Waterloo, IA Outdoor Activities

Erv Wagner began shooting arrows at insolent targets in 1956, and since then he has earned a national title and maintained active membership in the National Field Archery Association, the Iowa Bow Hunter Association, and Mid-Iowa Archers. He passed down his love of outdoor sport to his son, and together they run Archery Field & Sports. They outfit first-time archers with the appropriate gear before granting tailored instruction at group or private lessons. Guests can test their aim at a 45-yard indoor range or inhale Mother Nature's fresh breath while shooting at a 20-target outdoor range. Those in need of a little more color can square off against opponents and drab blades of grass at the outdoor paintball field. Their pro shop dispenses the necessary paintballs, along with archery and hunting supplies.

The men’s league at Belle Plaine Country Club is no joke: its member roster boasts 112 players. As course manager Mike Coffman points out, “It’s an impressive number for a small town"—and a testament to the course’s charms. Its bluegrass fairways have become a lively gathering place for the community. The pines, elms, and oaks dotting the fairways have flourished for more than 80 years, during which time they've been nourished by a steady diet of misaimed balls and frustrated golfers’ tears. Two-time PGA champion Lonnie Nielsen, who grew up playing on the course, can still occasionally be seen teeing off here.

The course challenges players with tricky water hazards, and balls have to strap on their crampons and take out their rock picks to ascend the eighth hole’s elevated green. After a day spent on the fairways or at the driving range and practice putting green, players can unwind with a slice of pizza or a hamburger at the snack bar.

Course at a Glance:

• Nine-hole, par 36 course
• Length of 3,008 yards
• Course rating of 67.6
• Slope rating of 111

An indoor baseball, softball, and soccer training facility, The Batter's Box provides athletes of all ages a year-round spot to improve their skills. Balls and bats clack at nine different baseball and softball areas—including six automated batting cages and a bullpen tunnel—where pitchers practice throwing from the stretch and learn what it takes to not be a belly itcher. Under the same roof, a 5,000-square-foot oasis of AstroTurf sprawls before soccer players, and professional instructors dish out coaching tips to individuals or groups during lessons.

Lush green fields roll outside of Eastern Iowa Sports Complex’s titanic facility. Throughout the week, guests from all over the region sprint across the full-size indoor soccer field, practice slugging within indoor batting cages, and hone their short games on an 18-hole miniature golf course. They can also be found hooping it up in full-size basketball gym and actually braving the elements on the facility’s three outdoor athletic fields.

Throughout the year, young players can sign up for the complex’s recreational programs, and adults can work out excess competitiveness in sporting leagues and athletic tournaments. The facility also hosts dance classes, community events, hourly field rentals, and a full-service pizza restaurant.

Heralded by the Iowa Golf Association as the best nine-hole course in the state, the course at Cardinal Hills Golf & Swim guides players over more than 60 feet of elevation changes in hot pursuit of small, quick greens. The course first opened in 1916 and bears reminders of its almost century-old history with ancient trees that frame many of the holes and elderly squirrels that still refer to theirs as the "Greatest Generation." A large creek meanders along the western edge of the grounds, flowing through the fairway of the third hole and forcing players to carry their tee shot over it on the par 3 second hole.

Course at a Glance:

• 9-hole, par 35 course
• Total length of 3,167 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 35.2 from the back tees
• Course slope of 129 from the back tees

The University of Iowa Athletics program spans more than a century of tradition, including a venerated football team founded in 1889 as well as prodigiously successful wrestling and basketball programs. Consistently ranked among the top 25 college stadiums in the nation for attendance, Kinnick Stadium regularly houses more than 70,000 spectators in its stands during home football games. The venue takes its name from Iowa football legend Nile Kinnick, who in 1939 commemorated his Heisman Trophy win by painting himself bronze and dashing across the field.

Since the inauguration of Carver-Hawkeye Arena in 1983, the men's and women's basketball teams have posted .777 winning percentages. One of the largest university-owned facilities in the nation, Carver-Hawkeye packs in more than 15,000 fans for events that have included Big Ten and NCAA Championships as well as an exhibition match featuring the 1984 Olympic men's basketball team. The stadium also hosts the wrestling team, which boasts 18 undefeated seasons and a trophy case of retired mouth guards in its storied history.