Providence Health and Fitness

At Mulligan's Island Golf & Entertainment, 60 covered hitting stalls look out onto 11 acres of target areas, a sprawling configuration that helped earn the facility a spot on Golf Range Magazine's 2011 list of top 100 ranges. Golfers can use the driving range's 20 heated stalls to practice during off-season months without worrying about cooler temperatures stiffening their swings, or they can invest in lessons that use digital teaching methods such as computerized swing analysis to lower handicaps. A USGA-rated course tests participants with nine holes of regulation-size golf, while an 18-hole pitch-and-putt short course and two mini-golf courses help golfers calibrate aspects of their short game. The practice mecca also tests swings at 10 batting cages that feed baseballs and softballs at adjustable speeds to suit both little leaguers and professionals fishing for compliments.

Carved through dense pine trees according to the vision of New England course designer Donald Ross, Triggs Memorial Golf Course artfully incorporates the natural terrain into a scenic, 18-hole layout. The course begins with three long par 4s—demanding par 4s have become the course's calling card—making it a daunting layout for slow-starting swings and jet-lagged 9-irons. Relatively short par 5s offer stick-flickers scoring chances to compensate for some of the more difficult holes, provided they can keep their drives out of the fairway bunkers and dense tree lines that flank most fairways. Flat terrain eases golfers into the round on the front nine, and more hilly terrain awaits on the back nine to complicate club selection and force the occasional above- or below-the-feet lie. Small, well-bunkered greens loom at the end of each fairway, requiring precise approach shots to keep balls on the green. After rounds, golfers can head to Yogi's Grill, where a menu of sandwiches, wraps, burgers, and 13 beers slake appetites that haven't been spoiled by handfuls of savory greenside sand.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Course rating of 72.0 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 124 from the farthest tees
• Three tee options

Raffa Yoga is not a standard yoga studio, which is apparent right away from its wide variety of yoga classes that range from consciousness-raising Prana flow to rockin' hip-hop yoga and trapeze-like, aerial antigravity yoga. During classes, percussionists tap out soothing drumbeats as students find their center. An oversize golden Buddha mural looks over the classroom, prompting students to contemplate spirituality and wonder if the real guy ever wanted to just take a day off work and take a nice long nap.

Raffa Yoga’s active relaxation center includes Urban Sweat, a stress retreat composed of 21 massage and treatment rooms and 6 heat-therapy rooms. The eco-friendly space soothes the senses with ingredients such as eucalyptus and yellow turmeric, which is known for its anti-inflammatory qualities.

After emerging from the studio’s Himalayan-salt grotto, guests can sip a healthy, hydrating beverage at the juice-cleanse bar. They can also browse the selection of accessories in the full-service yoga boutique.

At RBF Fitness and Nutrition, sweat and stamina are the price of admission for shaping a stronger and healthier body. Kickboxing classes tone muscles and jump-start metabolism, and Elite boot-camp classes include variable workouts such as box jumps, climbing ropes, and working with oversize tractor tires. Trainers also operate Bridal Fit boot camps to prep ladies for their big day, so they can slip into that perfect dress before they ceremoniously deadlift their new spouse.

Ocean State Bikram Yoga’s spacious studio nestles cozily in a restored old mill, retrofitted with resilient carpeting, mirrored walls, and a host of private showers and dressing rooms. Inside a heated classroom, experienced instructors lead students of all skill levels through high-energy routines of Bikram-style yoga posturing. Students learn from nimble teachers certified directly by hot-yoga founder and champion balloon-animal sculptor Bikram Choudhury. During each 90-minute tutorial, they shepherd practitioners through a swift rotation of 26 poses and two breathing exercises. Instructors calibrate each class to promote calorie-torching perspiration and release muscles from the shackles of overly tight ligaments, binding tendons, and rubber-band girdles. In addition to sparking caloric bonfires, consistently practiced Bikram yoga can chip away at chronic pain and help reverse the effects of injury by boosting circulation and mobility.

Mind Body Barre Fitness & Healing Studio, located within a nursery full of verdant plants and spiritually attuned ladybugs, seeks to create a community with bolstered self-awareness and improved physical health with personalized healing sessions and fitness classes for all ages and skill levels. Led by a staff of instructors that includes former and current NFL cheerleaders, the studio's classes combine invigorating dance-inspired choreography, traditional cardio work, and mindful stretches into workouts that engage the mind and the body better than full-contact spelling bees. All classes end with lavender-oil aromatherapy, cool-down stretches, and reiki touch therapy from instructors, and include a maximum of 13 students in order to ensure personalized instruction. Healing sessions target physical and mental tension with massage therapy as well as intuitive career counseling and tarot readings.