In early human history, hitting wooly mammoths with clubs was the most popular thing to do on a first date. Hone your hunting skills on a dimpled ball and bring a friend with today’s Groupon: for $60, you get a pair of 60-minute lessons for two players (a $280 value) plus an 18-hole head-to-head round on the Pebble Beach course using a 3-D simulator (a $60 value) at Tacoma Firs Golf Center. Located above Tyler Street, this year-round, heated facility boasts extraordinary views of Mt. Rainier and offers a chance for off-season training before the tee times pile up.

You and your golf pal will receive a wealth of feedback from Tacoma Firs' PGA- and LPGA-certified instructors over the course of each of your hour-long lessons. They tailor instruction to individual needs, so novices can learn the fundamentals of the game, and expert ball-swatters will season their swing, perfect golf posture, and hone alignment. The staff's careful instruction, observation, and friendly demeanor make it easy to make balls to soar more gracefully than an ultralight made of dreams.

Once you and your partner have finished receiving real-world training, golf grandly in the third dimension for about an hour on the Golf Zone simulator. Using genuine clubs, this 18-hole showdown takes place in the virtual counterpart of Pebble Beach. Each detail of the famous course has been carefully recreated, and you can set course conditions to whatever you'd like.

Reviews

South Sound magazine lists Tacoma Firs Golf Center as the Best Driving Range in the area, and three Insider Pagers give it four stars:

• This time of year if you want to stay on your game it's a must. under cover and heaters make it a plus. – Kelly M., Insider Pages
• The driving range is really good, the pro shop has lots of stuff, and the staff is great. – K C., Insider Pages