Things to Do in Brentwood Estates

Since settling into his first saddle at the age of 8, Josh Guin has dedicated his life to understanding and training horses, and helping others do the same at his scenic 76-acre ranch in Nolensville. Years of studying equine management, nutrition, and advanced training methods helped Josh craft his T.R.U.E. horse training philosophy, which is an acronym for trust, respect, unity, and expectations. After gaining the trust and respect of the horse, Josh establishes a bond with the beast, always keeping high expectations for the horse so it can live up to its potential. During lessons, Josh shows students how to approach horses with a similar mindset.

Europa Go-Karts & Golf is a family fun center where visitors of all ages can ride, swing, and putt through a day of blissful competition where all games end in hugs or going double-or-nothing on the number of hugs wagered before the next competition. As many as eight go-karts can run at the same time, and the complex curates two 18-hole mini-golf courses. Indoors, Europa Go-Karts & Golf maintains a bustling game room with pool tables, skee-ball, and classic arcade games.

Jose Santisteban’s artistic path has been paved with glass. He began working with it as an artistic medium in 1999 and, after earning his master of fine arts in glass sculpture in New York, chased his passion to locales around the country and globe.

Today, Jose shares his love of this ancient art at Franklin Glassblowing Studio. During lessons that focus on the basic skills of glass blowing, he demonstrates how the material can be used for more than just windows and temporary houses. Students then put theory into practice, flexing their creative muscles to create personalized keepsakes from scratch. When not hosting classes, Jose and others at the studio design their own glassy pieces, including lighting and home decor.

For 25 years, PGA instructor Bill Breen has spread the gospel of golf fundamentals in thousands of lessons designed to smooth herky-jerky swings into controlled, reliable motions. Bill showers clients with saucy golf knowledge accrued through a competitive career that included three victories in mini tour professional events, shooting a 64 in one round of a tournament, and once gouging a divot that looked exactly like Scotland. His teaching philosophy revolves around establishing sound grip, alignment, and posture—the basic building blocks of the swing—and developing repetitive ball flight. Harpeth Valley Golf Center's facilities provide a sound training ground, as bermuda-grass practice tees emulate on-course conditions and the short-game area invites players to practice their chipping form and flagstick-pole-vaulting technique.

Professional sportsman Chris Nischan chaperones the curious through the majesty of local nature as a wilderness, hunting, and fishing guide. A previous winner and many-time selected competitor of the Field & Stream Total Outdoorsman Challenge, he has mastered knowledge of diverse ecosystems from North Carolina to Belize. After earning a degree in wildlife management years ago, Chris moved on to a stint in the retail sporting goods industry before becoming a full-time guide and teacher. His guiding resumé now stretches 30-plus years and includes escorting big game hunters and Ernest Hemingway impersonators through the woodlands of Montana for 11 years. Upon touching wading boots down in Tennessee, he promptly decoded the way of the state's trophy bass, trout, and other warm- and cold-water species and now puts that knowledge to use for his clients. All these years as an outdoorsman have given Chris many soul-sustaining encounters with Mother Nature, including a life-changing encounter with Leisha, his wife of 14 years, whom he met on a guide outing.

Owners Jason and Amy Ladd welcome children and adults to their 60-acre parcel of pastureland to share in the enjoyment of more than 70 activities and 100 farm animals. Visitors can stop by the Petting Farm, where they'll have the opportunity to interact with and exchange pen-pal addresses with llamas, goats, and sheep. The Back Forty Fun Park enchants guests young and old with duck races, tractor-tire climbs, and tumbles down 40-foot slides. Seasonal attractions include a pumpkin patch and corn maze in the fall, and Easter-egg hunts in the springtime.