Forest Acres, SC Outdoor Activities

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.

Situated on a former World War II training base, Carolina Motorsports Park continues its locale’s history of tutelage with an array of racing lessons and events. The park’s 2.3-mile road-course track gives stock cars, Formula One cars, motorcycles, and street-legal vehicles an outlet to wrap tires around 14 turns and launch speedometer needles into passengers' laps. Rentable Birel N35 Rock go-karts rev their 9-horsepower Honda engines around the 0.7-mile kart track and a 0.21-mile tri-oval track for guests 12 and older. The facility, which hosts regular racing events, also boasts 24 open-air day garages and a 200-foot skidpad where drivers hone their handling and cars practice their moonwalk.

With the butt of a 12-gauge shotgun pressed against his shoulder and his eyes searching the skies for game, Bobby Kilgus's solitary hunting expedition was interrupted by something of an epiphany: suddenly, he had the impulse to transform his family farmland into a golf course. Though the instinct may have been dismissed by most people of his ilk—he had only played golf once in his life—Bobby and his wife set to work, researching the ins-and-outs of course design and enlisting the help of construction company owners to clear and sculpt the rugged earth. By 2003—a mere four years after he first saw visions of splendid fairways dancing atop the barrel of his shotgun—the Kilguses opened a 9-hole course, only to see it grow it into a full 18-hole course in 2007, hastened by tireless work and a steady diet of pureed fairway smoothies.

Eight years of toil culminated in a 5,822-yard, par 72 course that embodies down-home charm and challenging course play. With water in play on six holes, Bobby's grassy brainchild presents players with a number of tricky shots, including a 131-yard, blind tee shot into a completely hidden green at the par 3 13th hole, where it can be said that players—not unlike the course's architect—must take a leap of faith.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 5,822 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 67.5 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 116 from the farthest tees
• Three tee options

In 1922, a small but devoted group of Newberry community members pooled their time and resources to create a space to enjoy golf, tennis, swimming, and the company of friends. From their efforts emerged the nascent Country Club of Newberry, originally comprised of a nine-hole golf course with sand greens and an outdoor pool that, true to the times, was no more than a pond fed by more than 75 springs and a steady flow of ragtime music. The pond still rests behind the sprawling, ivory clubhouse that anchors the Country Club today, a scenic testament to the humble beginnings of a club that now encompasses an 18-hole, championship golf course, two lighted tennis courts, and a junior Olympic-sized outdoor pool.

Streams and ponds snake throughout the golf course, threatening the life force of errant orbs on nine different holes. With a length of 6,530 yards from the tips, the moderately difficult layout offers four color-designated tees to cater to players of all abilities and those with an unwavering allegiance to the color gold.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course

• Length of 6,530 yards from the farthest tees

• Course rating of 71.6 from the farthest tees

• Slope rating of 133 from the farthest tees

• Four tee options