Golf in Five Forks

PGA professional Jason Rockhold stows shiny nuggets of golf wisdom up his argyle-print sleeves accrued from a competitive career as a mini-tour golf professional and a coaching tenure that includes more than 10,000 private lessons. Endowed with a keen eye for swing deficiencies, Jason analyzes his students' swings as they crush orbs, patiently proffering corrective advice to help players add distance to their drives, precision to their short game, and flair to their post-swing pose. With covered and heated hitting stalls, clinics can be conducted year-round regardless of weather conditions, and video lessons enlist V1 video analysis to provide pupils with intricate data about their swing, as well as a visual aid to complement Jason's analytical explication.

The founders of Cadillac Golf Ranch felt that most practice ranges were too impersonal, never quite feeling like home. With that in mind, they designed what they envisioned a "club without a golf course," replete with all the luxuries and camaraderie of a full-scale course. Dimpled orbs take flight within the well-manicured bermuda-grass alleyways of Cadillac Golf Ranch's 60,000-square-foot driving range. Synthetic hitting mats unfurl underneath a rustic, heated shelter and real grass launch pads purr in appreciation of artfully shaped divots. Practice sand traps emulate the testy lies of fairway bunkers, and the range also boasts more nettled hitting areas to fine-tune shots out of the rough.

Putt-putt protégés can smooth out chips and putts at the club's indoor and outdoor short-game facilities or crush drives in their indoor hitting bays—where swing-analysis software breaks down each pendulous motion and video playback introduces golfers to a digital doppelganger soon to become their inferior. Back muscles weary from an intense practice session can convalesce on the overstuffed leather couches of the ranch's lounge, which boasts two 55-inch TVs.

Designed by prolific course architect Willard Byrd, Timberlake Country Club's 18-hole course plots a 6,579-yard trail across a Lake Murray peninsula as it dips southward into the glassy waters. Picturesque views of the lake abound throughout the round—because of its proximity to the lake, the club offers free docking and shore-side pickup for those who wish to arrive by boat or seahorse—and the supersized pool's watery fingers come into play on seven holes. Rounds culminate with dramatic flair at the signature 18th hole, a 483-yard par 5 where a mid-fairway water hazard looms on the business end of a blind tee shot, raising the stakes for players who unsheathe their driver in the hopes of reaching the green in two.

Alongside the grassy course, neon yellow orbs slice through the air at Timberlake Country Club's tennis courts, where tennis pro Mark Gardiner teaches students to hit a forehand passing shot or incite an earthquake with a deafening grunt. The club also houses diverse dining facilities to curb appetites or host social events.

When Tom Jackson designed the golf course at High Vista Country Club in 1976, he made sure that the 540-acre parcel would complement the soon-to-be clubhouse, a stone-hunting lodge constructed on the site in 1928 that overlooked the dramatic surroundings. From its lofty perch, visitors can survey the valley below and the Chestnut Mountain Ridge in the distance. The founding "fore" fathers appropriated the magnificent old structure as the first clubhouse, a suitable starting place for the 18-hole championship golf course.

Referred to as the “Old Club House” today, the building still watches over the 6,831-yard championship course, which features frequent elevation changes and mountain-fed ponds that come into play on at least six holes. Towering oak and pine trees frame the course's fairways, and bright azaleas punctuate the grounds to lend the greenery a dose of vibrant color, especially if the surrounding leaves go on strike and stay green during autumn.

Aside from the championship golf course, High Vista Country Club also features a private dining hall, an outdoor pool, tennis courts, and social clubs. The club offers holiday party packages for up to 125 that include a cash bar, buffet or plated dinner, cleanup and setup, linens, tables, chairs, silverware, centerpieces, and use of the dance floor.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course

• Total length of 6,831 yards from the back tees

• Course rating of 73.7 from the back tees

• Course slope of 739 from the back tees

• Five sets of tees per hole

Golfers traversing Creek Golf Club's 6,625-yard course enjoy plateaued tee boxes and fairways lined with mature trees. The 18-hole course showcases smooth, diamond Zoysia grass greens that tightly swathe the terrain's dramatic, natural contours like skinny jeans on the Jolly Green Giant's hips.

Golf balls fall like hail from the skies above the Club's driving range, where synthetic mats facilitate practice during inclement weather and grass tees provide a natural lie for swing rehearsals. The range serves as the classroom for lessons with PGA professional Mike Byce, who assists those looking to add distance to their drives or transition from a conventional putter to a belly putter or a sawed-off curtain rod.

After a day at the links, guests can refuel at the Club's bar and grill, which serves burgers, salads, cold-cut sandwiches, and other classic eats.

Sculpted into 160 acres of rolling hills and forests of oak, pine, and dogwood, Oak Hills Golf Club provides a scenic challenge for golfers skilled and novice. The course designed by Steve Melnyk and Davis Love III features manicured Tifway 419 bermuda-grass fairways and elevated, undulating greens. Players might want to keep a still-life painter in the bag for when they reach the elevated tee box on the par 5 hole 18, where a viewing of nine different holes manifests itself in a verdant panorama of course and countryside. The Oak Hills staff of veteran PGA professionals amends swings during private lessons for adults and youths.