Things to Do in Hoffman Estates

Chicago Jewelry and Lapidary School's instructors have had their work shown in galleries around the world. These acclaimed artists put their experience and passion to use by equipping students with the tools and know-how to create their own art. From courses on forging rings to constructing bead sculptures, the class schedule offers a wide array of creative outlets for the curious crafter or surreptitious bead thief. After class, students can post their masterpieces in the virtual art gallery or peruse the online boutique’s selection of healthy teas, essential oils, and chi-aligning crystals.

Having honed his aviation skills in helicopter cockpits for 45+ years, the head pilot at Midwestern Helicopter leads a team of FAA–certified pilots in performing helicopter tours, charters, and pilot instruction. They steer a fleet of three Robinson R-44s and two R-22s over cityscapes and country vistas with photographers, pollinators, surveyors, or sightseers onboard, continuing a crash- and speeding-ticket-free record begun with the company's inception four years ago. The flight team acquaints new flyers with immediate actual flight experience during introductory flights and helps students to achieve private, commercial, and flight-instructor certification during FAA courses. As authorized merchants of Robinson aircraft, they can also hawk helicopters or perform maintenance on various models inside heated hangars without having to first notify the aircraft's next of kin.

Despite a close encounter with a hammerhead shark, Learn Scuba Chicago's Captain Bob just keeps on scuba diving. The aquatic expert got an up-close peep of shark teeth on his very first Caribbean dive, yet has scarcely taken his flippers off since. Captain Bob leads diving courses, which range from thrilling dips for beginners to rescue-diver certifications. Students plunge into indoor pools at Water's Edge Aquatic Center in Bensenville, the UIC campus, and Northeastern Illinois University campus, with open water dives held at Kankakee's Haigh Quarry. Depending on the course, Learn Scuba Chicago lends or sells student equipment such as masks, fins, snorkels, and gills.

TourBound Golf Academy fosters score-shaving improvement for golfers of all abilities with the latest PGA Tour simulators and professional instructors. The immense screens of simulators line the walls, vividly bringing to life the verdant landscapes of 50 of the world's most famous courses. To allow for realistic play, the highly detailed simulator experience takes into account factors such as wind currents, ball spin, and excessively sweaty palms to inform the outcome of each swing. Offering a more hands-on kind of swing sprucing, the academy offers sessions with the TourBound robot, which can correct common swing imbalances, such as having too steep a backswing or failing to transfer body weight through the swing. The long arms of the robot physically guide hands through the proper motions, giving players a feel for the proper technique while making sarcastic remarks about human mortality.

For those looking for less structured practice, the academy also offers hitting bays that foster rote swing mechanics. Between time spent peering into the murky depths of their golf swing, guests can relax amid plush leather seats and spacious locker room.

One part bowling alley, one part laser-tag arena, and one part sports bar, eSkape Entertainment facilitates friendly competition and allows guests to bond over rivalry-burying toasts. The high-tech bowling lanes aid players’ games with electronic score keeping, automated bumpers, and instructional videos on how to high-five. In the laser-tag course, players wield phasers and wind through dim corridors while searching for opposing team members. In between strikes and futuristic games of tag, guests can refuel at eSkape's in-house sports bar and lounge. The kitchen staff fires pub specialties—including mini cheeseburgers and slow-roasted baby back ribs—and orders can be delivered to each lane.

In the winter, it looks as though an alien spacecraft has touched down at Links & Tees Golf Facility. Within this futuristic structure—actually an inflatable golf dome whose three layers trap heat—PGA professionals teach lessons and golfers practice their snow-clearing swings. This impressive indoor facility—along with an outdoor driving range that boasts more than 50 hitting stations, a 10,000-square foot putting green, and a 5,000-square foot chipping green—has repeatedly landed Links & Tees among Golf Range Magazine's Top 100 Golf Practice Facilities.

After warming up at the range, golfers can take to the tees and bentgrass fairways of a nine-hole executive course, where three ponds snatch up balls and a smattering of sand bunkers tempt hungry golfers to stop and dig for clams. They can also head for Putter’s Peak, an 18-hole miniature-golf course where tiki statues line fairways, the rumble of a Lilliputian waterfall fills the air, and putters must venture into the dark depths of a cave. After either a miniature or executive round of golf, visitors can pull off the plate armor that protects against mis-aimed balls, put down their clubs, and pick up a hot dog or pizza at the 4,000-square-foot clubhouse.

Course at a Glance:

• Nine-hole, par-27 course
• Length of 1,709 yards
• Course rating of 35.5
• Slope rating of 113
• Link to course layout