CHINA SPRING, Texas — The game of paintball continues to grow throughout the US and the central Texas area and back in February a new course opened up in the China Spring area called Cougar Paintball.
The 100 foot by 100 foot course has obstacles, and inflatable guards for players to hide behind for airsoft and paintball games and owner Tyler Brown said it's an activity that caters to all skill levels.
“If you felt like you haven’t really belonged to a team, team setting and you want the feel from that you’re always welcome to do that in the paintball realm," Brown said.
All players are required to wear helmets and Brown believes the game is an untapped market of an activity that's already gaining traction in Central Texas.
"There's a lot of people in the community that have given us a lot of help and we really appreciate them," Brown said.
The course features a commercial-grade canopy and can host one versus one, three versus three and five versus five matches. The games also range from sharks and minnows and different iterations of paintball and air soft to cater to the skill levels of players.
"I enjoy the movement, the main disadvantage with airsoft is you can be shot from 500 yards away and you don't even know who shot you," said Joseph Gallery, an avid player and employee-volunteer for the course. "With paintball they're usually behind the bunkers."
Gallery said it also provides a unique way to get exercise.
"It's better than just sitting around doing nothing, I love coming out here and running around with my friends," Gallery said.
The field has a snack bar that offers food and beverages, and the course is open Fridays and Saturdays from 9 pm to 11 pm for airsoft games and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 am to 7 pm for paintball.
Brown said he also hopes to grow the popularity in the Central Texas area to then attract teams from across the state and country to host games and tournaments in the future.