KIDS

Q&A

with Carys & Holden Carson

THE CARSONS — a family of golf enthusiasts — have lived in Brook Valley Country Club in Greenville, North Carolina, for seven years. Jamin Carson is a professor at East Carolina University and Carol Carson is an elementary school PE teacher and water aerobics instructor who also works as a real estate agent with Aldridge & Southerland Realtors. Their children Carys, 13, and Holden, 11, love hanging out with neighborhood friends in between school and extracurriculars such as sports and music. Carys describes herself as studious while her brother is an adventurous spirit who loves re-telling a good joke. We caught up with the Carson kids this summer to chat about life in Brook Valley.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT LIVING IN BROOK VALLEY?

CARYS: We really like to go swimming. HOLDEN: Yes, swimming — and I like playing with my friends and riding my bike around. CARYS: There are a lot of hills here so it takes a while to ride through the whole neighborhood. It’s a lot of fun … there are a lot of junior golfers at the club and we like that, too.

THERE ARE SOME WOODS AND A CREEK TO EXPLORE BACK IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, YES?

HOLDEN: We go there more in the fall when the snakes are hibernating. We like to explore. We build forts in the woods and there are a lot of trees to climb.

WE HEAR YOU’RE BOTH GOOD GOLFERS. TELL US ABOUT OPERATION 36.

CARYS: I really like golf! We just finished our third semester of Operation 36 and the season went well for my brother and me. There’s practice every week and a 9-hole event every other week. When you get to par, you move back a certain number of yards [in increments of 25]; I got back to 150 yards and so did my brother. HOLDEN: Operations 36 is fun because we’re playing with new people and getting better. CARYS: It’s fun to compete against other kids — usually we play with my dad … By doing Operation 36 we’ve started hitting it farther. My stroke has gotten better and my score has gotten lower. I’ll probably play golf when I’m in high school.

WHERE ELSE DO YOU GOLF?

CARYS: We do interclub in the summer and play at other courses — we’ve played at lots of places like [other McConnell Golf clubs including] Raleigh and Wakefield.

AND IN SUMMERTIME YOU DO SWIM TEAM, TOO—WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT THAT?

CARYS: Swim team is always a great time to hang out with our friends, especially during the pandemic … My favorite stroke is backstroke — I like to fly through the water on my back! HOLDEN: I don’t have a favorite — I like swimming all of the strokes.

TELL US ABOUT THE KIDZONE AT BROOK VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB.

HOLDEN: It’s been a while since we’ve gone there [because of the pandemic] but it’s a good place to go play tag and watch movies, do arts and crafts, play board games.

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS LIKE TO DO IN BROOK VALLEY?

HOLDEN: Go to the club and talk with their friends.

DOES THAT SOUND FUN TO YOU?

HOLDEN: Well, I wouldn’t talk all day. CARYS: They go to golfing events for the adults too [like Couples Golf and Ladies Nine & Wine].

SOUNDS LIKE A GOLF COURSE IS A PRETTY GOOD PLACE TO LIVE.

HOLDEN: It is! We are on hole No. 13 and it’s called Paradise Lost.

WHY?

HOLDEN: They named it that because there are woods on one side and lots of golf balls get lost out there.

CARYS: Oh, and it’s really fun when it snows so we can sled.

HOLDEN: There’s a big hill next to the green that’s very good for sledding. CARYS: I like to go to my friend’s house, where we watch people tee off and we clap for them. They don’t expect kids to clap, but they like it when we do.

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