Roanoke, VA Health and Fitness

After three decades of holistic-therapy research, Brenda “Bebe” Ball founded Detoxification Station to share her belief in a natural path to wellness. The center’s noninvasive treatments range from infrared body wraps, which fight cellulite and burn calories while also improving skin, to ion detox footbaths, which draw out toxins and boost energy. Bebe has also brought Japanese technologies to Detoxification Station in the form of an electro reflex energizer, which stimulates acupressure points, and an e-power machine, whose high-frequency energy works to accelerate healing and aid mental focus.

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

The YMCA at Virginia Tech’s mission is to bring health, wellness, and personal growth to its surrounding community. Adults can leap into continuing-education classes ranging from pottery to Turkish grilling, with complimentary childcare eliminating excuses to stay at home. Ballroom dancing, Shakespearean studies, and tai chi also shake up adult routines. On weekends, guides lead groups out into the wild during scenic hides that vary in difficulty; although YMCA-goers can get a dose of nature any day of the week by visiting the onsite community gardens, which enable people to grow their own plants or just stop and eat the roses.

Cox’s Golf Driving Range’s grounds slope and skate through beautiful landscaping arrangements of bushes and trees that ensconce practice greens and snuggle up against the tricks and traps of the 18-hole Putt-a-Round miniature golf course. Contenders who prefer bats to clubs unleash thunderclaps in the range’s 10 automated batting cages with pitching machines that can alternate between baseballs and softballs. An onsite pro shop outfits practitioners with all the gear they may need for a day of the sporting life, including clubs, balls, and disposable plaid pants.

Dr. Darlene Nigro, a doctor of osteopathic medicine and former chief medical resident at Mountainside Hospital in Montclair, New Jersey, founded Bedford Medical with the vision of modernizing traditional family doctors. For nearly 20 years, the clinic has worked toward that mission by building relationships with patients and learning their medical history in order to recommend the most appropriate services. Clients and practitioners work together to beat back or preempt the pernicious armies of infirmity, including diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and skin cancer. Dr. Nigro also enhances exteriors with aesthetic procedures, including laser hair removal, Botox, and sclerotherapy and laser treatments that eradicate spider veins that embarrass patrons with their poorly acted productions of Charlotte's Web.