to help them hone their forehands and fine-tune their volleys.

Little Bear Golf Club challenges golfers to part with the traditional 9- or 18-hole course paradigm and try their hand at conquering a 10-hole, par 30 layout. With a front and back five that can each be completed in about 40 minutes, the course caters to those who would like to squeeze in a round during their lunch break or set the record for most rounds played during a solar eclipse. Though short in time commitment, the course doesn't scrimp on hazards, as it is strewn with 22 sand traps, more than 1,000 trees, three lakes, and a stone waterfall. Instead of natural turf, players take shots off hybrid grass, which looks and plays just like the real thing but needn't be watered, fertilized, or fine-tooth-combed like traditional grasses. As a bonus to the 10-hole loop, players may also take a shot at the island green of an 11th hole, an homage to the famous 17th hole at the TPC Sawgrass course in Florida. Course at a Glance:

• 10-hole, par 30 course
• Total length of 1,350 yards from the back tees
• Two sets of tees per hole