Golf in Pataskala

Golf, known as "the people's sport," is something you should be able to enjoy in rain, shine, humidity, atomic dust, meteors, or on any beautiful day of the week. Lift your winter ban on golf with today's deal: for $15, you get one hour of golf simulator time at Teed Up Indoor Golf in Worthington, up to a $30 value. See how your real-life stroke fares on precise virtual duplicates of 22 different PGA courses. You can use your Groupon toward an hour of time on the simulator. Choose to spend your hour practicing at the driving range ($30 value), golfing a leisurely nine holes ($16 value), or mastering a complete 18-hole round ($29 value). Bring your own clubs and swing away without worry of missing tee time, shagging forested balls, or accidentally showing up your boss.

Designed by renowned golf-course architect Arthur Hills, the 18-hole Kinsale Golf Course features smooth fairways, lush rough, and greens fortified with surface-to-ball defense lasers. Central Ohio’s largest irrigation system ensures that the course is maintained and moisturized like Mother Nature fresh from a day-spa visit. A balanced layout proves challenges to experienced club-swingers while remaining accessible for beginning ball-propellers. Between holes nine and 10, use a food voucher at the concession stand for a quick lunch of a hot dog, chips, and a soda or water.

Westchester Golf Course's lush landscape and sophisticated design set the stage for an exciting game that’ll make you feel as if you’re in the Scottish highlands without the haggis. The par 72 course features six lakes, more than 75 bunkers, bentgrass tees, and a 10,000-square-foot putting green to challenge all skill levels and accommodate all practice needs. The course was designed by Dr. Michael Hurdzan, ASGCA, and boasts a rating of 73.6 and a slope rating of 128 from the championship tees. Because a golf cart will also be included in your game, you'll enjoy a relaxing roundabout while staying out of the sun and easily skirting ominous shadows. While at Westchester, you may also want to peruse the impressively stocked Pro Shop or recharge with a hot dog or sandwich from the on-site snack bar.

A PGA member since 1986, Chuck Mayhew employs a fundamentals-first teaching methodology, thoroughly familiarizing students with the basics of swing mechanics before moving on to more complicated tweaks. Though certain golf tenets are universal, Mayhew knows that any single teaching method won't work for every player. Some are visual learners, some learn by repetition, and still others can only learn when a cast of singing hand puppets teaches them. Private lessons begin with an assessment of each player's current ball positioning, alignment, and swing posture—key components that must be corrected before beginning any backswing. Mayhew conducts lessons at Four Seasons Golf & Fitness Center, a full-service indoor golf-instruction facility that can stay open despite rain or bunker sandstorms.

PGA instructor Paul Newman's resumé includes positions as president of the Southeast Chapter of the Southern Ohio PGA of America and President's Council member of the PGA. Elton Sargent, the outfit's club-fitting and sword-whittling specialist, has worked directly with club manufacturers and brands such as Mizuno. Together they bolster ball-thwacking skills with techniques based on advanced TPI 3D motion-capture technology. The wireless system simultaneously analyzes posture, swing plane, clubface position, and favorite flavor of golf ball, communicating the results through data that are interpreted by an experienced golf instructor. Performance Golf Academies of America also utilizes The Optimal Motion Instructor (TOMI) putting-training system, which assesses putts from backstroke to follow-through and postputt piroutte.

Lined by delicate flowers and blooming copies of The Legend of Bagger Vance, Westerville Mini Golf’s two 18-hole mini-golf courses bob and weave around the 80,000-gallon central pond, challenging golfers with subtle slopes and the distractingly cool mists of two waterfalls. More ferocious ball-striking awaits at the batting cages, where hitters groove line drives off pitches that range from 25 to 80 mph. Driven by a highly reliable two-wheel ball-slinging mechanism, the eight batting cages provide clients with a choice of hitting softballs, baseball, and bocce balls.