Macon, GA Outdoor Activities

Perry Country Club’s par 71 course sends golfers across 6,465 yards of bermuda-grass fairways sculpted through the towering pines. A vanguard of brand-new 2012 E-Z-Go golf carts slaloms across the emerald landscape, hastening the 18-hole odyssey as passengers take in views of native flowers and seek out treasure troves of divot tools buried in strategically placed sand traps. Rippling waterways dot the relatively flat course, adding to the verdant scenery as they wait to snatch the life force of errant drives or ill-struck approaches. Clubbers can prepare for their pin-hunting walkabout with a stint at the onsite driving range, and club members may cool off weary bodies or hot-tempered 9-irons during a postround dip in the club's outdoor pool.

Located in a historic train depot in Jonesboro—the setting for Margaret Mitchell’s _Gone With the Wind_—the Road to Tara Museum assembles memorabilia and artwork inspired by the novel and its classic 1939 film adaptation. Visitors can meander past reproductions of the costumes worn by Vivien Leigh or peruse the many foreign translations of the book. The voice of Fred Crane, who played Brent Tarleton on screen, narrates sights throughout the museum, regaling with behind-the-scene tales of the movie set and Clark Gable’s mustache wax. Regular tours extend the educational experience outside the museum walls, exploring Clayton County’s various plantations and historic battlefields still littered with cork pop guns and broken water balloons

Ranging in length from 4,940 yards to 6,626 yards, Bowden Golf Club’s emerald fairways were designed more than 70 years ago, making it Macon’s second-oldest course. With four sets of tees on each hole, golfers can opt for team play, test their mettle during tournaments, or borrow Paul Bunyan's 5 iron to hit a quartet of balls at once. As a full-service facility, the club boasts an onsite pro shop and snack bar, as well as a full-length driving range flanked by practice bunkers and putting greens.

A network of winding trails and windswept pastures extend over the 18 acres of countryside belonging to Fasco Farms LLC, an equestrian and agricultural facility. Stephanie Williams, the ranch’s owner, specializes in transforming adults and children into sound horseback riders through lessons in the disciplines of English and Western riding as well as Natural Horsemanship clinics. Each clinic helps students advance their saddle work, pick up problem-solving techniques, and learn how to load a trailer. The farm also practices equine massage, which, like sports massage for humans, keeps horses at peak physical shape in preparation for competition or while recovering from a breakup.

From the moment Metropolis Arena staffers usher the day’s first group of masked sharpshooters into the obstacle-laden battle zone, the airsoft outpost remains abuzz with fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled crossfire until the last BB is shot. The 14,000-square-foot playing field camouflages up to 100 players at a time with its olive and khaki hues, and its indoor facility enables year-round play unhindered by inclement weather or traitorous clouds. In the onsite shop, knowledgeable staff members outfit players with rental gear and help shooters in the market for new equipment select a suitable instrument for their next BB-firing mission.

Together, the Snellville indoor field and the Conyers outdoor field make up the paintballer’s paradise known as Wildfire Paintball Games. Within Snellville’s warehouse-like space, gunrunners dive behind walls of corrugated pipes. Overhead netting prevents errant paintballs from splattering the ceiling, and large bunkers akin to oversized beanbags offer temporary cover to players who need to tie their shoes or quickly finish a book report. At Conyers, ramshackle huts and fort-like edifices give snipers a spot to target their opponents. A forested area provides camouflage, and the speedball arena’s regulation-style obstacles stand tall on the grass field as players duck and run.