Loveland, OH Outdoor Activities

Skydive Warren County is a labor of love for the Stewart family with roots as far back as 1945, when the patriarch purchased 40 acres of land and lived in a house attached to a hangar at Waynesville Airport. Such proximity caused the Stewarts to grow up with an appreciation for aviation that eventually brought them to skydiving. Since 1969, the business has been imbued with their enthusiasm, teaching novices and experts alike how to hone their skills in airborne sports with the help of licensed professionals.

Patty first discovered rock climbing in college. “I got sucked in right away,” she says. Before long, she found herself marrying a fellow climber—a man she met at Climb Time back when it was still managed by the original owners who also blended their relationship with climbing. “They got married at the gym,” Patty says, describing how the first owners scaled the roof to say their "I dos." Though Patty and her husband didn’t exchange rings at the top of a wall, they did decide to buy the gym.

The expansive arena challenges climbers with a 24-foot climbing wall, where novice and expert mountaineers alike grasp handholds with chalked palms or coax a gorilla to carry them up piggyback style. Along the other side of the facility, Patty and crew dare climbers to test their strength on a wide array of 15- to 60-degree bouldering inclines that sit above moveable pads to cushion jumps or falls.

Golf balls soar above the driving range and roll over tricky putt-putt greens at Southwest Golf Ranch, a practice facility designed to help golfers improve the full spectrum of their skills. With 2.5 acres of bent-grass hitting areas and 20 heated, covered hitting stalls outfitted with synthetic-turf mats, the range lets players choose their hitting surface or conceal their swing adjustments from spy drones sent by rival golfers. The mini-golf course features colorful flags, Lilliputian ponds, and wooden bridges that arch throughout the 18-hole layout, which is lighted for after-hours play.

Helmed by PGA pro and Director of Instruction Dave Stanton, Southwest Golf Ranch’s staff of instructors puts the facility’s resources to use in lessons and golf camps. The resident aces groom golfers’ swings with the help of video analysis and FlightScope swing tracking, the same technology used in the Ranch’s club fitting studio, which pairs golfers with their ideal clubs without forcing them to meet random sand wedges on the Internet.

The experienced instructors at Eastern Hills Indoor Tennis Club know what it takes to win games against tough opponents. Brian Clark and Steve Levine both crossed rackets with skilled rivals while playing for Xavier University and the University of Cincinnati. And Doug Matthews helps lead collegiate students to victory as the assistant coach of Xavier's men's and women's tennis teams. It's this wealth of experience that makes the club’s group lessons so successful. Classes are designed to improve the skills of all players, whether they're well versed in the sport or have only used a racket to bat away a bumblebee.