Golf in Mount Airy

When they took over Jimmy Mac’s Golf Range, PGA professional Brad “Smiley” Latimer and his wife Pam knew they had their work cut out for them. The couple dove right in: they resurfaced the miniature golf course, illuminated its brick-lined pathways with nearly 100 solar lights, acquired a FlightScope Launch Monitor for lessons, and stocked on the driving range with new Titleist and Callaway balls. Even after completing these renovations, they continue to revamp the facilities. The 18-hole mini-golf course now features two cascading waterfalls, babbling brooks that wend along turf fairways, and new putters that send colorful golf balls into holes or to the one-eyed pirate living under the course bridge to fulfill his dream of a new ocular orb.

A 325-yard driving range showcases 25,000 square feet of Bermuda grass tees and 20 artificial turf hitting stations featuring laser yardage readers. The range has covered and uncovered stations, as well as lights that let golfers swing even after the sun has started to snore. Lessons provide the instructional guidance of a professional while taking advantage of the center’s practice bunker and chipping and pitching greens, developing swings dependable enough to take down rabid ball washers.

Host of the PGA’s Wyndham Championship from 1977 to 2007, Forest Oaks Country Club’s private course incorporates natural elements such as looming trees and severely sloping hills with manmade sand traps and water obstacles, challenging beginning and experienced golfers alike. Opened in 1962, the terrain was renovated in 2002 after the renowned Love Golf Design group reached out to professional golfers to find out what makes an ideal course. The main improvement, helmed by Davis Love III, was the resprigging of the fairway with bermuda grass, a strain of turf that can handle extreme temperature changes, and a redesign of the new greens. The course was featured on the PGA for over 30 years, and was enjoyed by Davis Love III as well as Rocco Mediate and many other professionals. While the golf course is the main attraction, the club also houses a pro shop, a 25-yard professional-size swimming pool, tennis courts, and a restaurant.

Built in 1969 and having hosted the 2001 National Golf Association Triad Classic, Pine Knolls Golf Club has brought a long and sparkling history to its location in northeast Forsyth County. In 2006, two brothers-in-law from Ireland—Graham, a retired professional motorcycle racer and Pearse, a PGA professional—purchased the course. Today, they carry on its tradition of challenging and enjoyable play. To conquer the 6,338-yard layout, golfers must decipher the course’s small and complex greens, which requires even more concentration than geocaching for holes on a course that spans an entire city.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course

• Total length of 6,338 yards from the back tees

• Course rating of 72.4 from the back tees

• Course slope of 123 from the back tees

From their home base at Deep River Golf Range, PGA-certified instructors Scott Duerscherl and Riley Kurtz help students along the path to lower golf scores. The teachers adhere to an overarching philosophy that there is no single perfect swing that works for every player. Instead, they tweak an individual's natural mechanics to create a comfortable swing that can be repeated even when hitting from difficult lies such as hillside dirt or camouflaged snares. During lessons with either Scott or Riley, students focus on the fundamentals of making proper contact with the ground in relation to the ball and controlling the ball's flight path. Casio high-speed cameras capture each cut for analysis with SwingView Pro software, which can spot swing-inhibiting problems such as backswing hitches and straitjacket polo shirts. On days when inclement weather prevents practice on the range, players can head to the indoor teaching area, complete with a sheltered putting green.

World-renowned course architect Robert Trent Jones Sr. dreamed up the challenging layout of Mariners Landing Golf’s 18-hole, par 72 course, where players putt on bermuda grass under the watchful eye of verdant mountains. Golfers shake their Magic 8 balls to decide among five sets of tee boxes before they play through the sand trap- and pond-studded fairways, which wind through residential areas. Players can also practice swings at the driving range’s 12 hitting stations or rehearse chipping and putting on the practice green. The course’s golf professional and an assistant golf professional instruct students in the proper way to thrust and parry during a golf-club duel, and the Dew-Sweepers pro shop outfits swingers with Titleist and Nike equipment. After facing down the fairways, golfers can relax in the clubhouse restaurant with a burger and fries.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par-72 course

• Length of 7,155 yards from the farthest set of tees

• Course rating of 74.2 from the farthest set of tees

• Slope rating of 130 from the farthest set of tees

• Five tee options

Carved into the rolling landscape of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Auburn Hills Golf Club's 18-hole course features 6,534 yards of elevated tee boxes and breathtaking views of the Southwest Virginia countryside. Throughout the course, players encounter tantalizing high-risk-and-high-reward shots straight from the architectural mind of Algie Pulley, such as the par-4 13th hole, which dares big hitters to drive for a half-visible green hiding 306 yards in the distance. More straightforward challenges await at the 190-yard, par-3 17th, where duffers must calm gun-shy golf carts before sending tee shots somersaulting over two large ponds that stand sentry in front of the green. The pristine par-72 opens its arboreal arms to golfers of all ages and experience levels with four tee options.

PGA instructor Werner Riemer uses Auburn Hills' sunlit green as a classroom, where the master dispenses his golf wisdom to students. Werner’s teaching techniques have bolstered the talents of LPGA Hall of Famer Sandra Handy, and also earned him special PGA certification in golf instruction, a feat obtained by only 1% of PGA members and 3% of computer simulators.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par-72 course designed by Algie Pulley
• Length of 6,534 yards from farthest tees
• Course rating of 71.9 from farthest tees
• Slope rating of 127 from farthest tees
• Four tee options
• View scorecard