Things to Do in Sharonville

Recognized as one of the 25 best public golf courses in Ohio by Golf Digest, Shaker Run offers a golfer's paradise of challenging holes, scenic environments, and top-notch instruction. Students will benefit from the swing-analyzing attentiveness of instructor Alex Martin, winner of the 2009 Ohio Amateur Championship and participant in the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach. With his extensive knowledge of competitive golf, Martin brings the same amount of passion to the golf course that the Cookie Monster brings to a bake sale. He develops a plan specific to each golfer and effectively massages the hooks and crooks out of swings with myriad methods rather than just one single philosophy. Under his instruction, golfers can achieve jelly-like grips and turn rigid stances into sphere-catapulting arcs that impress friends, caddies, and ducking gophers.

Skydive Warren County is a labor of love for the Stewart family with roots as far back as 1945, when the patriarch purchased 40 acres of land and lived in a house attached to a hangar at Waynesville Airport. Such proximity caused the Stewarts to grow up with an appreciation for aviation that eventually brought them to skydiving. Since 1969, the business has been imbued with their enthusiasm, teaching novices and experts alike how to hone their skills in airborne sports with the help of licensed professionals.

Golf balls soar above the driving range and roll over tricky putt-putt greens at Southwest Golf Ranch, a practice facility designed to help golfers improve the full spectrum of their skills. With 2.5 acres of bent-grass hitting areas and 20 heated, covered hitting stalls outfitted with synthetic-turf mats, the range lets players choose their hitting surface or conceal their swing adjustments from spy drones sent by rival golfers. The mini-golf course features colorful flags, Lilliputian ponds, and wooden bridges that arch throughout the 18-hole layout, which is lighted for after-hours play.

Helmed by PGA pro and Director of Instruction Dave Stanton, Southwest Golf Ranch’s staff of instructors puts the facility’s resources to use in lessons and golf camps. The resident aces groom golfers’ swings with the help of video analysis and FlightScope swing tracking, the same technology used in the Ranch’s club fitting studio, which pairs golfers with their ideal clubs without forcing them to meet random sand wedges on the Internet.

The experienced instructors at Eastern Hills Indoor Tennis Club know what it takes to win games against tough opponents. Brian Clark and Steve Levine both crossed rackets with skilled rivals while playing for Xavier University and the University of Cincinnati. And Doug Matthews helps lead collegiate students to victory as the assistant coach of Xavier's men's and women's tennis teams. It's this wealth of experience that makes the club’s group lessons so successful. Classes are designed to improve the skills of all players, whether they're well versed in the sport or have only used a racket to bat away a bumblebee.

Pump It Up's indoor inflatable arenas send sock-footed younglings high off the ground with a plethora of kid-friendly bounce pads. Trained, amiable staffers supervise fun-filled visits in which parents can leap around with their kids in gargantuan, air-filled bounce houses, skip down air-filled slides, and slither like snakes covered in bacon grease through an air-filled obstacle course. Attendees can also focus their free play for special events, such as custom birthday parties and private team parties. These themed soirees immerse children in a schedule of interactive activities befitting a pirate or a superhero while melting off youthful energy faster than ice cubes thrown into a running DVD player.

Flushed from his position, a player dashes from behind a tree and toward a bridge. Just as he reaches the opposite side, he hears "Dead man!" as an opponent pops up from underneath. Paintball Country's outdoor fields—which include a scenario field, speedball and hyperball fields, trailer field, and a woods field—present combatants with loads of such tactic-testing terrain. As referees maintain house rules to keep players safe, teams navigate obstacles such as two-story tower buildings, upturned cable spools, and corrugated tubing. Between firefights, Paintball Country's staff serves refreshments such as pizza, nachos, and victory-flavored energy drinks. An onsite pro shop also caters to guests with advice and equipment sales.