Vermont Tennis Vacations
2/3/5-day pgms or a la carte Pro-student 4:1. Onsite Spa
VermontTennisVacations.com
The Bridges Family Resort
A Top 50 US Tennis Resort Exceptional tennis For Any Age
www.bridgesresort.com
Here's what others have had to say about Balsams Grand Resort Hotel.
"Excellent clay courts in the most beautiful setting with Mt Washington as a backdrop. Good instruction and roundrobin play."—W.T., January 2010
"Bob Greene gives great private lessons. It may have been the time of year that we went, but there wasn't a lot of tennis going on at the end of August."—K.J., September 2009
"Our whole family enjoyed a great week of tennis at the Balsams.Fantastic instruction at all levels combined with round robins made for a fun time. You have a choice of clay or hard courts and the setting is absolutely breathtaking."—G.W., Adv., July 2009
"I highly recommend the Balsams Grand Resort Hotel tennis experience. My husband and I both participated in a tennis clinic. The instructor provided an excellent review of fundamentals while simultaneously helping us hone our individual skills. The setting of the tennis courts was fabulous as the resort is nestled into the valley of the verdant Dixville Notch. The Director of Tennis, Robert Greene, welcomed us warmly and provided such a personal touch to our experience. A fantastic experience!"—L.R., Int., July 2009
"We visited the Balsams resort for three nights and signed up for the tennis package. The resort pro's, Bob Greene and Dave Rosen, are exceptional. Their knowledge and experience were most helpful, from helping us with equipment selection to correcting thirty years of bad form. They made the lessons fun and enjoyable. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience."—J.G., Adv. Int., June 2009
"Just a beautiful tennis destination."—D.W., Pro, March 2009
"There is nothing better than a summer vacation at the Balsams!!! Tennis courts, pros, a pool, and a gourmet dining room.... and it is all included. I don't have to think about anything other that what time to reserve a court and what to choose from the daily menu."—J.S., Adv. Int., March 2009
""—J.H., March 2009
Rate Balsams Grand Resort Hotel
The road signs along New Hampshire's Rt. 26 warn you to watch out 
for moose, a clue to just how far-flung and northerly the Balsams Grand Resort Hotel really is. That remoteness may lead you to expect some backwoods lodge; instead you arrive to find the grandest of all of New England's Gilded Age resorts. Nestled in a shallow valley framed by hulking rocky crags and dense forests, the rambling red-roofed hotel—all white clapboard except for one 7-story stucco tower—trails along a grassy slope above Lake Gloriette deep in the White Mountains. By mid June tens of thousands of flowers bloom in its extensive gardens.
Originally an inn on the stagecoach stop route between the coast of Maine and Montreal, the Balsams blossomed during the era of rail travel as hundreds of families boarded trains in steamy cities like New York, Boston, and Hartford to summer in the cool, green New Hampshire mountains. Now they come by car, dodging moose along the two-lane highways. What hasn't changed is the allure of hotel itself, which has become a National Historic Landmark at the center of a 15,000-acre resort playground. In summer that translates into a family smorgasbord of activities that encompasses watersports on the lake, miles of hiking and mountain-biking trails, fly fishing, red-clay and hard tennis courts, and a devilish Donald Ross golf course laid out along the side of a mountain with views into nearby Canada.
Activities are planned from morning until very late at night. There is a daily calendar of activities run by the recreation staff, including games and contests, family events, craft and culinary demonstrations, and wine tastings. Secluded nooks provide places to escape from all of this and just read. Then in the evening following dinner, the Balsams has three rooms of entertainment (find out whether tennis director Bob Greene will be performing in the weekly staff show, and if so, go; he's an accomplished guitarist) as well as a wide-screen movie theater. All of this is complimentary.
Pro Shop: 603-255-2651
Tennis at the Balsams dates back to before the turn of the century, when the resort had a grass court. Tennis greats Bill Tilden, Fred Perry, Bobby Riggs, and Helen Wills Moody all played here, and following World War II former Wimbledon and U.S. Women's Tennis Champion Pauline Betz Addie spent a summer there as the pro. Today the courts are red clay and hard, but everyone from beginners to avid players are well taken care of. There is also a tiny but full-service pro shop in a white-clapboard, red-roofed cottage with its own flower gardens.
Tennis Staff. USPTA pro Bob Greene 
taught under Fred Perry at the old Chase Camps and then worked in private clubs in New England before coming to the Balsams in the summer of 1991. Personable and relaxed, he runs a solid program, mixing social activities, group instruction, and private lessons. "The tennis here strikes a pretty good balance between being organized and being laid back," he says. "We have to approach it that way because there is so much to do. We have a lot of variety on the menu to make sure we have something for everybody." All of his staff are USPTA certified. Greene was the recipient of the 2003 International Tennis Hall of Fame Educational Merit Award. As Chairman of USA Olympic Tennis, he attended the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
Tennis Programs. During the July and August "Social Season," some kind of tennis activity takes at the courts every day. In a typical week that includes free beginner clinics for adults and juniors, several additional group clinics, advanced drill sessions, and at least four round-robin doubles events. Once a week there is a special "Tennis for Parents n' Kidz," which puts parents and children on court together and teaches them how to work together to improve. Or if you simply want to play and don't manage to meet a compatible opponent in one of the round robins, the staff tries to match you up. Private instruction is also available by appointment. On the whole it is a very broad, well thought out program.
Courts & Fees. The complex consists of 3 red-clay courts laid out side by side next to the white-clapboard pro shop and 3 Plexicushion hard courts on the opposite side of a grassy knoll just to the west. Court fees: None for registered guests.
Caveat: Bring or buy a water bottle, since not all the courts have easy access to water.
Golf Courses. Golf at the Balsams dates to 1897 and now comprises 27 holes. There are no greens fees for registered guests. There are golf pro shops and professional staff at both locations. Balsams also runs a seasonal golf school. For starting times, phone 603-255-4961.
The Panorama: The legendary golf architect Donald Ross redesigned and expanded the original course in 1912, personally supervising its construction. He laid out a devilish course along the western side of Keyser Mountain, giving it scenic views all the north into Canada. He invested it with his signature sloping fairways, hilltop and often domed greens, and an occasional tee marker mischievously pointed out of bounds. Par 72. Length: 5,069-6,804 yards.
Coashaukee: A 9-hole Executive course next to the hotel. Par 32. Length: 1,917 yards.
Spa & Fitness Center. There's no spa as such; however, there is a treatment room for massages. As for a fitness center: Given all the outdoor recreation, it's not certain why guests would need one but there is a small exercise room with a Body Master II multi-workout station, four cardiovascular machines, mats, and a very few dumbbells in a room with small high windows and fans (but no air conditioning).
And ... Lake Gloriette is a 32-acre spring fed lake stocked with trout (guests may fish without a license). A fleet of rowboats, canoes, and paddleboats is available for guests to use. You can swim in the lake if you like cold water; otherwise, there is a heated swimming pool adjacent. Also at lakeside are facilities for badminton, basketball, volleyball, horseshoes, croquet, bocce, and shuffleboard. Beyond the lake, an extensive network of maintained trails for walking, hiking, climbing, and mountain biking laces the resort's 25 square miles. The rugged terrain varies from rolling countryside to 800-foot cliffs and varies more than 2,000 feet in elevation. Mountain bikes are available for rent and there are regular guided mountain bike excursions.
During July and August, the Balsams runs award-winning Camp Wind Whistle for children ages 5-13. The program operates from breakfast through dinner, seven days a week. Kids are divided into age groups and then entertained with appropriate activities. At meals, they can dine with their parents or with counselors in the dining room. Like most all of the activities at the resort, these programs are complimentary.
The resort has 232 rooms altogether, of varying layouts and sizes but each with the homey country-inn feel of hand-painted pine furnishings, ruffled drapes, brass and ceramic lamps. They have phones but neither air conditioning (rarely needed; rooms do have fans) nor televisions (there is a public TV room for those who can't live without it). WiFi Internet access is available at $9.95/day.
The vast chandeliered dining room seats 500 guests at a time at tables awash with starched napkins, glistening crystal, and polished silverware. Each party—the men in jackets—is assigned a table and a waiter, who remembers whether they prefer Balsams Spring Water or lemonade, and delivers the sumptuous five-course (or more, if you're hungry) dinners from a menu that changes nightly. All the options, including the at least eight entrées, soups, appetizers, and desserts, are displayed on a central buffet so you can view your choice before ordering. Once you do, everything is prepared to order. Choices range from roast prime rib of beef to poached Boothbay haddock, fettuccini primavera, and a spicy spinach and mushroom enchilada. There's also a wine list of some 300 imported and domestic labels. Lunch and Saturday night dinner consist of stupendous buffets. What's new is dining in the Tavern, a more casual option, and one that allows guest to opt out of the Full American Plan and have lunch or dinner there.
The mountain setting and all-inclusive pricing set the Balsams apart from all of the other tennis resorts reviewed here. What else you look at depends on which aspects of the hotel interest you most. For similar Gilded Age grand style, look at:
For a secluded setting and an abundance of recreation, look at:
There are now options of booking either a bed-and-breakfast plan, a Modified American Paln (breakfast and dinner) or a Full American Plan (breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
Seasons. Although the Balsams is also open in winter for skiing, the tennis season runs essentially from Memorial Day to Columbus Day, reaching its peak during July and August, which the resort still designates as the "Social Season."
Travel Instructions. The nearest major airports are Portland, Maine, 118 miles to the south and Burlington, Vermont, 150 miles to the west. Montreal, 158 miles to the west and a little north, is a little farther, and Boston, 219 miles to the south, farther still.
General Tourist Information. Visit the New Hampshire Office of Travel & Tourism web site or contact them at 172 Pembroke, P.O. Box 1856, Concord, NH 03302. Phone: 603-271-2343 or 800-FUN-IN-NH.