Golf in Rock Hill

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.

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.

Guests at Mount Mitchell Golf Resort soak in beautiful views of forests, the resort's namesake mountain, and the South Toe River while enjoying relaxing outdoor activities. In addition to swinging away on the resort's links, ranked among the best top places to golf in North Carolina by Golfweek, vacationers can cast lines into the South Toe to lure trophy brown and rainbow trout, either independently or with the assistance of a fishing guide. Additional resort attractions include trail hiking, tennis, mining for gemstones or abandoned gopher stereos, summer theater, and horseback riding. When craving a restaurant meal, visitors may stop by Hawtree's Pub or the clubhouse dining room, TEO'S, with views of the golf course's 18th hole.

The Tradition Golf Club’s 18-hole course takes golfers across 6,978 yards of emerald corridors cleaved into a rolling expanse of dense hardwoods. Players can prepare for the grassy monolith’s tree-lined fairways with lessons from one of the club’s resident aces, who imparts swinging wisdom on any aspect of the game, from the basics of the proper grip, stance, and alignment to more nuanced topics, such as how to prevent a hybrid club from having polarized alter egos.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 6,978 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 72.9 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 140 from the farthest tees
• Four tee options available
• Scorecard

Hemmed by thickets of native grasses, a babbling brook winds along the fairways of The Golf Village's nine-hole, par 3 course, setting a relaxing tone that seems appropriate for a pared-down layout friendly to leisurely golfers. Adjacent to the course, The Golf Village's driving range fosters golf-game improvement during pre- or postround sessions. The range lets clubbers hit off grass tees throughout the year, and towering light fixtures hang above the green valley, allowing golfers to hone their swing after a day spent at the office or attempting to melt their leftover Civil War bullets into a set of golf clubs.