The Britts knew the struggle all too well—their daughter Carmen, with her golf club in one hand and textbook in the other, the nightly tug-of-war between nurturing passion and academic progress.
It's a balance countless parents seek—supporting their children's unique interests while making sure they develop the skills needed for future success. They wanted this for their daughter, which led them straight to Greystone Golf & Country Club.
"I played in the member-guest tournament at Greystone for seven years," Richard says. "I saw firsthand what a wonderful club it is. The beautiful courses and friendly people opened my eyes to the Greystone community."
It started as casual visits, but quickly turned into something more meaningful. Carmen began taking golf lessons at Greystone.
"The encouraging atmosphere completely blew me away," Carmen shares. "I found myself surrounded by other junior golfers who shared my passion. Everyone here genuinely wants to help young players grow and succeed."
Greystone’s welcoming spirit turned what seemed like a distant dream into an exciting reality for the Britt family.
"We started exploring the possibility of moving here, and things just clicked into place," Richard explains. "Before we knew it, we found ourselves searching for a home. We found a wonderful house, joined the club shortly after moving in, and we couldn't be happier with our decision."
That decision would lead to even more opportunities for their whole family.
"Golf has always been part of my life," Carmen explains. "I've been playing longer than I've known how to read. It started as just a fun thing—I would go out with my dad to the golf club, swing and miss a couple times, maybe hit it 15 yards. But as I got older, it became a bigger and bigger part of who I am."
Golf builds character traits that benefit all areas of life. It demands dedication, focus, and the ability to overcome frustration.
"There's so much dedication you have to give to golf," Carmen says. "You learn to say, 'Okay, maybe I want to just mess around today, but I really need to work on chipping or do these specific drills to fix that small part of my swing.' That mindset absolutely transferred to my academics."
Richard watched as his daughter applied the same disciplined approach to both her golf game and her studies.
"It's like every golfer experiences—you hit that one perfect shot and think, 'Whoa, I want more of that,'" Richard says. "Carmen started getting to that point, so we focused on lessons and really developing her skills. Seeing all the hard work she's put in over the years, from a golf perspective, blending with her academic focus has been remarkable. She's accomplished great things in both areas."
This also gave Carmen an advantage in the classroom. Academics and athletics were no longer competing priorities; they worked hand-in-hand.
"Those early lessons paid off as I got older and academics became a bigger focus in my life. Golf gave me the perseverance and self-discipline to fully apply myself to my studies," Carmen remembers.
At Greystone, junior golfers like Carmen develop a mindset of continuous improvement and resilience through a game they love.
When Carmen discovered she had won the Scholar Athlete of the Year award that’s sponsored annually by a Birmingham law firm, she could hardly believe her eyes. Sitting in class during a quiet moment, she opened an email that would become one of her proudest accomplishments.
"I was just shocked sitting there," Carmen recalls. "I saw, 'Congratulations, you're the Scholar Athlete of the Year.' I couldn't believe it!"
As a golfer, Carmen also broke the traditional mold for this honor.
"This is the first time this award has gone to a golfer," Richard explains. "It has always been given to football players and basketball players. When I found out, I was beyond happy. She gets the golf talent from me, and the scholar part from her mom," he adds.
The award recognizes exceptional students who excel both academically and athletically—the balance Carmen has achieved throughout her high school career. The selection process was rigorous, involving schools across the entire region.
"It was such an incredible moment seeing that both parts of my life—golf and academics—were recognized together," Carmen reflects. "These often feel so separate, but this award brought them together. It was a really cool experience, and I was so excited."
Laura, who has always stressed the importance of academics, saw the award as the realization of a dream.
"I was always very focused on academics—to me, that was the most important thing," Laura shares. "To see that we were able to combine academic excellence with athletic achievement was a dream come true."
"If you have a junior golfer or a child you want to introduce to golf, the opportunities to learn and develop here are tremendous," Laura enthusiastically shares. "Between the Blackburn Golf Academy onsite and the practice facilities, it's an amazing place to develop skills that can take your child to levels that Carmen has reached and more."
What began as a father-daughter activity now includes the entire family. Laura, inspired by Carmen's passion and progress, decided to pick up the game herself.
"A couple of years ago, Laura decided she wanted to get in on the fun," Richard explains. "Now the three of us go out together, and it's just a wonderful family outing for us. Carmen and I are both able to help Laura develop her game—it's become a true family experience."
For Carmen, Greystone represents a community that genuinely cares about nurturing the next generation of golfers and leaders.
"This has been such an encouraging club to be part of," Carmen reflects. "Everyone here truly cares about growing this game for the next generation. They offer so many opportunities that I don't see at other places. One of the hardest things in our busy lives is finding meaningful ways to spend time with loved ones. Greystone gives you the perfect reason to do that."
At Greystone, what begins as a passion for golf transforms into a foundation for academic excellence, character development, and lifelong family bonds.