Edmond, OK Outdoor Activities

Originally built in 1945 and redesigned by renowned golf architect Tripp Davis in 1998, Lakeside Golf Course’s 18-hole layout spans 6,756 yards of pristine terrain dotted with mature oak trees. The men's par 70 and women's par 71 course has served as a training ground for several veteran PGA Tour winners, including Scott Verplank and Bob Tway. The course’s rolling, bermuda-grass fairways blend into its bentgrass greens, ensuring a smooth surface for putting or lying down to catch golf balls in your teeth.

A renowned speaker and family entertainer, Robin Ray Hocker––known by his professional clowning name, Chester––opened Chester's Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze in 2001 as a means of engaging kids in fun-filled outdoor activities. Snuggled amidst 25 verdant acres, his farm keeps visitors entertained throughout the year via a host of seasonal activities, hosting private picnics and cookouts in summer. As autumn unfurls, the farm's annual pumpkin patch returns to welcome families for fall-themed activities including a giant slide, pumpkin bowling, and a petting zoo. Groups can also put their navigational skills to the test in the farm’s three-acre Mystery Maze, meandering through spooky twists and turns made all the more tricky by a chance encounter with a ghostly pioneer or lost census taker. Afterward, guests can quiet chattering teeth by the warm glow of a bonfire, and outside picnic areas facilitate al fresco feeding frenzies throughout the day.

Kelly Kraegel Varner, who held the title Miss Rodeo California in 2002, presides over Cottonwood Creek's stable of regal Morgan horses, many of whom have had a hand in the 50 World and Grand National and Reserve Championships she and her clientele have amassed over the years. With the help of Mandy Highsaw, a 20-year veteran rider and instructor, Kelly has centered Cottonwood as a respected riding school catering to students as young as seven.

The ranch's horseback riding lessons impart precious knowledge in a variety of riding styles, including Western, English, saddle-seat, stick-shift, and automatic, with friendly teachers practicing effective, positive reinforcement on both students and horses. Come midsummer, Cottonwood's summer camp amasses small groups for tutorials in Western- and English-style riding and grooming, as well as outdoor activities such as swimming and crafting. Gallopers gallivant across the ranch's newly renovated riding facility, with a spacious outdoor arena for open-air rides or a well-lit, roomy indoor space for winter riding or playing games of horse Monopoly during rainstorms.

The Range

• 20-yard, 14-lane climate-controlled gun and archery range
• HEPA filtration system exchanges 12,000 cubic feet of air per minute
• Action Target Rapid Rail with push-button or mind-controlled target retrieval
• Action Target Backstop handles all ammo calibers

The Rentals

• Nearly 40 firearm rentals from manufacturers such as Glock, Smith & Wesson, and STI International
• Calibers such as 9 millimeter, .357, and .45 ACP

At a Glance

Spanning 30,000 square feet, Heartland Outdoors houses a gun and archery range beside a full-service pro shop. There, staff members advise marksmen on equipment and clothing from brands such as Winchester and Mossy Oak. They also lead armed defense classes, imparting their expertise as NRA-certified instructors.

Prolific course architect Rocky Roquemore preserved the natural beauty of the land by sculpting tree-hemmed fairways that incorporate 14 ponds. Deer and wild turkey occasionally dart across the zoysia fairways, casually stopping to lay down their beach towels in one of the course's 100-plus sand traps. After conquering the water-guarded green of the 11th hole and carrying the ball past the water-flanked fairway of the 18th, golfers can relax by slicing into steak and seafood at the clubhouse restaurant. The lounge on the recently renovated clubhouse porch offers views of the course and adventurous players strapping on snorkeling masks to retrieve balls in the course’s waterways.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 7,063 yards
• Course rating of 73.8
• Slope rating of 127
• See individual hole details and the course layout.