Golf in Clemmons

Designed by PGA member Ellis Maples in 1954, Pine Brook Country Club's 18-hole course features 6,500 yards of challenging hole layouts tucked in clusters of Carolina pines and hardwoods. Golfers of all skill levels enjoy a challenge as they drive, chip, putt, and butterfly-kiss dimpled balls over bermuda-grass fairways and bentgrass greens. The course's open-terrain layout offers participants scenic views of nearby streams and natural landscaping. In 2000, Pine Brook Country Club replaced its original clubhouse with a new 18,000-square-foot facility equipped to host a variety of events, ranging from casual meals on the outdoor patio to sophisticated parties in the ballroom.

Draped over the foothills of the Sauratown Mountain Range, Stonewall Golf Course sends golfers swinging over steep hills and sudden chasms on a 5,222-yard layout that epitomizes mountain country golf. Throughout the round, dramatic elevation changes complicate yardage readings, and fairway-side drop-offs frame narrow landing zones, encouraging players to leave their driver, 3-wood, and acrophobic head covers in the bag.

With multiple par 4s measuring 300 yards or less, players must cautiously approach each shot off the tee, as efforts to reach the green in one heroic drive could land their golf ball in Town Fork Creek or one of several ponds meandering through the course. The course draws its name from the par 3 eighth hole, where golfers start at an elevated tee box and descend 75 yards down a craggy face that, when viewed from the green, assumes the appearance of a seamless stone wall. Fueled by electricity and an ancient resentment for gravity, golf carts—which are mandatory on the course—help players climb the steep fairways in efficient fashion.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 70 course
• Length of 5,222 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 64.7 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 116 from the farthest tees
• Three tee options
• Scorecard:

The moment his father first put a golf club in his hands, the then 11-year-old Bruce Parker knew it was the beginning of a lifelong dedication to the game. Bruce went on to star as the No. 1 golfer on his high-school team for four years, play on scholarship for the Georgia State University team, and enter the PGA as an apprentice in 1994. Through it all, Bruce never thought of leaving golf to pursue a career in the more glamorous world of croquet. When asked, Bruce still says that spending a day at the links is his favorite activity.

Today, Bruce puts his pin-hunting prowess and enthusiasm for the game to work while conducting lessons at The Effortless Golf Center. A driving range with both grass and artificial-turf hitting areas, lights for after-hours practice, and high-caliber practice balls provides an ideal training ground for Bruce to cure all forms of golf-game maladies, such as a slice-prone swing or a driver that has an irrational fear of fairways.

After 13 years as a golf instructor, Gary Sinquefield has boiled his teaching style down to a simple method that involves focusing on each player's swinging motions and eliminating extraneous movements. By simplifying the often convoluted and conflicting messages of swing improvement, Gary makes it possible for players of all skill levels to develop a consistent swing that stands up even during high winds or airport-security pat-downs. During private lessons, students take shots inside a golf simulator while Gary scrutinizes swing tendencies from every angle and shot type. A video camera records the process frame by frame for later analysis so that golfers can see swing tendencies such as poor alignment or signs of repeated sweaty-palm syndrome. At the end of the lesson, players leave with an action plan to develop their game.