Things to Do in Tanque Verde

Bandit Outfitters’ team of knowledgeable guides leads horse-topped guests through rugged desert wilderness on 90-minute tours during the invigorating daylight hours or the hazy transition of sunset. Riders board their gentle, patient steeds and meander through the National Mail stagecoach route past towering saguaro cactus as they enact accurate depictions of Old West sharpshooters in tableau vivant.

Each of the 18 fairways at Haven Golf Course presents golfers with a lush Bermuda-grass oasis in which to craft artful divots as they traverse the par-72 track. The Arthur Jack Snyder, ASGCA design leads playing groups along 6,905 yards of the Green Valley, clustering around a large elongated lake on one side and wrapping around several residential blocks on the other. Prior to embarking on their expedition, groups can warm up at the practice facility, complete with grass tees that mimic on-course lies.

Adjacent to the main championship course lies Haven's Tortuga Golf Course, a short par-3 course with holes that measure between 50 and 90 yards. This shrunken jaunt presents beginning golfers with an easy place to take up the game and more experienced golfers a place to practice air strumming their putter.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par-72 course
• Total length of 6,905 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 72 from the back tees
• Course slope of 123 from the back tees

Green Valley Lanes recently updated its facility to include a new scoring system with 32-inch LCD monitors and cameras, resurfaced and newly buffed lanes, and Brunswick all-wood professional pins. The biggest innovation, however, was the installation of rooftop solar panels, which allow the alley to be completely powered by the sun. But while the renovations have given the facility a modern luster, the rules of the classic sport remain the same, as couples, families, and pros alike engage in 10-frame competitions to see who can pummel the most pins and who can deliver the most heartfelt apology afterwards. The familiar beeps emanating from the video arcade act as a siren call for thumbs eager to twiddle the joysticks of games such as Street Fighter and Tekken 3, and bowlers can rest their throwing arms while savoring a cocktail or beer at the Wet Spot bar and lounge or slices of pizza crafted with homemade dough at the Perky's Pizza snack bar.