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Now, I've played paintball before. I'm not a total newcomer to the sport. I know the in's and out's and I get the gist. But when I leave Skirmish Paintball in Jim Thorpe, I'm always surprised, by something. 

My latest trip saw me and 4 friends taking to the legendary fields of Skirmish. Our group joined a larger group of about 15. New teams were arranged and the first battlefield was selected. Consisting of two-story buildings and a main street, the tiny town resembled an old west village. The words "3…2…1…go!" echoed throughout the woods and the game was on. I had a great post looking out of a second-story window, perched and ready to fire at the "blue team". Suddenly, movement through a building across the street, my gun started barking paintballs. My complete attention was on the several bodies I saw in an enemy building. Then, all of the sudden, splat, splat, splat! The enemy had snuck up to a position on my lower right, where I hadn't looked even once. He lit me up, landing several hits above the shoulders.  Luckily, my mask absorbed the impact. I fell back as if I was pushed over by a schoolyard bully. "Come on out" yelled the referee.  My game was over. 

I walked off the field with disappointment in my heart and a smile on my face. I felt bad for letting down my teammates. I felt foolish for not noticing the opposition sneaking up on my right side. But most of all, I couldn't wait for the next game to start.

I had the privilege of playing Mountain Manor Golf Club earlier this week. There are three 9-hole courses on site, orange, yellow, and blue, each with its own personality. I started with the most challenging and finished with the "easiest". Here's what I learned… 

First, I've never seen a course with better cart paths. Every hole has paved paths on both the right and left side of the fairway. This prevents carts from tearing up fairways while at the same time giving the golfer easy access to his ball, especially if it's not exactly in the middle of the fairway. Second, the greens are quite large at Mountain Manor. This is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it's nice to see a big inviting green at the end of the fairway. On the other hand, you can find yourself looking at a 60 foot putt over several subtle undulations. Third, water comes into play on a number of holes at this course. A misjudged ¾ wedge shot left me watching my new Callaway ball slowly matriculate back to a pond protecting a green. In 27 holes, I lost 6 or 7 balls, a tribute to the some difficult lies. And fourth, the course drains exceptionally well. I was a bit nervous about the days of rain leading up to my visit, but all three courses played beautifully.  

I really want to play a variety of courses this summer, ones that will challenge me with hazards, blind shots, and bunkers. At Mountain Manor, I found all of this on one course. I can't wait to go back.