Things to Do in Greenville

Inspired by the bright, rich colors of 18th-century French and Swedish design, longtime Greenville resident Jennie Leigh Gainey revitalizes tired old home decor or furniture pieces with a distinct aesthetic that Town magazine calls "Alice in Wonderland meets Ethan Allen." Gainey's refurbished furniture pieces evoke simultaneous airs of refined gentility and informal hominess, like an ivy-covered country manor or an English baron in sweatpants. Having traded in the makeup brushes she once used to makeover the likes of Matthew McConaughey for more conventional art supplies, Gainey uses coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint to impart an antique finish to nearly any surface. Eager DIY-ers can gather to glean her technique during relaxed BYOB painting parties.

At Golden Park, bowling balls tumble down 32 slick lanes while optional bumpers steer them away from the gutter and automatic scoring tracks every strike and spare. Black lights and a disco atmosphere wash over the lanes during glo bowling, held Friday and Saturday nights until 1 a.m. The skating arena lets visitors relive the carefree days of the '70s, when kids gathered at the rink after school and congressional elections were decided by bouts of roller derby.

A snack bar and tiki lounge restore energy lost during heated games, and flat-screen TVs keep competitive juices flowing with sports broadcasts. Nearby, the game room shelters arcade machines, a foosball table, and four billiards tables that often host APA Pool League matches. Golden Park also boasts the Bowling Connection Pro Shop, which outfits players with new balls, shoes, and bags for forthcoming frames.

Reaching the top of one of the rolling hillocks on the 18-hole course at Hejaz Shrine Golf Club, champion bermuda grass forms an emerald pool on the green below. Tree leaves rustle in the breeze along the course, which was originally designed and built in 1960 by architect Russell F. Breeden. Play commences with a par 5 on the first hole, where golfers should avoid hitting into the bradford pear trees along the right side of the fairway or the National Museum of Expensive Stained-Glass Windows on the left. Water comes into play on half of the holes, including hole 15, a par 3 that hugs the banks of the Reedy River. Before calling it a day, players must conquer hole 18 with a tee shot that clears the large lake and an approach shot that flies over the bunkers guarding the front of the green.

All revenue brought in by Hejaz Shrine Golf Club supports the Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children, a part of the Shriners Organization, which helps children across the country receive free medical treatment. The private Hejaz Shrine Golf Club offers an opportunity to play for Groupon customers or memberships for those with a long-term interest in the game of golf.

Course at a Glance:

18-hole, par 72 course

Total length of 6,689 yards from the back tees

Course rating of 72.9 from the back tees

Course slope of 130 from the back tees

Four sets of tees per hole

Scorecard

PlayNation Party Play and Playsets materializes childhood dreams in a 6,000-square-foot indoor playground popping with monkey bars, rock walls, and playhouses. Inside the weatherproof haven, wooden seesaws jounce younglings, and jumbles of slides, ladders, and ramps give children the space to develop fully rounded Chutes and Ladders characters. While children aged 1–9 scramble across colorful apparatuses, parents and their guardians can watch over the frolicking little one from a designated seating area. PlayNation has also started the PlayNation Play Pals membership program, which doles out seasonal discounts and savings for birthday parties.