Things to Do in Oconomowoc

A private club for more than a century, Rolling Hills Country Club has opened the gates to its immaculate emerald corridors, inviting golfers of all stripes to drive, pitch, and putt their way across its 6,540-yard, tree-lined course. Sculpted through the rolling clay of the Wisconsin countryside, seven of the course's holes maintain the same shape, location, and old-timey mustache of the original 1896 layout. Streams and ponds complicate passage on several holes, including the par 5 fifth hole, where ponds on either side of the fairway contribute to the 539-yard behemoth’s distinction as the course's most difficult. After hacking their way through the pristine par 71, clubbers can retreat to the clubhouse, which boasts a pro shop stocked with apparel and accessories, a full-service bar and grill, and a locker room where players can change clothes and sample the flavors of grass caught between their shoe spikes.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 71 course
• Length of 6,540 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 71.9 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 128 from the farthest tees
• Four tee options
• Download scorecard

Five trails descend down the slopes at Highlands of Olympia, ranging from the beginner-friendly bunny hill to the East Bowl, a black diamond that challenges advanced skiers to face the biting winds as they carve through the incline. The mountain also features a terrain park where snowboarders grind over rails and boxes, and tow ropes pull inner tubes up the hill before they are released for a speedy 1,000-foot-long descent that covers a 60-foot vertical drop. A half-hour’s drive from downtown Milwaukee, Highlands packs a day’s worth of entertainment into the neatly packed snow, from the onsite bar and restaurant to lessons in which instructors impart the secrets of picking up ham-radio signals with outstretched ski poles.

Players of airsoft—a cross between paintball and laser tag—use replica rifles to shoot biodegradable plastic pellets at their opponents as they all strive to be the last one standing. The staff at AKA Airsoft, which is led by a former member of the military, add excitement to these matches with organized scenarios on a boot-camp-style course comprising six buildings and multiple starting points. A field referee oversees each scenario to ensure that everyone’s playing safely and fairly.

Paganica's 18-hole golf course spans 6,576 yards of tree-lined fairways for a challenging but player-friendly layout. Water hazards come into play on seven holes, including the signature fourth hole, a 427-yard par 4 where approach shots must carry 186 yards of water to reach the green and spare golf balls the trouble of befriending barnacles. Throughout the round, well-aimed drives will be necessary to bisect the course's narrow fairways, setting up favorable shots into moderately fast greens. With three tee options, the layout challenges aces when played from the tips, and forward tees cater to beginners or those mistakenly teeing up a bocce ball.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course

• Length of 6,576 yards from the farthest tees

• Course rating of 70.0 from the farthest tees

• Slope rating of 116 from the farthest tees

• Three tee options

After injuring her back during a racquetball match, Karen Rudolph wondered if she’d ever play her favorite sport again. Upon her massage therapist’s recommendation, she tried Hatha yoga and discovered that relaxation helped her body mend faster. She explored this ancient mind-body connection, fell in love with its peacefulness and physical benefits, and soon became a certified instructor. In the late 1990s, after resuming racquetball and taking up hiking and biking, she left her career in the corporate world to pursue yoga. After teaching on her own for more than 20 years, in 2011 Karen founded Abundant Joy Yoga & Wellness, a studio devoted to holistic healing, deep breaths, and poses that build enough strength and balance to bench-press an orca while riding a surfboard.

Inside the studio’s tranquil Serenity Room, students explore holistic health from a variety of angles, including private sessions of energy-balancing reiki, Thai bodywork, integrative chakra healing, and cranio-sacral therapy. Once a month, the room also hosts thermography imaging sessions, which assess and address the inflamed muscles and nerve dysfunction associated with conditions such as fibromyalgia, TMJ, and diverticulitis. Nearby, the Yin Yang Room hosts classes ranging from aikido lessons for kids and lunch yoga sessions for adults of all skill and appetite levels.

Hillside Farm sprawls across 22 acres of the hilly Kettle Moraine region and is home to a talented training staff with a combined 80 years of experience in English riding, dressage, and hunter and jumper. When leading lessons, they pair students with compatible horses choosing from a fleet of 20 lesson horses and 14 polo steeds. While every rider dreams of galloping into the sunset, the trainers first instill the vocabulary and basic skills necessary for riders to feel confident and natural when on horseback. The school also specializes in polo, teaching students fundamental skills before players can advance to strategic lessons. The farm even hosts a polo league.

Hillside Farm’s onsite boarding facilities rehabilitate local horses or board leased horses for regular riders. The staff takes pride in its treatment of animals, using nutritionally rich Nutrena SafeChoice feed and practicing nonviolent training methods that avoid physical or emotional abuse.