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Best of Augusta Beauty & Fitness

Kath Engler at the Family Y • Photo By John Harping

Beauty and Fitness

Exercise Facility
Unexpectedly, no votes for that infomercial contraption you hook over your closet door after three easy payments of $19.95 each. Instead, voters opted for the Family Y (multiple locations), where fitness is a family value. And just in time, there’s a shiny new Family Y on Belair Road. The other finalists: The Omni Club (4408 Evans to Locks Rd., 3637 Walton Way Ext.) in second place followed by Health Central (945 Broad St., 1350 Walton Way). Now go forth and exercise.

Day Spa
This probably falls under the Beauty portion of the Fitness/Beauty category (or the Cosmetic Fitness portion), but in any case, Jon Ric Medical Spa & Salon (229 Furys Ferry Rd.) lands atop the heap. It’s the best, say readers. They also say Retreat (4246 Washington Rd.) lives up to its name (in second place), while Tuscany A Classic Italian Spa (608 Ponder Place Dr.) takes third.

Personal Trainer
Lots of people aspire to be losers, and many of them seek out the assistance of Kath Engler at the Family Y. For still others less isn’t more; they aspire to be bigger and more muscular. She helps them too. Demetrius Jones wins the silver; Jack Kern of Fitness Partners effortlessly hoists the bronze medal.

Place To Swim
It’s the ol’ swimming hole gone Hollywood: the Family Y wins. Augusta’s Aquatic Center (3157 Damascus Rd.) takes second. Is there no representative from the great outdoors? Fear not: Lake Thurmond, all eight zillion gallons of it, wins third place.

Golf Course/Public
Best in town by actual vote is beautiful and historic Forest Hills Golf Course (1500 Comfort Rd.). Hone your skills there and you could be the next Tiger Woods. But let’s hope not. Jones Creek  (777 Jones Creek Dr.) and Bartram Trail (470 Bartram Trail Club Dr.) golf clubs will split second-place prize money, which puts The Patch (2023 Highland Ave.), Augusta’s venerable municipal course, in third.

Golf Course/Private
What happens at West Lake Country Club (3556 West Lake Dr.)—like you whiffing on three tee shots in a row—stays at West Lake. That’s the advantage of a private club. Masters-adjacent Augusta Country Club (655 Milledge Rd.) takes second, a single stroke ahead of Champions Retreat (37 Champions Pkwy.).

Tennis Courts
Order in the court! Order in the court! Okay, okay. Calm down. Here’s your order in the court: first, Newman Tennis Center (3103 Wrightsboro Rd.), the reader favorite. The other finalists, in order, are Forest Hills Racquet and Swim Club (3206 W. Wimbledon Dr.) and Petersburg Racquet Club (421 The Pass).

Place To Ride a Bike
We have some fantastic venues in the area for bike riders, who put the kickstand up at the Augusta Canal first and foremost. Next is North Augusta’s Greeneway, a place so environmentally friendly that they put three Es in its name. Voters say Riverwalk is third-best biking spot.

Best-Kept Recreational Secret
Number one honors go to Augusta Canal boat rides (1450 Greene St.), providing a nice reminder that recreation can sometimes involve zero physical activity. Phinizy Swamp Nature Park (1858 Lock and Dam Rd.) keeps the communing with nature theme going in second place; the lovely and talented North Augusta Greeneway reappears in third.

Place To Exercise on a Rainy Day
Family Y wins, but we’ll assume that doesn’t include the pool. After all, you’d get completely soaked swimming there on a rainy day. Omni Club is another place to burn those extra pounds you haven’t used lately. Home wins third because getting all that stuff off the treadmill can provide a decent workout.

Pet Grooming
Let’s say you’ve got a gerbil or a guppy that isn’t quite ready for its close-up. Or maybe it deserves a makeover as a reward for good behavior. D’Tail’s Pet Grooming (1275 Marks Church Rd.) gets the coveted Golden Groomer Award. Animal House Grooming (2917 Riverwest Dr.) is the runner-up, so to speak. Connie’s Happy Tails (106 Shaw Dr.) takes third. Tails are their specialty. On a budget? Ask about their “tail-only” grooming option.