Kentucky Guide and Deals

Designed by famed Australian golfer Graham Marsh, Old Silo Golf Course engulfs 209 acres of hilly terrain with a challenging 7,011-yard layout. Bent-grass tees, fairways, and greens form manicured chutes through bluegrass rough, a difficult outlier that lures errant shots with its long blades and hypnotic plucking of ancient fiddles.

Somerset Creek comes into play on five holes, looming on the edges of 7 and 17 and presenting a forced carry on holes 6, 15, and 16. The par 72 course concludes with a 574-yard par 5 in which players must navigate a three-sectioned fairway and 8 of the course's 84 white-sand bunkers.

Rather than rummaging in their golf bag for forgotten candy bars or stowaway potatoes, players can quell appetites at Old Silo's restaurant, which serves a menu of pulled-pork sandwiches, cheeseburgers, and other casual grill fare. On weekends, grillmasters barbecue steaks, beef brisket, and ribs on the outdoor balcony that overlooks the golf course.

Course at a Glance:

• Designed by Graham Marsh
• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 7,011 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 74.6 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 139 from the farthest tees
• Four tee options
• Scorecard

During your two-month membership ($80, plus the $35 key-card charge to access the building) at Anytime Fitness, you can re-bloom your wilted health with the state-of-the-art facility's diverse range of cardio and strength equipment. Exploit muscles for non-financial gain with free weights, tone legs on the treadmills, undergo a demanding tour de fitness-center via exercise bikes, or just catch up on reruns of Homeboys from Outer Space with the gym's HDTV monitors. If the flawed workout plan you concocted yourself results only in frighteningly muscular ring fingers, one of Anytime's motivating personal trainers can prescribe a regimen designed to help you meet your fitness goals during a personal-training session ($55). For an even swifter kick in the shants, drop in for one class of boot camp (your first class is free)—an intense combination of cardio, resistance, stretching, and a range of challenging movements and exercises. When you've finished sculpting your flesh-statue, purify yourself of sweat and fried-cheese memories in Anytime's private restrooms and showers.

Discovered by brothers Squire and Daniel Boone in the late 1700s, Squire Boone Caverns is a vast network of underground caverns filled with stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstone, all formed by the gritty sands of time. Rushing rivers and waterfalls carry more than a million gallons of water through the caverns each day, often accompanied by disoriented surfers and bewildered penguins. A trained tour guide leads visitors through the nearby woods and into a man-made entrance to the caverns, where lighted walkways take visitors through the same enchanted labyrinth discovered by the brothers Boone, winding past natural formations, the coffin of Squire Boone, and a goblin king played by David Bowie.

Many symphony orchestras take themselves very seriously. And while Kentucky Symphony Orchestra is consummately professional, they also regale audiences with unconventional performances that may involve silent films, comedians, country bands, and Civil War–battle reenactments, a formula that has worked for the past 21 seasons.

Ensconcing visitors in spacious rooms surrounded by 30 lush acres of grapevines, Elk Creek Vineyards merges the grandeur of Napa Valley with Kentucky hospitality. Among three discrete lodgings, the Estates' wraparound deck sounds the creak of rocking chairs, the Inn's communial living room welcomes late-night conversation, and the Lodge's private decks open up onto vineyard and lake. Live entertainment every Friday and Saturday keeps eardrums occupied, and a gallery exhibits the creations of local artists. During tastings and tours, guests sample the vineyard's products and stroll through the fields, popping grapes to figure out which ones are alcoholic.

Designed by architect Buck Blankenship, the fairways of Shelbyville Country Club's 18-hole course circumnavigate a horseshoe-shaped lake and they gently rise and fall over the rolling hills of Shelby County. Narrow fairways lined with mature trees offset the course's relatively short 6,400-yard length, setting the tone for a round that rewards accuracy and course management over flashy drives and flame-decaled golf bags. A fully stocked pro shop lies at the course's trailhead, offering players the latest in clubs and gear, and a staff of two resident aces stands ready to adjust swings and impart strategic advice during private and group lessons. Along with the immaculate landscape, Shelbyville Country Club boasts two outdoor tennis courts and an Olympic-size pool featuring a gated kiddie pool and play area, all of which are patrolled by a lifeguard and Mark Spitz's mustache.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, 6,331-yard course

• Course rating of 70.2 from the farthest tees

• Slope rating of 122 from the farthest tees

• Four tee options: