Things to Do in Calera

Since rolling out the green carpet in 1955, the emerald alleyways of Montevallo Golf Club have beckoned club-swingers to tackle its 6,000 yards of 18 Bermuda-grass holes year round. Bunkers speckle the par 71, beckoning errant golf balls to spend the day sunbathing in their sandy beaches. Players hone their swings at the driving range, and dedicated golfers can augment clubs and accessories with gear from the pro-shop.

As the sun rises over the forested wetlands of Dallas County, a group of camouflaged hunters leads dogs to a blind. From their perch, the shooters wait to spot passels of ducks or pheasants. The gunmen raise their rifles. They aim. Then they fire. Their feathered bounty falls from the sky.

Scenes such as this are business as usual during the autumn months at Central Alabama Fowl Preserve. There, staffers help outfit hunters with the amenities needed for a successful day, including a lodge equipped with bedrooms, a kitchen, and a social area where groups can unwind and argue about who has the most stylish orange vest. On the offseason, the preserve opens a skeet-shooting range to help clients keep their aim sharp.

From their home base at Frank House Municipal Golf Course, the PGA pros at the Harper Miller School of Golf help golfers fix broken swings and patch up holes in strategic thinking. Lessons zero in on the fundamentals of grip, posture, and alignment—key components of a winning swing and textbook ice-cream-cone devouring. Short-game clinics help to develop confidence around the green with practice on the putting stroke, chipping accuracy, and bunker play. The pros also follow students out onto the course for playing lessons, which focus on such course-management tactics as how to choose the right club, when to lay up, and when to lie down and take a moment to enjoy the beauty of nature around you.