As might be expected, golf plays a big part in the lives of many Blackhawk residents. Blackhawk Country Club provides an exclusive private membership opportunity for the most discerning golfers.

In the middle of Country Club West is the 6,904 yard (6,313 m) Lakeside golf course, designed by Bruce Devlin and Robert Von Hagge, a course that annually hosts the Longs Drugs Challenge, an event on the LPGA Tour. The newer 6,700 yard (6,126 m) Falls golf course, designed by Ted Robinson, winds through Country Club East.

But its not all about golf. There are many other Blackhawk recreation alternatives. Blackhawk’s Tennis Club includes 20 tennis courts, a clubhouse and a pro shop and the Blackhawk Swim Club includes a competition-sized pool, a spa and dressing rooms and offers instructional programs. The 25 acre (100,000 m²) Sports and Recreation Center includes basketball courts, outdoor volleyball courts, a children’s play park, Olympic-sized pool, sports fields and an amphitheater.

Visit Blackhawk Country Club’s excellent website for more information about facilities and membership programs.

Blackhawk Shopping

If the sporting life is not to your taste, how about shopping? Blackhawk is minutes from the upmarket Blackhawk Plaza, also known as The Shops At Blackhawk.

Blackhawk Plaza promotes itself as “The East Bay’s premier shopping and dining destination featuring an aquatic landscaped interior courtyard with terraced shopping and dining establishments”.

This really is a most attractive shopping center with an exceptionally upmarket feel to it. Here, you can find a mix of well known names as well as a number of individual local stores. There is also the impressive Draeger’s Market that provides an exceptionally wide range of food and produce.

Blackhawk Dining

Appreciated as much as, if not more so than, the shopping, are the various restaurants in Blackhawk Plaza. There is a wide selection of cuisines at all levels from burgers upward. And Blackhawk Country Club members have access to their own highly reputed restaurants of course.

Blackhawk Plaza also has an excellent website that is well worth a visit.

Blackhawk Auto Museum

Finally, no description of Blackhawk would be complete without a mention of the world renowned Blackhawk Auto Museum where there is a frequently changing range of exhibits and which is also used to house a variety of corporate events and fund-raisers throughout the year. Here you can find almost 70,000 square feet of space devoted to the art of the automobile. Even a visit to their website is an experience in itself.