Health & Fitness in Newton

Since 1964, Terrace Hills Golf Course has invited golfers of all abilities to send balls soaring between the trees lining each of its 18 fairways. Though relatively short at 6,421 yards from the back tees, plenty of hazards lurk throughout the terrain, ready to spoil any oncomer's overconfidence. Water confronts play on eight of the holes, including holes 3, 4, 12, and 13, where a stream snakes its way through the course and enervates golfers by forcing them to play "Marco Polo" with lost balls. Terrace Hills promises golfers a free round on their next visit if their rounds take longer than 4.5 hours when they have tee times on weekdays before 2 p.m. and weekends or holidays.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 71 course
• Total length of 6,421 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 68.8 from the back tees
• Course slope of 116 from the back tees
• Three sets of tees per hole

After selling his farm-equipment business in 1972, Dale W. Brady sought the counsel of his three sons to determine what should be done with the 200-acre plot of land originally used for testing out his new products. The three resolved to turn their land into a golf course. After a test green survived the winter and they earned the blessing of the region’s lawn-mower king, son Tom devised a layout from an aerial drawing and the team set to work, sculpting the rugged earth and opening the course in August 1973. A family-run enterprise ever since, the course bobs and weaves over 6,224 yards of rolling terrain that feature sparse tree lines, water hazards in play on five holes, and scenic views of the verdant landscape.

Since its relatively humble beginnings, Toad Valley Golf Course has grown to include a full-length driving range and the Field of Greens Mini Links, an 18-hole miniature-golf course that challenges players with realistic putting surfaces, including bunkers, water hazards, and contoured greens. The range’s grass tees offer practice on an organic surface similar to course conditions, and the putting surfaces emulate the tricky slopes of real greens and even include rough, sand traps, and water features that add to the scenery and allow putters to bob for wayward golf balls.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 71 course
• Length of 6,224 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 69.1 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 114 from the farthest tees
• Four tee options
• Link to scorecard

Doctors of Chiropractic Donald MacKenzie and Ursula Adkins represent two generations of Palmer College of Chiropractic alumni—Dr. MacKenzie graduated from the school in 1974 and Dr. Adkins graduated in 2012. Together, they help align spines at Altoona Chiropractic Center with an array of advanced and traditional adjustment techniques, including Activator devices, Thompson Drop tables, and applied kinesiology. And their service menu isn’t just limited to adjustments. The doctors bolster their care with a slew of treatments and therapies that ranges from acupuncture and massages with licensed massage therapist Terra Stegall to ultrasound therapy, Emotional Freedom Technique therapy, and cryotherapy. All treatments are administered with the goal of improving patients’ overall health in order to prevent injury and illness and ensure their eligibility for the next season of The Amazing Race.

Farrell’s eXtreme Body Shaping helps clients of all ages, lifestyles, gender, and athletic ability achieve their fitness goals through results-orientated training. Long-time taekwondo competitor and teacher Lance Farrell developed the program to combat obesity and assist people develop healthy lifestyle habits by incorporating the fat-burning, strengthening and endurance building aspects of competitive martial arts training into a course for those less interested in traditional sparring or contact drills. During 45-minute sessions hosted six days a week, Farrell uses fitness as a catalyst for improving overall health, wellness, and athletic abilities. A 10-week program can result in visible changes sparked by discipline and nutritional commitment.

Matt White cinches his uniform with a fourth-degree black belt in tae kwon do, heads down to one of Triumph Martial Arts' three locations, and dishes up a fist-full of knowledge earned over 25 years of mat-slapping training. Recognized by the American Tae Kwon Do Association as the Regional Instructor of the Year in 2008 and 2011, Mr. White takes pride in combative victory and from passing those skills on.

In keeping with the Association's instructional format, Mr. White and his battery of four instructors teach the martial art and philosophy of tae kwon do to kids and adults. Tiny Tigers sessions reach out to students as young as 4 years old, teaching them important values such as helping around the house, excelling at schoolwork, and how to survive a wildebeest stampede. Students as old as 55 have started with no experience, going on to successfully earn their black belts.

Lifepoint Dental Partners is a dental practice that uses minimally invasive techniques, which include composite resin fillings that blend in with enamel. Invisalign braces keep metal out of mouths as they guide teeth into more aesthetically pleasing positions. And the team probes mouthscapes with digital x-rays that emit up to 80% less radiation than traditional x-rays.

Sleepy Hollow Sports Park sprawls over 80 acres of fields and slopes buzzing with a variety of year-round activities, from go-karts and bumper boats to downhill sledding. The team puts together four 5K races throughout the year: H20 Run, Sno Run, Mud Run, and Beer Run. During these meticulously constructed events, Sleepy Hollow will pit runners against manmade obstacles and natural obstacles.

Being an Iowa-based company, Sleepy Hollow supports more than 300 groups annually, providing funding for causes ranging from local schools to cancer research. The park also serves as the permanent residence of the annual Des Moines Renaissance Faire and Haunted Scream Park.