By: Garrett Mitchell, Staff writer | garrett@thewoodrufftimes.com
Red Fox Games has been around for 30 years. Now, they are quickly becoming a household name in the Woodruff area.
Started three decades ago, landowner Vaugn Smith wanted to make his property self-sufficient. It was then that he created a paintball course on his land and named it Red Fox Games. Over the years, Mr. Smith entered his land into a conservatory, meaning it can never be commercially developed, and in 2025, his vision has gained new life thanks to Bethany Hauf.
Hauf, at the urging of her sons, signed a long-term lease of Smith’s land and now offers an even more expansive and interactive experience for players.
“(Putting the land in a conservatory) was a very generous gift to the community,” explains Hauf. “Mr. Smith’s hope was that someone would carry on having paintball and take care of the land.”
Smith, now 96 years old, found that someone in Hauf and her sons, who are ages 23, 26, and 28. It is with her middle son that she now operates Red Fox Games to a broader range of clients. Their insistence on Bethany taking over was rooted in their own childhood experiences at Red Fox.
“My sons were patrons of Red Fox Games, and when they found out Mr. Smith retired, they came to me and asked me to buy the business,” she said. “So, I signed a long-term lease of the land and took over Red Fox Games.”
The land, a 162-acre countryside sprawl, is now one of the largest paintball courses of its kind, not just in the United States, but in the world. It currently ranks fourth in the United States and is the tenth largest globally.
Hauf explained all that Red Fox Games has to offer.
“We have 13 playing fields,” said Hauf. “We offer paintball, airsoft, and gel blasters. We also host night games where all the fields are lit up, and we also host birthday parties. It is a lot of fun.”
Hauf wants to get the word out about Red Fox Games to more people, adding that even people in Woodruff and the surrounding communities are not yet familiar with them. She cites the rapid growth in the community as a positive way to bring interactive paintball and outdoor fun to a broader audience.
She added, “I admire Vaugn (Smith) because instead of selling the land and taking the money, he designated it as a conservatory so people can continue to come out and have fun.”
Hauf elaborated that most patrons who visit Red Fox Games are between the ages of 12 and 30, but there is something for all ages to enjoy. She stated that the response from clients has been overwhelmingly positive as the Red Fox name begins to spread. As a mother of three boys, she knows how important it is to spend time away from technology, play outside, and interact with peers. That, she says, is one of the main goals of Red Fox Games.
“We have had a tremendous response,” Hauf said. “When people find out about us and come out to play, they are really jazzed. I know from being a mother how consuming video games can be. Here, you can play those games in real life. It is a very social experience, and it is great to see all the players supporting each other, no matter their age.”
Games are also strategic, including mock hostage rescues and different interactive scenarios. Moving forward, Hauf wants Red Fox Games to host more special events, including corporate events. Waters Tire, a Woodruff landmark business, has already hosted a company event at Red Fox. Another goal, she says, is to host a Veteran’s Day event.
“We want to open the park up to more people so they can enjoy it,” she added.
With a growing community and new residents calling Woodruff home every day, Red Fox Games is another fantastic resource that will help forge neighborly bonds in the community while having fun in the process.
Author: aryanethsales
