Decatur, AL Outdoor Activities

A signature Gene Bates–designed course, Saddle Creek Golf Club's 18-hole layout alternates between dense woodlands and open fields, all brought together by a winding, stone-lined creek that babbles across multiple holes. Encroaching trees, lakes, and angry linebackers loom throughout the front nine, where accurate tee shots must bisect unforgiving fairways. The course's second act takes golfers out of dense tree lines and into an open, links-style layout, where players must conquer deep bunkers, intervening waterways, and unfavorable lies wrought by mounded, Scottish-style terrain. Rounds end with dramatic flair at the 18th hole, where a two-tiered green tests how well players have adjusted to the slick, bentgrass putting surfaces and triangular holes that dot the entire course.

The club's Nineteenth Hole overlooks the emerald expanse, allowing golfers to relive glorious moments over frothy beverages, savory meals from the grill, or mouthwatering sports broadcasts by Brent Musburger on the diner's dual big-screen TVs and LCD projector.

Course at a Glance:


* Designed by Gene Bates

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 6,708 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 72.3 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 129 from the farthest tees
• Four tee options

The expert staff at Phoenix Paintball Division oversees multiple fields sprawling across 30 acres of paintball action. A woods field cloaks artistic assassins with trees and bunkers, and a tire-and-hay field conceals teams as they rally together toward victory. As in marital disputes between pro athletes, trained referees strictly enforce all rules, making safety the top priority at Phoenix. The pro shop rents and sells all necessary equipment, accessories, and apparel, as well as food and drinks to keep players fueled during friendly outings, group events, or special occasions, such as birthday parties.

Richland Golf Center summons clubbers of all stripes with its sprawling, multifaceted swing-honing facility and a staff of ace instructors. Revolving around a central pond, the nine-hole executive course helps players master their approaches with seven par 3s and two par 4s that ensure drivers won't start questioning their self-worth. Clients can groom their game in pressure-free sessions at the 40 all-grass hitting stalls of the driving range, at the 2-acre short-game area, or by enrolling in one many golf lesson options.

The center also encompasses an 18-hole mini-golf course, which eschews gimmicky clowns and windmills in favor of a calming layout with misting fountains and obstacles such as water hazards, bunkers, and out-of-bounds areas. Clients can pair renovated swings with brand-new clubs in the pro shop, which peddles gear from brands such as TaylorMade, Srixon, Cleveland, or enlist the center's experts to regrip their current clubs or replace driver shafts snapped during sand-trap pole-vaulting competitions.

Instructor Hannah Padgett first fell in love with American Saddlebred horses at age 5, so when it came time to establish a business in 2006, she knew there was really only one thing she wanted to do. With experience in riding, showing, and working for some of the field’s most prolific trainers, she shares her expertise at the facility’s outdoor riding areas, which include several miles of trails. In addition to showing amateurs the ropes, she instills showmanship in both horses and riders, including some state and national champions.

Sunset Landing Golf Course blankets the countryside with a 6,803-yard, par 72 course that incorporates the landscape's natural challenges into its design. Throughout the round, bentgrass greens await at the end of each hole, where golfers arrive after successfully steering their shots through Bermuda-grass fairways and avoid waking predatory sprinklers. With a course rating of 71.9 from the tips and 66.9 from the closest tees, the course caters to players across the handicap spectrum. Golfers can warm up for their round by hitting practice shots and dead lifting golf carts at Sunset Landing’s driving range.

Six water hazards supply the bulk of difficulty at Cedar Ridge Golf Course, where golfers hunt pars across a relatively flat, 18-hole layout. Golfers must evade the course’s waterways on 11 holes, giving advantage to those who trust their swings or designed tiny life vests for their golf balls. Dense trees lines loom on the edge of fairways on the back nine, and undulating greens challenge putters throughout the course. Cedar Ridge keeps its par-hunters energized for the round with an onsite snack bar.