Things to Do in University Place

Tucked in the breezy shadows of towering douglas firs, golfers hunt birdies and pars across Lake Spanaway's 7,083-yard course. Fairways tunnel through communities of trees that convince errant golf balls that they are pinecones. Three of the course's holes earned honorable mention in the Seattle Times' Puget Sound Area's Dream 18 Holes, including the par 4 12th, where tee shots must trace the fairway as it curves left through a narrow tree line and toward a green shielded by an oasis of vast bunkers. 

A covered, lighted driving range sits beside the course, where golfers smooth out swings undisturbed by waning daylight, rain, or hail caused by skydivers eating sunflower seeds. The course's staff of golf pros also helps manage on-course techniques with a variety of instructional options, including complimentary 10-minute lessons. 

Course at a Glance: 

• 18-hole, par 71 course 
• Length of 7,083 yards from the farthest tees 
• Course rating of 73.5 from the farthest tees 
• Slope rating of 124 from the farthest tees 
• Four tee options 
• See the scorecard

Fort Steilacoom Golf Course covers a flat parcel of terrain with a nine-hole, par 34 layout that measures a modest 2,491 yards when played from the farther of two tee options. Open fairways sparsely lined with evergreens put beginners at ease while inviting more experienced golfers to shoot for low scores, as solid drives can set up potential eagle opportunities on two short par 4s and the 440-yard, par 5 fifth hole. The relatively level setting makes the course easy to walk, though Fort Steilacoom offers golf carts for those who haven’t taught their caddy the art of the piggyback ride. Fort Steilacoom complements its course with a practice area, a snack bar, and a full-service pro shop where golfers can rent clubs.

Course at a Glance:

• Nine-hole, par 34 course
• Length of 2,491 yards from the farther tees
• Course rating 62.1 from the farther tees (adjusted for a par score of 68)
• Slope rating of 96 from the farther tees
• Two tee options
• Scorecard

Seven distinct wineries make up the South Sound Wine Trail, wrapping their vineyards along the southern end of Puget Sound from Lacey to Shelton. At each stop, visitors sample flights of handcrafted wines and meet the winemakers that produce them by tapping Washington’s majestic pine trees. Along with wineries such as Madsen Family Cellars and Scatter Creek Winery, the trail includes Vina Salida, whose wines were named “the next big thing in Washington” by the Seattle Times wine columnist in 2011.

Though the historical gems of a museum tend to be its artifacts, the vintage autos of the LeMay Family Collection at Marymount only tell half the story. The Marymount location opened in 1923 as a boys' military school, which became a center for English education in 1975 and eventually the home to the family's vintage automobiles. Beginning with a few vehicles gathered by Harold and Nancy LeMay in the 1960s, the collection has grown into a one-time Guinness World Record holder of more than 1,900 vehicles. Many of these classics, including a powder-blue 1950 Chrysler Windsor, rest fully restored alongside toys, antiques, and farm equipment within the year-round museum.

Within Brookwood Equestrian Center’s 20,000-square-foot indoor arena, spectators seated in the heated viewing area grow quiet as small riders urge their mounts to trot, canter, and finally leap over jumps. The Center—which has served amateur and experienced horseback riders for more than 19 years—helps young riders take the reins in individual and group riding lessons as well as riding day camps. Brookwood’s 50,000-square-foot all-weather outdoor arena is constructed to Olympic standards, allowing horses to pursue their dreams of winning shot-put gold when they are not lazing about in 45 matted indoor stalls with automatic waterers or playing in a mud-free turnout area.