Fond du Lac, WI Outdoor Activities

Draped over 270 acres of rolling woodland terrain, Branch River Golf & Tennis’s 18-hole course funnels dimpled orbs through a circuit of arching fairways dotted with lush trees. After two generous starting holes, golfers must face Branch River’s daunting “Monster” hole, a 584-yard behemoth where players must tunnel drives though a fairway hemmed by trees, before determining how best to approach a creek-fortified green with a false front and fake ID. High-risk, high-reward shots abound throughout, forcing golfers to exercise sound course management as they drink in views of the picturesque par 72 course.

Along with pristine links, Branch River Golf & Tennis houses three tennis courts, a full-size outdoor pool, and an area for trap shooting. After a long day of spirited sport and swimming, guests can take a load off at dining facilities that overlook the course and graciously supply booster seats so anthropomorphic sand wedges can partake in the meal.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Course rating of 72.5 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 125 from the farthest tees
• Four tee options
• Click here for course layout

Carved out of 640 acres of Wisconsin farmland, the 4.048-mile, 14-turn racetrack at Road America allows roadsters of all size and stripe to careen the original track design throughout the raceway’s full season of stock-car, motorcycle, and vintage-car collecting events. The iconic raceway, one of the fastest permanent road-racing tracks in the world, nurtures aspiring Andrettis through its driving school and accommodates gatherings with group outings, such as go-karting, snowshoeing, or geocaching adventures. On race day, guests can take advantage of golf-cart rentals to enjoy the action and fill up on snacks at some of Road America’s 13 concession stands.

Hillside Farm sprawls across 22 acres of the hilly Kettle Moraine region and is home to a talented training staff with a combined 80 years of experience in English riding, dressage, and hunter and jumper. When leading lessons, they pair students with compatible horses choosing from a fleet of 20 lesson horses and 14 polo steeds. While every rider dreams of galloping into the sunset, the trainers first instill the vocabulary and basic skills necessary for riders to feel confident and natural when on horseback. The school also specializes in polo, teaching students fundamental skills before players can advance to strategic lessons. The farm even hosts a polo league.

Hillside Farm’s onsite boarding facilities rehabilitate local horses or board leased horses for regular riders. The staff takes pride in its treatment of animals, using nutritionally rich Nutrena SafeChoice feed and practicing nonviolent training methods that avoid physical or emotional abuse.

Designed by golf legend Arnold Palmer, The Bog’s 7,221-yard layout sprawls across 297 acres of tree-lined fairways, wetlands, and rolling , mounded terrain. The well-bunkered course incorporates all of the native surroundings into one seamless, award-winning layout, in which golfers must send balls somersaulting over intervening water hazards, avoid sprawling thickets of native tall grasses, and resist the urge to forsake humanity in favor of the vibrant ecosystem of the Cedarburg Bog, which forms a natural border on multiple fairways. Hole 17—a par 5 that forms the longest and most demanding hole on the course—embodies many of the course’s distinct characteristics, as stick-flickersclubbers drive from a low, water-kissed tee-box before climbing an uphill, 593-yard split fairway that doglegs left around sprawling waste hazard areas and into a green fortified by six bunkers and mounded rough. A duo of PGA-certified instructors roam throughout the course and its adjacent driving range, imparting score-shaving advice in lessons and fending off rogue windmills hoping to upgrade from their mini- golf residences.

Course at a Glance:

• Designed by Arnold Palmer
• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 7,221 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 75.3 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 143 from the farthest tees
• Five tee options
• View The Bog's scorecard, course flyover, and course layout
• Site of the 2013 WSGA State Amateur Championship
• Rated one of the top-50 public facilities in America by GRAA
• Golf Digest course overview

First a teacher, and then a stay-at-home mom, Melissa Spredemann turned to indoor cycling to help her get into shape. With 12 years of experience under her belt, she decided to become certified to teach others the exercise form she loved so much. Just one year into teaching, she knew she wanted to pursue her passion full-time, so she opened Velocity Cycling Studio to share stationary cycling's benefits with others. She handpicked a team of instructors, each chosen for their commitment, enthusiasm, and innate ability to bike while not covering any distance. Melissa made the conscious decision to open a niche gym, focusing on indoor cycling and only indoor cycling. In the studio, an army of Spinner NXT bikes with SPD clips seats students as they bike through poses, drills, and movements designed to mimic outdoor riding. Thumping tunes pump up pupils as they ride, keeping them motivated to pedal to the upbeat tempos. Unlike big-box gyms and arranged friendships, Velocity Cycling Studio never requires a contract—guests simply pay per ride.