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Disc golf, an outdoor sport with little barrier to entry and plenty of distance between players, has experienced a popularity surge during the pandemic.

Want to give it a try? Here are Central Ohio's top three courses, per discgolfscene.com's online reviews. All are free to play.

1 course with 18 holes that's reservable for private competitions.

Simsburg Park, 625 E. Columbus St., Pickerington

2 courses, 45 holes, with a waterfront view!

Hoover Reservoir Park, 4151 Central College Rd., Westerville

1 course, 18 holes, for players seeking a challenge.

Charles Alley Nature Park, 2805 Old Logan Rd. SE, Lancaster

Zoom out: In the mood for a road trip? The Columbus Dispatch compiled the state's top 30 courses. 

Central Ohio's top 3 disc golf courses

Try these spots in Pickerington, Westerville and Lancaster.

Photo: Aram Boghosian/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Sports

Disc golf, an outdoor sport with little barrier to entry and plenty of distance between players, has experienced a popularity surge during the pandemic.<ul><li>Want to give it a try? Here are Central Ohio&#x27;s top three courses, per <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="discgolfscene.com" data-vars-click-url="https://www.discgolfscene.com/courses/Ohio/top-rated" data-vars-content-id="23561e40-1174-4da2-83d0-374603a5d9fc" data-vars-headline="Central Ohio&#x27;s top 3 disc golf courses" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.discgolfscene.com/courses/Ohio/top-rated" target="_blank">discgolfscene.com</a>&#x27;s online reviews. All are free to play.</li></ul>

Things to Do

Data: New York Times; Cartogram: Kavya Beheraj/Axios

👋 Alissa here. While I'd much rather offer you a happy Axios retreat recap or a tasty food review, today I'm here with a plea — please take COVID-19's Omicron subvariants seriously.

Driving the news: My D.C. retreat experience was over before it began, after daily on-site testing provided by Axios detected I had the virus shortly after arriving. 

I quarantined in a hotel room and eventually drove a rental car back to Ohio. Sigh.

Of note: I've had three Pfizer vaccines, most recently in November.

My take: They don't call it "stealth Omicron" for nothing. It's highly contagious and sneaky, first resembling seasonal allergies or a mild cold. 

Serial testing: Test daily if you're symptomatic. At-home rapid tests often miss early Omicron infections. After two negative tests, I just naively thought my allergies were acting up.

Weird symptoms: Former tell-tale signs like a loss of taste and smell aren't common with Omicron. But it can cause skin rashes, itchy eyes and ear issues.

Be informed: My husband and I suspect he brought it home from a health care job but was misdiagnosed with an ear infection and eczema flare-up. After a negative rapid test, we let our guard down.

State of play: We're all fatigued, but the pandemic isn't over. 

COVID cases are rising in almost every state, Axios' Tina Reed and Kavya Beheraj report.

The bottom line: Since I'm healthy and vaccinated, my infection feels like a bad cold. But I'm grateful I was able to take precautions to prevent spreading the virus to more vulnerable people.

Tips to detect "stealth Omicron," COVID's latest wave

Reporter Alissa Widman Neese shares a firsthand experience.

COVID-19

👋 Alissa here. While I&#x27;d much rather offer you a happy Axios retreat recap or a tasty food review, today I&#x27;m here with a plea — please take COVID-19&#x27;s Omicron subvariants seriously.Driving the news: My D.C. retreat experience was over before it began, after daily on-site testing provided by Axios detected I had the virus shortly after arriving.

COVID

🇺🇸 Walk among 3,000 flags honoring veterans at Westerville's Field of Heroes, a 24-hour display illuminated at night.

Today-Monday. Westerville Sports Complex. Event schedule. Free!

🎖️ Tour the National Veterans Memorial and Museum, offering free admission all weekend. A Remembrance Ceremony is planned for 10am Monday.

🥁 Catch a community parade, stepping off Monday unless otherwise noted.

Dublin (11am), Grandview Heights (10am Saturday), Groveport (1:30pm), Grove City (11am), Worthington (10am). Free!

🎆 Watch patriotic fireworks at Huntington Park after Monday's Clippers vs. Mudhens game. The team has promotions all weekend.

7:05pm tonight, Saturday. 1:05pm Sunday. 6:05pm Monday. $8-21.

🤩 Meet stars from "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," the WWE, "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and more at the Fanboy Expo.

3-7pm Friday ($25), 10am-6pm Saturday ($30), 11am-5pm Sunday ($25) at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. $60 weekend. Autographs and photos cost extra. 

📽️ Watch vintage flicks at the Columbus Moving Picture Show, a film convention at the Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel.

🎉 Celebrate Black culture and businesses and participate in educational workshops at the Ohio Black Expo's Riverfront Culture Fest at Genoa Park.

11am-11pm Saturday, 10am-7pm Sunday. $20 daily, $30 weekend.

🎠 Enjoy games, crafts and carousel rides at Family Fun Day at Columbus Commons. Then watch "Encanto" on the lawn.

4-8pm Saturday. Movie begins at 8:15pm. Free!

What to do in Columbus this Memorial Day weekend

On our list: Field of Heroes, parades and a veterans museum.

A woman adjusts a flag in a display of several

A volunteer with the Westerville Sunrise Rotary adjusts the flags at a past Field of Heroes display. Photo: Eric Albrecht/Columbus Dispatch/USA Today Network

Weekend

🇺🇸 Walk among 3,000 flags honoring veterans at Westerville&#x27;s Field of Heroes, a 24-hour display illuminated at night.<ul><li>Today-Monday. Westerville Sports Complex. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Event schedule" data-vars-click-url="https://www.fieldofheroes.org/schedule" data-vars-content-id="b4079ade-1882-49da-a613-f3282bfd1801" data-vars-headline="What to do in Columbus this Memorial Day weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.fieldofheroes.org/schedule" target="_blank">Event schedule</a>. Free!</li></ul>

Cat lovers, we've got the purr-fect news for you — a cat cafe is coming to Central Ohio!

What's happening: Owner Ivy Hou tells Axios she aims to open Kitty Bubble Cafe & Bar in late August at 5568 N. High St., just south of Worthington.

The business will offer bubble tea, coffee, beer and wine.

An entry fee grants access to the cat lounge for kitty cuddling. Monthly and yearly passes will be available.

The intrigue: The store will have two separate HVAC systems so that guests with cat allergies can still kitty-watch from the cafe and bar side, Hou says.

The latest: The cafe’s new Facebook page just launched, with concept art and an announcement that it will house adoptable cats from Colony Cats (& dogs) rescue group. 

💭 Alissa's thought bubble: After Eat Purr Love in Clintonville closed in 2020, I can't be the only cat lady who was hoping another cafe would debut in our area.

I'm excited to check it out this fall and hope it helps lots of feline friends find fur-ever homes.

Coming soon: Cat cafe with coffee, tea and alcohol

Sip wine, cuddle adoptable cats at Kitty Bubble Cafe & Bar.

A rendering of a cat cafe with light pink and blue interior

Artist's rendering courtesy of Kitty Bubble Cafe & Bar

Small businesses

Cat lovers, we&#x27;ve got the purr-fect news for you — a cat cafe is coming to Central Ohio!What&#x27;s happening: Owner Ivy Hou tells Axios she aims to open Kitty Bubble Cafe &amp; Bar in late August at 5568 N. High St., just south of Worthington.

Food and Drink

Business

School violence is top of mind for many families this week, following our country's deadliest school shooting in a decade.

What we're watching: A potential resurgence of interest in school safety proposals and funding in the wake of the Uvalde, Texas, shooting:

House Bill 99 would loosen training requirements to carry firearms in Ohio schools.

The bill passed the House and awaits Senate action.

House Bill 501 would allow districts — along with municipalities and townships — to levy property taxes to fund school resource officers.

The bill has not made legislative progress as of Wednesday.

Between the lines: Police presence in schools has been hotly debated in districts like Columbus and Worthington, which both discontinued officer programs in 2020 due to nationwide scrutiny of police brutality.

Columbus employs 104 unarmed security guards, unaffiliated with police, and plans to hire 35 more this year, superintendent Talisa Dixon said Wednesday.

The state regularly issues grants for districts to install items such as cameras, locks and public address systems. A funding announcement from Gov. Mike DeWine came five days before the shooting.

Starting in 2023, Ohio schools serving sixth through 12th grades are required by law to establish threat assessment teams to detect signs of violence and develop intervention plans.

Health classes must also dedicate time to suicide awareness and prevention, safety training, violence prevention and social inclusion.

DeWine will assemble an Ohio Student Safety Advisory Council this year to give students a voice in finding solutions.

Of note: Ohio Homeland Security operates a school safety hotline (844-SAFEROH) that fields anonymous tips.

What they're saying: While "security theater" upgrades like cameras and metal detectors may make families feel safer, there's no quick fix to a complicated problem, Kenneth Trump, a Cleveland-based school safety consultant, tells Axios.

A bipartisan response to the issue of gun violence is crucial — but with every tragedy, people become more polarized, he says.

"The violence in schools reflects the violence and underlying issues of a broader community. Schools need to be a part of the response, but they can't solve the whole problem."

School safety bills, programs to watch in Ohio

Police in schools, arming educators, threat teams and more could see legislative movement.

Illustration of a pencil with security-style yellow and black stripes.

Education

School violence is top of mind for many families this week, following our country&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="deadliest school shooting" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/24/texas-elementary-school-shooting" data-vars-content-id="c9ce84a2-0c7c-4cb5-9898-ee55d2a62a5d" data-vars-headline="School safety bills, programs to watch in Ohio" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/24/texas-elementary-school-shooting" target="_self">deadliest school shooting</a> in a decade.What we&#x27;re watching: A potential resurgence of interest in school safety proposals and funding in the wake of the Uvalde, Texas, shooting:

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Alissa Widman Neese

Stories

What to do in Columbus this Memorial Day weekend

School safety bills, programs to watch in Ohio

Coming soon: Cat cafe with coffee, tea and alcohol

Central Ohio's top 3 disc golf courses

Tips to detect "stealth Omicron," COVID's latest wave