Pine Castle, FL Outdoor Activities

At WestWood Farms, hunter horses and ponies roam four grass paddocks, setting a scene so peaceful and bucolic, no one would ever guess the farm is located just 15 minutes from the bustle of Orlando International Airport. That same sense of calm permeates WestWood's riding lessons, where trainers time their students' progress not by a watch, but by whether or not their goals for the day have been accomplished. Open to riders aged 5 and older, the farm's lessons focus on the English style of riding, which involves the letter u more frequently than other styles and emphasizes the hunter-jumper discipline.

The crack of firearms reverberates at Trained 2 Conceal, where no one shoots without a firm grasp of firearm safety and responsibility. This philosophy pervades the business's firearm courses, where seasoned instructors cater to marksmen of all skill levels with professional, hands-on training. Lessons in handling weapons front-end courses and are followed by proper shooting techniques and an inspirational talk with Annie Oakley's ghost.

In 1917, toward the end of WWI, the greens of Winter Park Country Club’s golf course echoed with baaing and bleating. In response to the wartime meat shortage, golfer cleats had given way to hooves: the course’s links, designed by John Dunn of Scotland just 17 years earlier, became grazing pastures for sheep and goats.

This was just one of many course reinventions during its more than 100 years of history, which has seen Winter Park’s fairways expand from 9 to 27 and shrink back to 9 again. Perhaps the course's greatest claim to fame has been the legendary figures who have graced its narrow, tree-hampered fairways, including players with surnames such as Hogan, Snead, and Sarazen.

Players of all stripes, from greenhorns to green-jacket holders, must deal with difficult design and terrain, as showcased on the course’s signature fourth hole, whose dogleg left and tight out-of-bounds areas lead a troubling path to a green situated behind two large bunkers and a massive oak tree. The biggest challenge, however, may reside on the par 3 seventh hole, whose deceptively simple 165-yard length leads into a hard-to-read green with a shape-shifting flagstick.

Course at a Glance:

• Nine-hole, par 35 course

• Length of 2,470 yards

• Course rating of 31.8

• Slope rating of 102 on bermuda grass

• See hole details

Originally set afloat as the Florida Athletic Club in 1968, the Orlando Rowing Club promotes paddle sports through a variety of competitive and recreational offerings. Introductory rowing courses establish a buoyant foundation for more advanced levels of the sport, familiarizing students with fundamental equipment, techniques, and safety basics, such as the proper handling of boats saddled with a crippling fear of water. Serving as a testament to the club's dedicated instructors, previous members have splashed their way to the rowing world's apex by winning national championships and regional races. The club also offers classes in sculling and dragon boating as well as team-building services, which provide a bruise-free alternative to building inverted human pyramids to enhance office unity.