Kiryas Joel, NY Outdoor Activities

The 27 holes that comprise Centennial Golf Club cover 340 woodland acres of pristine greenery, earning the Larry Nelson-designed course a difficult to achieve rating of Outstanding from Golf Digest. The nine-hole slates—dubbed the Fairways, the Lakes, and the Meadows—are characterized by frequent undulations and numerous encounters with intersecting waterways. Evergreens line the fairways on most holes, stretching out their needles to snag errant shots and raise golf balls as adopted pine cones in the family tree.

Centennial Golf Club's sprawling facilities include state-of-the-art instruction, practice facilities, and the Grille Room with indoor and outdoor dining spaces.

Course at a Glance:

• Three 9-hole, par 36 courses

• Maximum 18-hole length of 7,133 yards

• Maximum 18-hole course rating of 75.3

• Maximum 18-hole slope rating of 145

• Four sets of tees per hole

• Scorecard

Delaware River Tubing launches tubes, rafts, and kayaks on five- to six-mile trips down scenic waterways just north of where George Washington historically crossed the Delaware River. Shuttles ferry groups to launch points, where watercraft journeys begin along the wide river. In addition to renting vessels, Delaware River Tubing's crew leads guided kayak tours that can highlight local wildlife and tackle class one rapids like a mall cop tackling a gummy-bear thief.

During river adventures, scents of barbecue waft across the water from the aptly named Famous River Hotdog Man. The riverside eatery, founded in 1987, partners with Delaware River Tubing to give each customer a hot meal, which they can devour at picnic tables in the water.

Even though the sprawling, bright-red barn that sits on Saddle Valley Farm holds 75 stalls, it doesn’t take up much space. That’s because the farm—home to riding lessons, horse boarding, and day camps—sits on 100 acres of rolling, emerald hills, lined by a thick of trees and white picket fences. The expanse of land also houses two indoor arenas and an outdoor show ring, lesson ring, and plenty of wide-open space for riding, training, and reenacting the opening sequence to The Sound of Music. Riding students can opt to learn English-style equitation or Western riding under the tutelage of instructors specialized in each field, while the farm also hosts day camps for kids aged 6–13, which include lessons in horse care, grooming, breeds, leading, and handling.

At Tuxedo Ridge Ski Center, 25,000 acres of snow-dusted state-park landscape surround eight trails, inspiring riders with scenic views and mountainous sanctuary. Four double chairlifts escort skiers and snowboarders to the peaks of eight powdery slopes, which dedicated trail-sculptors and snowmaking machines have modified to accommodate riders of all ages, abilities, and postmodernist persuasions. A beginners' area helps snowsplorers find their mountain legs, and the black-diamond racing hill and freestyle park challenge skis and boards with steep slopes, kickers, and rails. The rental shop at the bottom of the hill outfits run-tamers with downhill essentials, and a rustic lodge and pub warms bellies and thaws tongues frozen to metal poles with an array of hearty après-ski treats.

Over the course of its 22-year existence, Ocean Experience Surf School has helped somewhere in the neighborhood of over 15,000 students to safely discover and refine their passion for watersports. Students 6 or older hop atop surfboards, paddleboards, and kayaks for on-the-water practice under the care of experienced instructors during private lessons and group classes.

The local press and community showers the school's companion retail outlet with praise, which won both the Best Surf Shop and Best Skate Shop in CityBeat's 2010 Readers' Poll. In an effort to give back to the community, the organization runs an afterschool sports program offering surfing and skateboarding lessons to kids up to 18 years old and adults with a note from a certified kindergarten teacher.