Patch Picks: Father's Day Fun

Still not sure what to do for dear old Dad today? Here are a few options in Royal Oak  to make Father's Day special:

Golf: It is a beautiful day, perfect for a round of golf with Dad. Royal Oak has two city-owned nine-hole courses – , which is located at the corner of Delemere and Normandy, and on 13 Mile Road, east of  Coolidge. Both are open all day until dusk.

There’s also the , where you can tee it up and hit a bucket of balls to perfect your swing.  If putt-putt golf is more your speed, the center also offers mountain-style adventure mini golf for the whole family. Both the driving range and mini golf are open all day today.

Royal Oak also boasts a couple of disc (also known as frisbee) golf courses – on 13 Mile Road between Crooks and Main, or Wagner Park, on Detroit between Rochester and Main.

Church: Many local churches offer a special service or nod to dads on Father’s Day, which makes for an extra special stop during the day. For example, is having a Father’s Day Ice Cream Walk after its 10:30 a.m. service. Royal Oak’s churches offer services from the crack of dawn to evening. Check here for a list of local churches.

The Detroit Zoo: Many a memory have been made at the zoo. Along with with usual lions, tigers and bears (Oh my!), is featuring the amazing , the Wild Adventure Ride inside the zoo’s Ford Education Center or duck inside out of the sun to catch a showing of Dora & Diego’s 4-D Adventure: Catch that Robot Butterfly! in the 126-seat Wild Adventure 3-D/4-D theater. Go by and say hi to the zoo’s , who is visiting while his usual North Carolina home is being renovated. Cool off by the Rackham Fountain (a great place to take family photos) and grab a coney dog at the new American Coney Island restaurant. The zoo is open until 5 p.m. today.

Fire up the grill: What’s Father’s Day without a barbecue? Give Dad a break today and take over the grilling duties. Royal Oak’s stores have everything you need to treat Dad right today, from a thick juicy steak to a veggie burger. Stock up on supplies as such local grocers as , , , or . You can find Dad’s favorite cold beverages and plenty of fixings for those great side dishes he likes.

Eat out: So maybe a barbecue is not Dad’s thing. Instead, treat him to a meal out at one of Royal Oak’s dozens of restaurants. Dad can choose from breakfast, lunch or dinner all day all over town. Andiamo restaurant in downtown Royal Oak is offering  dad a free entrée with the purchase of another entrée of equal or greater value. Print the online voucher and take it with you.

Other great places to take dad today: , where you can dine al fresco and the menu offerings are sure to please any dad; the new for Tex-Mex fun, near City Hall or , which boasts "a beer to please every dad this Father's Day.” Where is your favorite place to take Dad to eat?