Jackson Gyms and Fitness

Richard J. Sass first felt the weight of a scuba tank about his shoulders at 15, when a friend's father strapped him into a suit and threw him into the world's deep end, as it were. Rick fell in love with diving before ever surfacing on that first adventure, and he started Sub-Aquatic Sports & Service – or SASS for short – to share his passion with others. He and his staff teach a full range of scuba classes, from beginner certifications to becoming a dive instructor. They lead trips into waters across the world, from Australia to Micronesia, from the Great Lakes to the Galapagos Islands.

Prior to 1963, the entire Gun Lake area did not have a golf course. Local enthusiasts had to travel out of town to get their weekend morning fix, and younger residents had nowhere to become acquainted with the game. It would take a man who had never played a round of golf in his life to give the community a welcoming locale to practice the game and unveil heat seeking three-woods. This visionary, Frank Tichvon, turned his greenhorn status into green-thumbed activism, building a modest yet challenging nine-hole course that thrilled locals with tee shots down beautiful tree-lined fairways and breaking putts across manicured greens. The course's popularity brought about the construction of a second nine-hole layout, and by 1987, the course had grown into a 27-hole destination sprawled across more than 200 acres of verdant Michigan terrain. Eighteen-hole combinations range in length from 5,200 yards up to 6,373, challenging golfers with tight fairways framed by mature arbors that kidnap gullible golf balls.

Course at a Glance:

• 27-hole course, par of 36 on each 9-hole side
• 18-hole length of up to 6,373 yards from back tees
• 18-hole rating of 67.2–69.1 from back tees
• 18-hole slope of 105–110 from back tees
• Two sets of tees

Perched on the banks of Gun Lake amid several hiking trails and picnic sites, Gun Lake Rentals provides visitors with entertainment selections from its flotilla of boats and personal watercraft. The rental company carries a variety of aquatic options for satisfying thrill seekers and leisurely paddlers alike. The fleet includes jet skis and pontoon boats, as well as paddleboards and kayaks. After a full day of staying afloat on the oversized puddle, guests can seek out attractions in nearby Shelbyville, such as golf courses, miniature golf courses, horse ranches, and miniature horse ranches.

Riverview Athletic Club gets hearts pumping inside an expansive facility that includes fitness studios, a cardio theater, and court space for tennis, basketball, and volleyball. A schedule of nearly 40 weekly classes offers such high-energy sessions as Zumba and cycling, as well as muscle-toning Pilates and boot-camp workouts. Parents can drop off tykes in the Kids Zone while they exercise or indulge in a massage to release pent-up stress incurred from being in charge of children.

Despite the race’s assertion that, “the Old Farts course is no joke,” the 5K and full- and half-marathon event is still presented with quite a bit of levity. Top 10 finishers in the 5K, for instance, are awarded whoopee cushions for their efforts in a race known colloquially as the Who Cut the Cheese? 5K, and the full marathon crests a hill named after the actor and human punch line Chuck Norris. Amid this casual atmosphere, runners of all ages compete on wooded courses that are as beautiful as they are difficult. Hundreds of feet of elevation changes unfold as the course progresses through a mix of tree-lined trails, gravel roads, and pavement.