Things to Do in University

For more than two decades, Pam Roush has been hosre-training equivalent of a Harvard professor. Her alumni regularly accumulate blue ribbons, awards, and credits such as the UPHA Chapter 16's "Horse of the Year" award. Notable former students include CH My Heart, Top Star Willie, and Galahad's Gold Mine, which all received the "Best of Breed" honor from Saddle and Bridle after spending time under her tutelage.

On Avalon Stables’ 30 acres of open pastures, Pam and her assistant trainers provide boarding and training services for horses, as well as lessons for riders of all ages. They address individual riding goals during private lessons, encourage camaraderie through group lessons, and introduce to riding at children's camps, where kids bond with horses that tell ghost stories.

When you think about things to do in Tampa, outdoor ice-skating is usually not usually the first thing that comes to mind. But you can experience this quintessential winter activity at Tampa’s Downtown on Ice, the city’s only outdoor ice rink. Here, skaters can practice ice-hockey moves, figure-skating leaps, and carving the alphabet in cursive. The rink is part of Friends of Tampa Recreation, an organization that leads several activities, such as youth arts and crafts programs, sports leagues, and field trips for seniors.

The India International Film Festival (IFF) of Tampa Bay selects a small sampling of more than 1,000 films produced in India each year to demonstrate that the most prolific film industry in the world is more than just masala musicals. Like the culture from which they spring, the films speak in a lush polyglossia of English, Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Nepali, Kashmiri—but the common language of humanity unites them all, whether the subject is Down syndrome, terrorism, patriotism, or simply losing yourself to spiritual bliss. Opening-night ceremonies and filmmaker Q&As round out the schedule of events, offering a more immersive movie experience than watching the Screen Actors Guild Awards in 3-D.

Perched in wrought-iron chairs at a gleaming marble bar, students and artists sip coffee, sharing inspiration and plans for upcoming projects. Nearby, Tampa Bead Cafe's instructors preside over a range of jewelry-crafting materials, which provide the necessary hardware to follow up on the grand artistic plans under discussion. Beneath the terra cotta–hued walls, shelves brim with beads, metal chains, and wire, as well as less conventional media such as metal clay and polymers.

The staff guides visitors along racks of bracelet and necklace supplies, and exclamations of happiness drift from a classroom, where teachers introduce specific styles, such as kumihimo. Students to use real tools such as pliers, cutters, and magnifiers to intimidate their jewelry into making itself, and most courses end with the creation of piece for pupils to treasure. A roster of guest artists, who have included polymer-clay artist Christi Friesen and Maria Rypan, lead style and material-specific workshops.

Situated in the cool shadows of cypress trees and home to glistening ponds, Northdale Golf & Tennis Club's 6,824-yard course reflects architect Ron Garl's vision to sculpt a layout that capitalizes on natural beauty without spoiling it. A former dairy farm, the emerald expanse challenges golfers with tree-lined fairways, water hazards that appear on multiple holes, and white-sand bunkers, which greenskeepers procure in bulk by trimming Zeus's beard every spring.

Globetrotting tennis pro Chris Cary presides over the club's nine lighted tennis courts, grooming forehand strokes in lessons and ensuring an even-spread layer of dust over the clay surfaces. The Compass Grille awaits hungry visitors and tennis balls that have lost their bounce at the end of the day, serving up deli-style fare and drinks from a full-service bar with a variety of imported and domestic beers.

Course at a Glance:

• Designed by Ron Garl
• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 6,824 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 72.8 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 129 from the farthest tees
• Link to scorecard

Piercing drives resonate across the verdant grounds of Zephyrhills Under Par, providing sonic evidence of golf balls advancing through the 18-hole, 5,054-yard course. The par 68—sculpted in 1978—presents a relatively open layout, with extensive landing zones that encourage golfers to either test the limits of their driver or charter a last-minute plane for their swing coach.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 68 course
• Length of 5,054 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 70.0 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 113 from the farthest tees