If you're a golfer, try to avail yourself of some of the excellent public golf in central Ohio. Tartan East (former Winding Hollow), Kinsale, Cook's Creek, Longaberger (bit of a drive, east of Newark) are all very fine layouts. If you check the Boxgroove.com website you may be able to get onto Wedgewood, which I regard as one of the better country clubs in the Columbus area. OSU's own Scarlet course is outstanding, but if you're not an alumnus forget trying to get onto it.
Columbus has become a mecca for good ethnic food, if you like that sort of thing. Ethiopian, Indian, Turkish, Vietnamese fare are all available. The Thai Orchid (locations in Powell and Dublin) has about the best Thai food anywhere - I met a woman from the SF Bay area who said the Orchid was head and shoulders above any Thai restaurant in California; pretty high praise. If you like Mexican, the El Vaquero chain is pretty authentic. Barley's Smokehouse has excellent barbecue and house-made beer on tap; it's very good. Lots of good pubs, too; Old Bag of Nails is my favorite, with several locations around town. Oh, and be sure to get ice cream at Jeni's - it's so good she exports to Chicago, New York and (I believe) LA. Several locations of Jeni's around town.
Nightlife I'm not qualified to speak to, but I think the Arena Grand (near Nationwide Arena, home of the Columbus Blue Jackets) is a great place to see a movie. Arena seating, full bar and food service, good sound systems.
Definitely check out the Campus Gateway just south of campus on High Street. Lots of fun stuff to do all along High Street, and I'm a huge fan of the Mad Mex restaurant. Not purely Mexican food, but really tasty and a great tap.
Make sure you visit the campus-area stores that specialize in Buckeye gear. Buckeye Corner, Campus Traditions, Conrads are all places to check out, as is Long's Bookstore (part of the Barnes & Noble chain but with a distinct Buckeye flair). SBX is another bookstore with neat Buckeye gear and other fun stuff.
If you like the outdoors, Glacier Ridge Metro Park in Dublin has a terrific nature trail. Shawan Falls in Dublin and the Veterans' Memorial behind the nearby library are little-known treats. Old Worthington is a fun walk, too, but try to visit German Village south of downtown Columbus. Rich history, a number of good bars and eateries, and brick-paved streets. Finally, a trip to the main Columbus Library is worth the time. It's been rated the top library in the USA several times.
Have fun!
