Things To Do In Highlands Ranch

City of Denver Golf consists of eight distinct facilities that offer nine- and 18-hole courses set amid rustic, wooded landscapes with breathtaking views of the Denver skyline. Both the Harvard Gulch and Kennedy facilities contain nine-hole, par 3 courses, which accommodate novice golfers or advanced golfers.

With a blazing marquee declaring “Hollywood” in towering neon letters, SouthGlenn Stadium 14 invokes the image of classic cinemas while still using the latest moviegoing technology. More than 2,500 high-backed seats cradle viewers across 14 theaters equipped with state-of-the-art Sony Digital 4K projection systems. Nine of these theaters also surround audiences with RealD 3-D systems, allowing them to revel in the thrills of endless snakes-in-a-nut-can scenes. Before films, the SkyboX Bar and Grill offers up a full-service menu of café entrees and craft drinks, including $1 domestic beers, $2 craft beers, and $1 fountain sodas. Entrees and beverages can be delivered to viewers lounging in Premiere Cinema balcony seats or enjoyed in the Skybox lounge.

Captain James Cook's nautical adventures have taken him from delivering yachts across oceans using only sextant navigation to earning the ASA's most-advanced instruction certification. Since 1986, he's channeled that oceanic expertise into Victoria Sailing School, where expert instructors help students of all skill levels earn ASA certifications and endorsements through hands-on techniques.

Before they set foot on a boat, however, aspiring seafarers get their feet wet in a safe classroom setting in the Colorado Executive Club Building. Upon passing their exams, they move on to practical sessions on the Cherry Creek, Lake Carter, or Chatfield Reservoirs, where they learn basic maneuvers or rig spinnakers on a J/22. More advanced students cut their nautical teeth on a J/30.

Along with sailing courses, 10-week coastal- and celestial-navigation classes help guests master the skills necessary for steering a course through the open seas, including an ability to decipher longitude, latitude, and the shouted, arcane demands of the moon. Weather for the Mariner classes teach students to analyze weather maps and prep strategies to avoid hurricane hazards.

At Colorado Handgun Shooting School, NRA-certified instructors Sherry and Jon Vargason make safety the focus of every class, whether they're working with a first-time student or a seasoned T-shirt cannon operator. They teach at The Shootist Pistol Range, leading classes such as the NRA Basic Pistol Shooting Course and a concealed-handgun course that qualifies students to apply for state concealed-handgun permits. To help clients feel as comfortable as possible, Sherry and Jon also organize women-only classes, as well as private one-on-one instruction.

It was 1958 and John Bandimere, Sr.'s family business needed somewhere to test their auto-repair and maintenance work amid their shop's barren, hogback surroundings. Though the strip of pavement they constructed aided many oil changes and tune-ups, Bandimere, Sr. had another motive for purchasing the land around it. He wanted to give young people a safe and hands-on environment where they could learn about cars and racing.

Nowadays, his modest strip of pavement—dubbed Bandimere Speedway—adjoins seating for 28,500 spectators, complete with a VIP tower with suites and 60-inch LED scoreboards. Clamorous engines dominate the racing space, which hosts more than 125 yearly events on the quarter-mile, all-concrete drag strip. Sanctioned by the NHRA—which is responsible for teaching hot rods how to handle firearms safely—the speedway also hosts the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals.

Located within the Robert E. Loup Jewish Community Center, JCC Sports & Fitness welcomes people of all religions, ethnicities, genders, and walks of life. Inside, members audition new sweatbands atop Precor, Cybex, StairMaster, and other cardio machines, or head to the weight room to test their strength by arm-wrestling equipment by Cybex and FreeMotion. Between the spinning, heated yoga, and group exercise studios, instructors teach more than 100 group classes each week, but personal trainers are also available for one-on-one or small-group training.

Parents on their way to the full-size gymnasium or indoor or outdoor pools can drop their kids off at the childcare center, or suit up alongside them to wade in the kiddie pool. Steam rooms and whirlpools help men and women relax and shed stress after a long day of work, and men can also head into a traditional shvitz, or steam bath.