Things to Do in Laurens, SC
Laurens County is brimming with opportunities for recreation. With rivers, lakes, hiking trails, golf courses, hunting areas and more, there is never a shortage of activities to be enjoyed.
Well-maintained park sites dot the map of Laurens County, offering a combination of baseball/softball fields, playground equipment, picnic areas, swimming pools and basketball and tennis courts. The area also features a host of private and public lakes, including Lake Greenwood, with more than 200 miles of shoreline, and Lake Rabon, as well as the Enoree and Saluda rivers, which provide excellent fishing and boating.
Nearby Myrtle Beach, Charleston and Hilton Head make ideal weekend getaways. Laurens County is also a short drive away from the Great Smoky National Park and the Blue Ridge Mountains, with skiing at such mountain resorts as Sugar Mountain, Beech Mountain and Ober Gatlinburg.
Hunters utilize private and leased lands in the county, as well as in Sumter National Forest. Skeet shooting and turkey, deer, quail and other hunting packages, as well as lodging and meeting facilities are available at Harris Springs Sportsman’s Preserve between Cross Hill and Waterloo. The Clinton House Plantation, located just north of Clinton, offers bird and duck hunting, deer and turkey hunts, corporate meetings and conference facilities.
Golfers revel in the selection of beautiful, challenging courses in this South Carolina region. In fact, there are more than 50 golf courses in the upstate, all of which are within a short drive of Laurens County. Locally, Laurens County has two private and one public 18-hole golf courses: Musgrove Mill, an Arnold Palmer World Class Championship Course that was chosen as one of the top modern courses in the U.S. by Golfweek magazine; Lakeside Country Club, which also has a new swimming pool; and Rolling S Golf Club, a public 18-hole golf course. In addition, Augusta, home of the Masters, is only a couple of hours down the road. Tennis courts are available at several locations in Laurens County. The options for recreation don’t end there. Three YMCAs are accessible, and each coordinate adult and youth recreational leagues in the county. RVing is popular at the Cane Creek Motorcoach Resort, Moon’s Landing and Mansfield Park along Lake Greenwood, as well as Magnolia RV Park and Campground in Joanna. Auto racing is at its best at the Laurens Speedway, which offers auto racing from April through September. A race track is also available in Gray Court. Darlington International Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway are easy drives from Laurens County, as well.
Baseball, softball, football, basketball, soccer, golf and tennis are available through the local high schools and Presbyterian College. Presbyterian College also offers lacrosse. Atlantic Coast and Southeastern Conference sports are within a one-hour drive at Clemson University and the University of South Carolina. Greenville, less than an hour’s drive from Laurens County, offers minor league hockey and baseball. Charlotte, N.C., and Atlanta offer professional sporting events.
Arts & Entertainment
Residents and visitors have plenty of options when it comes to enjoying arts and entertainment in Laurens County. Together, Presbyterian College and the Laurens County School Districts present a year-round offering of lectures, plays, films, art shows, concerts and more. The Artist’s Coop, a local arts organization, encourages art and art education in the community by hosting several art shows, workshops and art form classes throughout the year. Additional arts and entertainment resources in the area include: the Laurens County Chorale, the Laurens County Civic Ballet Company and the Laurens County Community Theater. The Clinton and Laurens museums feature various exhibits, collections and programs highlighting the history of the area.
Accompanying these cultural outlets is a medley of community events ideal for residents and visitors of all ages and interests:
MARCH
- The Annual Little River Bridge Run (8K run/5K walk), Laurens
APRIL
- Joanna Festival, Joanna
- Celebrate Clinton, Clinton
MAY
- Main Street Laurens USA’s Sip-n-Stroll Wine Tasting, Historic Court House Square
- Ware Shoals Catfish Feastival, Saluda River
- The Laurens County Relay for Life, Laurens
JUNE
- The annual Goldville Reunion, Joanna
- Town Rhythms (a free, Thursday night summer concert series), downtown Clinton Depot
- Laurens Idol, Little River Amphitheater in Laurens
AUGUST
- The Flight of the Dove, Presbyterian College in Clinton
- New Kids on the Block, Presbyterian College in Clinton
SEPTEMBER
- Coming Home to Cross Hill, Crest Hill
- Pioneer Day, Owings
OCTOBER
- The annual Aunt Het Festival, Fountain Inn
- The Annual Squealin’ on the Square, Laurens
- Gray Court Community Festival, Gray Court
DECEMBER
- Laurens Lights (runs from early December through New Year’s Day), Laurens
- Spirit of Christmas Past (a month-long celebration), Fountain Inn
- Laurens County hosts seven Christmas parades in Clinton, Fountain Inn, Gray Court, Joanna, Laurens, Ware Shoals, and at Whitten Center