Caledonia, WI Outdoor Activities

A player waits silently behind a tree, holding his breath as a group of enemies comes into view. Slowly, his finger moves to the trigger of a paintball marker. He pauses momentarily, then steps from his hiding place to paint the sky in acrylic salvos.

Wyldside Paintball's fields use the area's natural terrain to set a stage for friendly battles. Sporting different names such as Outback and Pines Field, the simulated battlegrounds surround teams in dense forests, felled trees, and man-made walls. Outside the forest, colorful ammo soars over more open landscapes at an Xball field. Wyldside Paintball also employs a legion of referees to ensure safety, fair play, and the absence of performance-enhancing Trojan horses.

Designed by esteemed fairway forger Thomas Bendelow—whose prolific career as a course architect earned him the moniker “The Johnny Appleseed of Golf”—Country Club Estates Golf Course’s nine-hole course gently rises and falls over 3,011 yards of kempt greenery. Guests pass through a medieval-style arch to gain access to the course, entering a realm populated by sand traps, water hazards, and squirrels dressed as court jesters. The layout challenges golfers with many shots to blind targets, placing confident swings and sound course management at a premium. Before rounds, players can peruse the pro shop to upgrade aging golf gear or motivate underperforming clubs by introducing them their potential replacements.