West Sacramento, CA Outdoor Activities

During his 17-year-long professional paintballing career, Micah McGlocklin clinched five championships, including one with Sacramento XSV, a team he formed in 2003. He has more than 12 years of experience operating paintball fields, and this technical expertise paired with his obvious passion for the sport is evident in the facilities at Davis Paintball. Eager to introduce others to the joys of chromatic chaos, Micah and his staff walk novices through the game’s rules, equipment, and safety tips. Newbies are then organized into teams for refereed bouts on one of nine fields spread across 40 acres. As tenderfoots test out their paintballing skills on fields such as Four Corners and Center Castle—where a roomy distance separates opponents—advanced players can compete in more compact spaces at two hyperball fields, an airball field, and a paint-soaked broom closet.

Ken Sawitzky’s lifelong devotion to golf began in 1958, when he studied under the tutelage of Johnny Goodman, the last amateur to win the U.S. Open. Since then, his golf career has blossomed like a greenside bougainvillea, encompassing 15 years of experience correcting swings, smoothing out putts, and framing interestingly shaped divots. Ken now splits his time conducting golf classes for the Davis Parks and Recreation Department and roaming the verdant hillsides of Wildhorse Golf Course, tirelessly searching for new score-shaving methods to sprinkle upon the unsown swings of his pupils.

Hoofbeats Equestrian's veteran trainer draws from 25 years of experience working with top equestrians and breeds such as appaloosas, percherons, warmbloods, and mini stallions to teach dressage, hunter, and jumper techniques amid verdant pastures and stables. In addition to helming shows and competitions, the full-service facility's crew proffers equine wisdom during lessons that forge trust between rider and steed to ensure safety and a guaranteed euchre partner. Hoofbeats Equestrian extends its passion for horsemanship with Hoofbeats Second Chance, a rescue program that rehabilitates and finds homes for neglected horses.

When Paul and Maureen Messier began their walking tour through the English town of Bath, the guide, a comedian and street performer, immediately captured their attention. Drawing on Paul's background in producing standup comedy at The Improv and Maureen's experience as a theater instructor, they decided to put their own spin on what they'd experienced. Since then, they've traveled extensively and cobbled together eclectic elements from other tours with theatrical flair and a sense of humor.

Since 1958, players have migrated to Cordova Golf Course in order to try their hands, woods, and putters at the public course's 18 holes and to calibrate their swings at the driving range or with lessons. Spanning about 4,832 yards, the course challenges golfers of all skill levels with well placed trees and three lakes boasting the combined gravitational pull of a small planet. A smooth cart path allows players to ferry their clubs swiftly from hole to hole, or head over to the clubhouse to catch a drink or meal at Stu's Bar & Grill. Cordova Golf Course also houses an illuminated driving range where golfers can launch Srixon range balls or calcified tangerines off of grass and mat hitting areas.

In 1965, the twists and traps of Ancil Hoffman Golf Course were born from the brain of course architect William Francis Bell. Bell's approximately 200 course designs also include the South Course at Torrey Pines, a La Jolla course that was selected to host the U.S. Open in 2008. Ancil Hoffman is replete with watery views, including lateral water hazards on holes 1 and 10. Additionally, the Merle Priddy Memorial grass driving range runs next to the American River, offering golfers a place to perfect their swings using Nike practice balls. Practice facilities also include two large putting and chipping greens.

Led by PGA director of golf instruction Eric Pollard, the instructional programming at the course is based on a teaching method Pollard designed himself after years working with California golf instructors Eddie Merrins and Carl Welty. In addition to adult lessons, Ancil Hoffman Golf Course offers camps where juniors can develop their swings and grow into kilts made of the family tartan under the watch of a professional instructor.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Total length of 7,009 yards from the back tees