Jeffersontown, KY Outdoor Activities

The saga of the world-famous Putt-Putt chain dates back to 1954, when founder Don Clayton opened his first course in Fayetteville, North Carolina. After the hole-in-one, Don started selling franchises the next year, and now his miniature empire counts the Louisville Putt-Putt Fun Center among its ranks. Three 18-hole indoor courses test mini golfers' mettle with distinct challenges and themes. On one course, a waterfall scintillates soothingly, and on another, animals stand watch and try to store errant golf balls for winter's semipermanent nap. An arcade tests hand-eye-screen coordination, and an outdoor party pavilion hosts birthday parties and events.

Hoofbeats resound across cropped-turf grounds at Shelby Trails Park Equine Education Center. Here, 25-year equestrian Corinne Bradley teaches dressage and jumping techniques to riders of every stripe, from beginner to advanced to honorary centaur. She works with all ages but especially enjoys teaching young people, perhaps because she was only a child herself when she mounted her first horse. By the time she got to high school, she was steering her steeds through full-on equestrian events. Today, Bradley manages an equine paradise. Indoor riding areas introduce barn stormers to their mounts in a controlled environment, and winding trails encourage human and beast to bond while taking in the scenic countryside.

A student of the Parelli way of riding, Bradley’s style emphasizes the horse-rider relationship. Through the Parelli philosophy, students learn to communicate effectively with equines, earning the horses’ trust by eating salt licks and respecting how they react to their natural environment.

Along 1,000 feet of an indoor raceway, up to eight Sodi competition karts snake around bends and blaze through straightaways at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour. Instead of creating a typical tiny, circular path, the designers of Bluegrass Indoor Karting are proud to present a track that celebrates speed and skill. Their karts protect drivers from bumps and rolls with a three-point safety harness, bumper system, and no diving policy. They also design karts specifically for kids, which share the same specs as the adult karts but only max out at a speed of 25 miles per hour. From the 2,000-square-foot viewing area, guests can watch their friends chase down checkered flags, and the facility's 5,000 square feet of conference rooms accommodate youth birthdays and corporate events.

The beautiful RiverPark Place marina accommodates up to 150 gently bobbing boats in its modernized slips. Each docking space can hook up vessels to electricity, water, and cable services, and parked boats also gain access to the marina's pump station, laundry services, showers, and restrooms. Gated docks add security to the marina and prevent ogling from passing garbage barges.

Safety plating divides the six lanes in both of the indoor civilian ranges, where sound-absorbing material muffles the blast of bullets hurtling toward targets on a 25-yard journey. Visiting shooters can test their aim with a rental gun or purchase a new firearm from the showroom, which also stocks an array of holsters, spotting scopes, and replacement grips. Meanwhile, gunsmiths spruce up pistols with cleanings, coatings, and tiny top hats, while the staff's NRA-certified instructors enhance pupils' handgun knowledge, safety, and skills during private lessons and women's-only classes.