Hutchinson, KS Outdoor Activities

Adventure Sports provides 385,000 gallons of deep, heated pool water for a realistic scuba-training experience despite the landlocked land on which it sits. The discover scuba-diving experience is a one-time, roughly 1.5-hour introductory course to the world of scuba diving. With training from a PADI-certified instructor, you'll learn the basics of using scuba gear, including the mask, fins, snorkel, weights, tank, and suction cups. All Adventure Sports instructors are up to date with training in CPR and first aid.

All Star Adventures and All Star Sports's two facilities are loaded with fun-park distractions for both kids and adults. While All Star Sports focuses on athletic attractions such as wall climbing and batting cages, All Star Adventures models its facility after amusement-park thrills that include helicopter rides, a tilt a whirl, and a classic-style carousel. Both locations house a snack bar and throw open their gates seven days a week, remaining open long past the time when the sun goes to bed and the moon comes out to daydream about Buzz Aldrin.

Founded in 2003, the Tallgrass Film Festival celebrates dramas, comedies, documentaries, and short films from all over the world. Especially focused on the underdogs of moviemaking, the festival invites auteurs to enjoy four days of eager audiences, after-parties, panel discussions, and popcorn fights. The festival has played an integral role in Wichita’s growing appeal to burgeoning directors and screenwriters, as noted by MovieMaker magazine earlier this year.

The course architect incorporated the area's natural terrain when designing Highlands Golf Club's 18-hole course, sculpting narrow fairways through native tall grass, using sand hills as natural hazards, and enlisting the population of red foxes to serve as forecaddies. The end result is a 6,650-yard labyrinth of zoysia grass that winds through the rolling hills of Reno County. The challenging course makes accurate shot making a premium, as golfers must avoid multiple water hazards in addition to the tough lies that await off the fairways. Golfers can load their Scottish quivers with new golf balls after a preround visit to the pro shop and relax after rounds at the club's onsite restaurant.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par-72 course

• Length of 6,650 yards from the farthest tees

• Course rating of 73.8 from the farthest tees

• Slope rating of 133 from the farthest tees