The Balsams Makes a Great Getaway

By BRUCE VITTNER

The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel is grand. We usually travel to resorts where golf is the focal point of the location. At the Balsams, there are so many wonderful things to do and EAT that golf is not the only thing on your mind.

That is not to say that the golf is not excellent—it is! Golf began at the Balsams back in 1897 with a six-hole course for its guests. This course has been turned into a pretty par 32 nine-hole course called Coashaukee after the Native Americans who inhabited the Great North Woods in New Hampshire before the white settlers arrived. Coashaukee sits adjacent to the hotel and we saw many families (including a six-year-old carrying his own sticks) enjoying the gentle layout.

 

Over 80 years ago a young Scotsman named Donald Ross spent time in New Hampshire designing golf courses. One of those was the PANORAMA Course at the Balsams. The course is located about a mile from the hotel up the mountain, but still part of the 15,000-acre resort.

They sure named it correctly. The panoramic views of the mountains, lakes, and rolling pastures are spectacular. Each tee box has a sign giving interesting morsels of information. On one sign it said, “look straight ahead seven miles and you see Vermont, look to the right fifteen miles and you see Canada.” Not bad.

Another sign talked about Donald Ross’ philosophy about greens. Considered one of the greatest course designers ever, he would survey the property and find the best locations for the 18 greens and then work backwards to the tees to make the holes playable.

Ross, who summered in Little Compton for twenty years, designed eleven courses in Rhode Island and we are very familiar with his inverted-saucer concept of greens. He succeeded at The Balsams. With the mountain slopes and the inverted greens, it is paramount to stay below the hole to have a good chance of making putts and not three-putting.

Doug Ruttle, head PGA professional, talked about the course. “There are so many wonderful holes on the course, and the greens make it tough to score. The elevation changes and typical mountainous conditions with side hill, uphill, and downhill lies make the course very interesting,” said Ruttle who just returned to the resort after serving as an assistant from 1990-1999. He plans to institute a Golf Learning Center at the Balsams that will add another dimension to the activities available at the resort.

My favorite, albeit the toughest, is the par 5 eighteenth hole. It goes straight up the hill back to the clubhouse. At only 504 yards it seems to be pretty easy, but once you start your trek up the mountain, you’ll realize the difficulty. Your tee shot has to carry a rise to get to a plateau. Your second shot will get you further up the mountain, but leave you with a difficult, very uphill third. It looks like the green sits right on top of the hill, but there is a large false front. You might be too tired to go up to check the landing area, so realize that it is 25 yards past the crest of the hill.

The greens vary in size and they are more sloping on the back than the front. Ross has his typical risk/reward holes where you can gamble on cutting corners, but be careful. There are many elevated greens, but some holes provide my favorite downhill approaches. Take the elevation changes into account when planning your distances to the greens.

Conditioning on the course was not pristine. It reminded me of many of the courses in the highlands of Scotland where Ross was born. The greens were cut a little high, thankfully. If it were cut like Pinehurst No. 2, also a Ross design, it would play like Pinehurst. Plans call for a better irrigation system and equipment to bring the course back to championship form. No matter, you will enjoy the course, the views, the mountain lakes and the wonderful clubhouse and patio looking over the entire property.

You might have heard of Dixville Notch, home of The Balsams. “We are the first to vote in each presidential election,” said David Lindelow, general manager of the property managed by Delaware North Companies, one of the nation’s foremost hospitality and entertainment companies. It is owned by the Tillotson Corporation whose founder, Neil Tillotson, purchased the resort in 1954 and was very active in The Balsams until his death in 2001. “We continue to carry on his legacy today,” added Lindelow.

There are 32 registered voters in Dixville Notch and they are usually the first in the nation to submit the results. You’ll see the results from Dixville Notch, N.H. on the morning news on Election Day every four years. Don’t miss visiting the Ballot Room on the second floor of the hotel lined with pictures of the many politicians and celebrities who have visited.

Back to the resort. The Balsams has 203 rooms, most without televisions. When it was built in the early 1900s it was called the “Switzerland of America.” It is a majestic property and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Also, it is listed as one of the top resorts for dining on the Conde Nast Traveler’s 2007 Gold List. From the meals we had for three days, the rating is deserved. It also makes the Conde Nast Readers’ Choice Award List for excellence in rooms, service, food, location and activities.

“We have a culinary institute right on the property. Each student must complete 6,000 hours of hands-on experience and 576 hours of classroom instruction in the three-year program to be certified by the American Culinary Federation,” said Lindelow. The students also earn an Associate’s Degree. “Our students have gone on to be some of the best chefs in the world, and we get the benefit of the instructors’ and students’ fine work in our dining rooms,” smiled Lindelow as we sat down to a five-course dinner that was exquisite in the 500-seat main dining room.

The activities on the property are limitless. There are many water sports, wonderful tennis courts, a large heated pool with a full-service bar twenty feet away, badminton, beach volleyball, hiking, mountain biking, a free pool room including a billiard table and much more.

The Balsams is a wonderful family vacation as well as a quiet, elegant getaway. While we were there two conventions were taking place in the conference spaces. The ride is not short (265 miles from Providence), but it takes you back to another place and time. It took us five and one-half hours to drive and it takes you through the White Mountains to the Great North Woods. The golf will be good, but the experience will be even better. You can find more information at www.TheBalsams.com or call 866-380-6798.

Bruce Vittner is a member of the Golf Writers Assn. of America and can be reached at bruce@oceanstategolfinc.com.