Comments (0) Best Place to Score a Bull's-Eye - 2006

Archery Field

Just this side of the Dutch windmill at the western end of Golden Gate Park is a lovely, misty glade just perfect for making believe you're in Sherwood Forest, where joints of mutton trump shiitake risotto and an unwavering skill with quiver and bow is a matter of life and death. At one end of this tree-enclosed, daisy-dappled lawn, backed by a gentle slope and a low forest, are nine bales of hay reinforced with wooden slats and metal tubing. Wannabe Sir Robins are invited to affix bull's-eyes thereon, notch their shafts, set their sights, pull back with manly strength and, if possible, split their opponent's arrows. Even if you aren't the archery sort, the whiz and thwack are pleasantly Zenlike. Bows, arrows, targets, and other necessities are available to rent at the San Francisco Archery Pro Shop, 3795 Balboa (at 39th Ave.), 751-2776. Archery instruction is included in the rental fee.