Wells Branch, TX Health and Fitness

At Turtle Dragon Health Services, five licensed practitioners apply their healing hands to guests while administering traditional Chinese medicine. In addition to providing acupuncture and massage, the clinic also sells tea, feng shui supplies, and Asian antiquities. Turtle Dragon also stocks a veritable bounty of Chinese medicine, such as 600 types of raw herbs, 300 kinds of patented herbal formulas, and three boxes full of the sound of one hand clapping.

Licensed acupuncturists and Masters of Science in Oriental Medicine Vanessa and Douglas Rutkowski team up at TigerLily Acupuncture to treat the minds, bodies, and spirits of their patients. Both passionate proponents of Chinese medicine, the two utilize the eons-old practice of acupuncture to clear blockages of chi, the energy that flows through the body. The addition of Chinese herbal medicine further augments the well-being of their patients. Additionally, the duo practices clinical nutrition and nutrition-response testing, delivering supplements to help improve health and moods and analyzing underlying causes of individual maladies.

Aiki Healing’s Kay Hutchinson puts her certification in acupressure and qi gong energy healing to use during body session that boost blood flow, revitalize skin, and incite mind and body relaxation. Enveloped in koi ponds, lotus gardens, and a forest of oak trees, Aiki Healing connects clients to nature immediately on arrival. The studio's live greenery invites the outdoors in, and Chinese herbal sessions and hand-mixed aromatherapy blends send sylvan tendrils throughout the body. Aiki Healing also works with John Fung, a third-generation herbalist who consults with clients about their healing regimens.

Hemmed by 35 acres of lakes and the watery tentacles of Williamson Creek, Jimmy Clay and Roy Kizer Golf Courses band together to form a 36-hole golf complex with two distinct, relatively flat 18-hole layouts. Opened in 1974, Jimmy Clay Golf Course predates its sibling by two decades. Measuring 6,914 yards from the back tees, the tree-lined par 72 is the longer and tougher of the two courses, with large, elevated greens that befuddle golfers of all stripes and inspire fandom in wide-eyed mini-golf courses. Though most holes begin with tee shots into wide, forgiving fairways, water hazards loom on the edges of 9 holes to test players’ accuracy.

Stationed just south of its counterpart, Roy Kizer Golf Course weaves through 22 acres of wetlands and lakes that pinch the fairways and greens of nearly every hole. The 6,819-yard course emulates the links-style layouts of coastal Britannia with wide fairways, a significant water presence, and a population of migratory waterfowl that squawks with a heavy cockney accent.

Jimmy Clay Golf Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Total length of 6,914 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 72.3 from the back tees
• Slope rating of 124 from the back tees
• Five sets of tees per hole
• Scorecard

Roy Kizer Golf Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 71 course
• Total length of 6,819 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 72.2 from the back tees
• Slope rating of 125 from the back tees
• Five sets of tees per hole
• Scorecard

Windows to the Sky Acupuncture & Bodywork likely wasn’t voted Best Acupuncture Service of 2012 in Austin Fit Magazine solely because it can help treat digestive disorders, headaches, and spinal maladies. That’s what every acupuncture clinic should be able to do. What makes Windows to the Sky different is that its therapist, Matthew Kirsch, is not interested in inserting needles and then leaving the patient alone for 90 minutes. He believes in fully treating a patient, which is why he stays in the room and performs craniosacral therapy while the needles work on realigning energies. This alleviates tension in the fascia surrounding the brain and spine.

Kirsch started performing the complementary treatments during the 1,000-hour clinic portion of his acupuncture training, part of the more than 3,000 hours he spent earning his master’s in Oriental Medicine. He also learned to administer acupressure, a massage style that focuses on the same energy meridians as acupuncture but eschews needles, much like a porcupine who wants to soften his tough-guy image.