Links Magazine Names Balsam One Of America's Premier Properties For 2010

Balsam Mountain Preserve was recognized by Links Magazine in its "America's Premier Properties" edition. Balsam was given special recognition as one of the Best Communities For Outdoor Pursuits, along with communities in Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, and Montana, just to name a few. Links noted, "Sure, golf is an outdoor sport, but it can't match the exhilaration that comes with activities like mountain biking, whitewater rafting, or hunting. Many of Links' Premier Properties provide access to lakes, rivers, trails, and mountains, and if you're just as apt to pack your rod and reel as your golf clubs, check out one of the following 14 properties".

The magazine went on to say specifically about Balsam, "At Balsam Mountain Preserve, residents can explore the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains on their own, whether hiking the 34 miles of trails or fishing the 38 miles of streams, or they can benefit from the expertise of the on-site naturalists".

Thanks to Links Magazine for this exciting and prestigious recognition!!

The New Balsam Mountain Trust Website

The brand-new Balsam Mountain Trust website is on-line and waiting for your discovery at http://www.bmtrust.org/. No other community in the mountains of North Carolina offers its owners and the surrounding community such a life enriching resource. Check it out to see what we mean!!

New Custom Home Listing

At 2,660 heated and cooled square feet, this home feels larger than it is because of its open floor plan. Building features include care from the owner with regards to the environment and energy savings. Low electric bills are reflective of Icynene insulated exterior walls and ceilings. Stained concrete radiant floors provide even warmth during winter months. At 3,448 feet in elevation, this homeowner has not found the need to use air conditioning during the summer months. Each room enjoys large windows which view the Plott Balsam range and a surrounding ridge of Balsam Mountain Preserve. Being able to view mountains while walking on the brick patio and lawn increases the livability of this home. The main floor master has an oversized closet which should satisfy most folks' needs. The master bath features a large glass enclosed tumbled marble shower, heated towel racks, a double sink area, and a Bain Ultra Air tub with a window above, allowing the bather to enjoy a view of the mountains. White wood shutters add a finishing touch to this area.

Hemlocks were gathered on property and sent to a local saw mill for exterior reverse board and batten walls, and example of sustainability practices. An old bridge was reinvented and used for the staircase, bar top, and guest bathroom cabinet tops. The powder room barn door was built to continue the rustic elements of this well planned home. Poplar bark is used at the entrance and rear patio to offer texture to an already beautiful exterior. The kitchen is open but separate. Here you will find a Thermador oven and range, a warming drawer, and a microwave drawer which makes this a very efficient and easy to manage area in which to entertain. The entire home lends itself to entertaining all the new friends you will surely meet at Balsam Mountain Preserve.

The home offers a very harmonious feeling by the choice of colors and elements. Careful planning and shifting of an existing Al Platt Architectural plan makes this home truly enjoyable. A mix of wood and drywall make the home very welcoming but not too rustic. Additional separate zone radiant heating can be found in the garage, where the floor has also been acid stained.

List Price: $1,665,000

Architect: Al Platt

Builder: John Thompson

Main Level: 1,880 sq. ft. per homeowner/Upper Level: 780 sq. ft. per homeowner/3 bedroom/3.5 baths

To view an on-line brochure of this home, click here. To speak with a community consultant about this home or any of the available homes at Balsam, click here.

Judaculla Rock in Cullowhee

September 18th the book club discussed the book One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus. The book is about white American women being traded to the Cheyenne in 1875 in order to teach the Cheyenne the white peoples way of living. Some of the sections, especially the ending, were gruesome. I shared with the ladies that after I read the book I was very upset by the ending and felt a need to feel grounded. I thought a hike might help me feel better, even though it was raining. While I was at the library researching hiking trails in the area I remembered there was a rock in the area with petroglyphs carved in it. I suddenly had a mission to find the rock. A quick phone call to Mara at the front desk in the Boarding House gave me the information I needed to get there. Judaculla Rock is a large (probably 10 X 14 feet) soapstone rock carved with images. A turtle, octupus and squid are visible as well as stick people drawings. As I sat there I couldn't help but think of all the people over the ages who have called these mountains home. They estimate the etchings were done between 3000 BC and 1000 BC. If you would like to study the rock and maybe even unlock its message here's how to get there. Go south on SR 23 to Sylva exit 85. At the intersection where you have to go left or right, turn left onto SR 107 toward Western Carolina University. Follow SR 107 for 9 miles and turn left onto Caney Fork Road. There's a BP gas station on the right. Continue for 3 miles and bear left. It's well marked. The rock is located in the field at the end of the farm road. I hope you enjoy the rock as much as I did.

Haunted Halloween Hoe Down

It's time for our annual Halloween party at the boarding house. Join us for lots of fun, great food, a costume contest and live music on Saturday, October 31 at 7:00pm. The theme this year is a Haunted Halloween Hoe Down, so wear your best boots and hat. The menu will feature barbeque chicken, ribs and all the fixins'. If you don't have your favorite costume, come on and join us anyway, we're sure you'll have yourself a good ol' time! Cost per person is $40 and does not include alcoholic beverages.

Activities will hold a Monster Bash at the nature center from 6-10pm. Kids will participate in a costume contest, dinner, skeleton hunt, games, arts and crafts and the movie Monster House. Cost is $10 per child.

We hope to you see there! Happy Fall Y'all!

Balsam's First Annual Chili Cook-Off

Well, with October right around the corner I can’t help but think back to growing up in Vermont and watching all the bright red, gold and orange leaves come out for one final blaze of glory. Every year for my birthday my mother would take a group of my hooligan friends for a “hike” up Mount Philo…well we hiked; she met us at the top with a big pot of chili. That still stands out as one of my favorite memories of growing older but not up. That is why, with great pleasure, I'm announcing the First Annual Balsam Mountain Preserve Chili Cook-off happening Saturday, October24 at the Pavilion. Please have your best chili recipe in hand by 11:45 a.m., we will provide chafers to keep it hot along with all of the sides, accompaniments etc. Please contact April to sign up as soon as possible as space is limited and you would not want to miss out on your chance to win the coveted “Traveling Ladle”. Good luck and I expect to see everyone there.

Cheers,

Chef Jonathon

P.S. Wine pick of the Month….Orin Swift “The Prisoner” DELICIOUS!!!!

Rays Of Sunlight

After months of "doom and gloom" reporting by the media, the overall real estate market appears to be basking in some encouraging rays of sunlight:

- Existing home sales surged 7% in July, posting the largest monthly increase in 10 years. July results represented the fourth straight monthly increase and the highest level of sales since August, 2007.

- Sales of newly built homes rose for a fourth straight month in July to set their fastest pace since last September, while the inventory of unsold homes fell to the lowest level in 16 years. The sales number also represented the biggest monthly percentage gain since February, 2005.

- The National Association of Realtors reported U.S. home prices posted a gain in the second quarter of 2009.

Here at Balsam Mountain Preserve, we are actually ahead of last year's sales pace, with 21 agreements consumated in the first eight months of this year. In fact, just in the past thirty days, we have welcomed families from Atlanta, Raleigh, Columbia, Shreveport, and Houston to the ever-growing Balsam family.

Why is Balsam growing its owner family at a time when other communities in Western North Carolina are searching to find their way? According to Gregg Logan, Managing Director of RCLCO, "families entering the market today are primarily seeking convenience, active lifestyles, and social interaction. They want more than just golf courses and clubhouses; they are looking for communities that make it easy for them to shop, make new friends, pursue continuing educational opportunities, and engage in active lifestyles".

If you've had the pleasure of visiting Balsam, you know that our community satisfies every one of these desires. In addition, as today's buyers look to purchase or build smaller homes that are more in line with their actual needs, the fact that Balsam has no minimum square footage requirement is also perfectly aligned with the new reality.

Restored confidence along with unprecedented purchase incentives make this one of the most historic times ever to purchase property in the mountains. Other families are making an intelligent decision to take advantage of this opportunity, so if you've been thinking and dreaming about the right time to get involved, your time has come, and you won't be jumping into the pond alone. In fact, you'll be in very smart company. Call us at 866-452-3456 or click here to request more information, and we'll help you put your dreams into motion.

Kids' Club at Balsam Stables

Saturday, September 5th, kids at Balsam Mountain Preserve met at the stables for a horsing around good time! They started by brushing Ginger and Kuko, helped saddle them and then took turns riding in the arena. Ginger is pictured to the left with Laney Nichols, granddaughter of members Mac and Linda Purdy.

Ginger and the other four club horses are available for pony or trail rides Wednesday-Monday until December 1 by appointment.

August Ladies Lunch

The ladies enjoyed a delicious lunch on the porch at the dining hall on August 21st. We determined the pot luck dinners would continue on a monthly basis hosted by a homeowner. More details and a calendar will be determined in the near future. We followed lunch with a lively discussion of the monthly book selection Water for Elephants based on life in the circus in the early 1900's. The ladies chose 1000 White Women by Jim Fergus as the next book club selection. Please join us Friday, September 18th for lunch and book club. This is a great time to meet other women and share information about the area, favorite restaurants, shops and activities.

Security welcomes two new officers to the team!

Bobby Cogdill was born and raised in Haywood County where he continues to live with his wife Lucy. They have two children and are expecting their first grandchild at the end of the month. Prior to working at Balsam Mountain Preserve, Bobby was employed at Dayco Products and Haywood County Solid Waste. He is a member and Deacon of Balsam Baptist Church, enjoys outdoor activities such as fishing, water and snow skiing, rock climbing, camping and travelling.

Jason Cagle is another native of Western North Carolina. He was born in Jackson County where he continues to live, only about a mile from Sugar Loaf Road. Prior to joining our security team, Jason worked at Food Lion and on the maintenance crew for Balsam Mountain Preserve. He is a member and Deacon at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church and enjoys fishing, woodworking and gardening in his spare time. Jason is also a volunteer fireman for the Balsam Willets Fire Department.

Be sure to stop and welcome these two fine gentleman when you see them on the mountain!

Anticipation of Fall

We are overwhelmed with excitement here at Balsam Mountain Preserve as we strive towards our fall season which many that live here on the mountain consider our most beautiful. Once you drive through the gate and start up the mountain, the temperatures grow pleasantly cooler as the fall color change envelopes you. Many owners will tell that while summer at Balsam provides relief from the low-country heat, their favorite time of year here is truly the fall. Each morning our homeowners will be walking out onto their porch into the crisp autumn air to watch the fog burn off and reveal a new landscape of orange, yellow, burgundy and red which have just recently overtaken the lush green summer foliage.

The deeper we progress into our season here at Balsam Mountain Preserve we are sure to notice a few more players at our practice facility fine tuning their game to give them that little extra practice they need in pursuit to crown themselveds 2009 Member-Guest Champions. While playing more golf can help achieve lower scores, spending time on our first class practice facility can really start subtracting strokes off your round. If you are looking for that second set of eyes to ensure you are practicing the correct fundamentals and techniques, be sure to contact Brian or Greg to help keep that handicap trending down.

August showed once again an increase in rounds as compared to last year and Labor Day weekend brought many golfers to Balsam to enjoy the beautiful weather and cooler temperatures. It has been exciting to monitor the boost in play throughout the season which we certainly hope is a trend that continues as we come down the homestretch of our season. When debating whether or not to visit Balsam once more this season, let me be the one to persuade you, take that one last weekend to visit us and experience the unique way of living that only Balsam Mountain Preserve can provide.

See you on the course!

Teen Weekend at Balsam

The daughter of one of our homeowners hosted a dozen of her closest friends this past weekend, and a great time was had by all!! They camped out at Dark Ridge Camp (our own private camping spot located right here on our property) on Friday night, utilizing the camp's enclosed bunkhouses and several of our dedicated tent sites nestled along picturesque Dark Ridge Creek. They cooked out at the covered Pavilion and had a great campfire under the stars. On Saturday, they headed to the Ruby Valley clubhouse for our weekly Saturday cookout and a fun afternoon hanging out by the pool. They also enjoyed hiking on part of our private trail system, measuring more than 30 miles in total. Once again, Balsam proves we have something to keep every member of the family entertained, no matter the age!!

Inaugural Charity Classic Raises $30,000!

Golfers helped raise $30,000 dollars this week during the first Balsam Mountain Preserve Charity Classic. Nearly 90 golfers participated in our inaugural tournament played on our immaculate Arnold Palmer Signature course. The daylong event, which also included a silent auction and reception, benefits four charitable organizations that serve residents of Jackson County.


"It was a great day and great event for us," said Chris Chaffin, President, Balsam Mountain Preserve. "Not only did the golfers get the opportunity to play our spectacular course, but they were able to support local charities and the really important work they do in our community. We are proud of the success we had with this event in its first year and look forward to doing it again next year."



The Community Table, which has been providing nutritious meals to Jackson County residents since 1999, is one of the four local charities to benefit from the tournament. "We are very grateful to Balsam Mountain Preserve, Jackson Paper, all the generous sponsors, and all the participants for making this wonderful event a success. It is only with the support of our caring neighbors that we are able to continue to meet the needs of our community," said Amy Grimes McClure, Executive Director, The Community Table.

Other charities supported by the golf tournament are:

-The Jackson Neighbors In Need Save the Warmth program, which provides assistance with heating, food and water costs.

-Hawthorn Heights, a safe haven home operated by Mountain Youth Resources for trouble juveniles.

-Jackson County Library, toward the construction of the new library in downtown Sylva.

Jackson Paper Manufacturing was the title sponsor of the tournament. "As a locally owned company, we are committed to our community and neighbors," said Jeff Murphy, CFO of Jackson Paper. "We're honored to support events like the Balsam Mountain Preserve Charity Classic and to lend a helping hand to our local charities."

All the participants truly enjoyed their experience at Balsam Mountain Preserve. Allen Comeaux of Asheville said, "You have a great golf course and I don't believe there was a blade of grass out of place. The food was great, service was excellent and the bagpipes on the range were priceless. Hopefully next year I am still around because I cannot wait to enjoy this event and golf course again."

Our initial goal was to raise $10,000-$13,000 for the local charities. In raising $30,000, we are elated about more than doubling our goal in the first year of the event! Plans are to make this an annual event to benefit local charities.

See you on the course!

Brian Chapman
Head Golf Professional

Princess Camp

Princess Camp was one of our final camps of the summer, tailor-made for Balsam's youngest campers. Four princesses joined us for a variety of fun arts and crafts activities that included castle building and crown making. We also had a scavenger hunt complete with a princess bag treasure that contained lots of fun goodies like a magic wand and a crown lollipop! The girls also enjoyed writing a story about a day in the life of a princess and riding Ginger, our pony, at the stables. We hated for this fairytale to end!

Sports Camp

One of our most popular camps this summer was our Sports Camp, held in early July. Homeowner Leslie Moster provided tennis lessons for all 18 of the participants and our talented golf professionals also spent time teaching campers the basics of golf. With all that, we still found plenty of time for hiking, swimming, arts and crafts and even ice cream! What a great way for kids to spend a week at Balsam Mountain Preserve!

Announcing The E-Newsletter Home Page

Each month we send an E-Newsletter to our owners and prospective owners that's chock full of current events and other useful information. Now, we have put all of our 2009 newsletters in one place for easy reference. Just click on the following link and enjoy the stories and photos of life at Balsam Mountain Preserve:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs056/1102424220653/archive/1102658986965.html

Model Home Price Reduction

This beautiful mountain home was created by Al Platt, designer of the 2006 HGTV Dream Home and one of Balsam's most popular architects. The home served as Mr. Platt's on-site model for the past year, and has just been reduced in price to $1,370,000, which includes a full membership to the Balsam Mountain Club.

Nestled into a high ridge at over 3,400 feet in elevation, the homestead enjoys eastern exposure and stream sounds from nearby Dark Ridge Creek, both of which can be enjoyed from the large outdoor living spaces. The property borders protected conservation land, ensuring the ultimate in privacy.

Main Level: 1,312 sq. ft. per architect
Lower Level: 1,002 sq. ft. per architect

3 bedroom/3.5 baths

Highlighted Features:

·Knotty white pine horizontal wall paneling

·Rustic cherry wood flooring on main level

·Slate floors in family room and lower level baths

·Solid, stain-grade wood doors with Bravura hardware

·Gourmet kitchen with Kitchen Aid stainless steel appliances

·Granite and stained concrete countertops·Wet bar in downstairs family room with refrigerator

·Knotty pine cabinetry with stained concrete and honed granite tops in bathrooms

·Energy Star - high efficiency electric heat pump with gas back-up

Call us at 866-452-3456 or click here to request additional information. We also invite you to view an on-line brochure of this home.

David Lott, founder of the Golf Course Home Network, was recently at Balsam Mountain Preserve for an on-site visit, and was so taken by the experience that he wrote an article to post on his very popular Blogsite. The Golf Course Home Network is one of the most respected sites on the internet for individuals searching for real estate in amenity communities, and we are flattered by his comments and observations. Click here to see photos and to read a summary of his visit.

July 4th at Balsam

This past July 4th welcomed one of the biggest parties we've ever experienced at Balsam - nearly 200 grandparents, parents, and children celebrated the day in grand style. The full slate of activities included something for every member of the family - cookie decorating, family games by the pool, kid's yoga classes, a lavish down-home barbeque dinner- and much more. All part of living and enjoying life at Balsam Mountain Preserve.




Getting ready for Balsam's very own 4th of July parade on the lawn of the Boarding House restaurant.







This year's parade gave every member of the family a reason to show their colors.







The annual "Flag Day" tournament is one of Balsam's most popular golf events of the year. The O'Donnells, homeowners from Columbus, Ohio, participated this year as a father-son team.







Our youngest members made patriotic crafts at the morning Kids Club, led by Balsam's full-time Activities Director.

The Dicksons, members from Geneva, Florida, were loving the cool summer temperatures that come with elevations exceeding 4,000 feet.








April Kitrell, Balsam's full-time Activities Director, planned a great afternoon of fun around the pool, including the always popular 4th of July cookie decorating contest.

"Discover Balsam" This Summer

Balsam Mountain Preserve is truly like no other private community you will ever experience. In just a few short years, over 230 of the 354 homesites that will be offered here have been purchased, and 61 homes are already either completed or under construction. This very special place, just 35 minutes from Asheville, is resonating with families craving an authentic, low density mountain retreat with completed amenities and an existing sense of community. The only way to truly know if Balsam Mountain Preserve is the right place for your family is to experience it for yourself.

From now until September 4th, we invite your family to enjoy the wonders of Balsam with our special "Discovery Package". For $199 per night, you will enjoy accommodations in a private mountaintop cabin with the opportunity to explore Balsam and the surrounding area. The beautifully decorated cabins are part of our Private Residence Club offering, and come complete with indoor and outdoor fireplaces. Breakfast is included in your stay.

Discovering the real estate opportunities here is just one part of the agenda. You will also have the opportunity to visit the Equestrian Center for a guided horseback ride on one of our community trails, meet with a staff naturalist to explore the more than 30 miles of hiking trails on property, enjoy the company of our residents at the Boarding House lodge, explore the nearby "main street" mountain towns of Waynesville and Sylva, or just kick back in front of a roaring fire on the porch of your cabin, and feel the stresses of the outside world melt away. This offer ends on September 4th, and is based on availability with a two night maximum stay. Call us at 866-452-3456 for more details or visit http://www.balsammountain.com/.

Fran Luker, our stable manager, sent this photo to me today with the caption, "Who is that masked mule and his faithful companion"?

Science Camp

Balsam Mountain Preserve proudly offered its very first science camp June 9-12 for children ages 5-11. We had nine campers who enjoyed a wide variety of arts and crafts, activities and experiments during this explosive week of fun! We built a volcano that erupted when we added vinegar and baking soda, we made paper out of water, glue and newspaper and we tested many different rocks with lemon juice. Campers also made pocket sundials and light bulb picture frames.
Naturalist Blair Ogburn led campers through a microscope study of slides from nature as well as a stomp in the stream where they caught water spiders, frogs and butterflies. They also enjoyed many yummy treats including milkshakes made from xanthan gum, homemade lemon, lime and orange soda and apples with lemon juice that kept them from turning brown.
Homeowner Jim Stratigos offered a session of astronomy and handed out solar glasses to view the sun. During his night program, attendees were able to view Saturn from the golf course. This was a great addition to our camp. We look forward to next year!

Family Style Dinners

Some of my fondest memories of growing up revolve around Sunday dinners with the entire family. Coming home from listening to a long sermon, relaxing on the back porch, and enjoying the aromas of dinner cooking. I soon realized that if I harassed my mother enough, she would let me help out a little. This lasted until the day I was mixing mashed potatoes with a hand mixer and with the mixer still running on high, I pulled them out of the bowl!!! We found dried potatoes all over that kitchen for years to come.

Anyway, I digress...after listening to ideas and suggestions concerning things that we could do to improve the dining experience for our members, we have made a couple of changes. In the spirit of the simpler times of our childhood, we are now serving dinner "family style" on Wednesdays and Sundays, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Hors d'oeuvres are served at 6:30, and dinner follows at 7:00.

On another note...Saturday barbeques are back and better than ever. We have three different menus that we plan to rotate through: Burgers and Dogs, Taco Taco Taco bar, and finally the pulled pork and barbeque chicken menu. Hope you can join us for a relaxing day by the pool. Cost is $8 for adults and $4 for children ages 5-12. Hope to see you there

Ciao,

Jonathon

Balsam Mountain Preserve Charity Tournament

We are very excited to announce that Balsam Mountain Preserve will be hosting and conducting the 1st Annual Balsam Mountain Preserve Charity Tournament this August! Every year Balsam Mountain Preserve is inundated with requests
for all types of donations to various organizations and charities. Surprisingly, a very small number of these requests come from organizations in our own Jackson County.
The date of the Balsam Mountain Preserve Charity Golf Tournament has been set for Tuesday, August 18th. The purpose of holding this event is two-fold: 1) It provides Balsam an opportunity to raise funds for charities that impact families in the local community and 2) It provides local golfers an opportunity to play and experience Balsam for one day. Our goal is to raise between $10,000-$13,000 to assist the following charities: 1. The Community Table which provides meals for Jackson County residents
who are homeless, indigent or otherwise would not have access to a warm meal, 2. Save The Warmth/Jackson Neighbors in Need which provides fuel oil, assistance with food, water bills and other needs to Jackson County residents in 3. The Hawthorne House which provides a safe haven for troubled youths in western North Carolina; 4. The Jackson County Library; this is a one time donation to help in the construction of a new local library. The tournament field is open to all golfers, men and women, with a limited field of 22 four-person teams. The format will be Captain’s choice and entry fee per player will be $175.
There are numerous opportunities to get engaged including sponsorships, donation of prizes or silent auction items, participation through playing and volunteering. We encourage anyone interested in getting involved in the event contact the Pro Shop at 828-631-1009. We look forward to this great event and the impact it will make in the local community!

Now Is The Time!!

In the first five months of 2009, families from North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, and Minnesota have chosen to move their dreams to the "front burner" by becoming part of the ever-growing family of Balsam Mountain Preserve owners. 14 total contracts have been written so far this year, firmly establishing Balsam as the top selling fully amenitized community in the North Carolina mountains.

Many folks we've talked with over the past two years have truly fallen in love with the community, and have said that "when things turn around, we'll be back to see you". Well, there are certainly a lot of indicators out there that many experts are interpreting to be very positive signs. The stock market has bounced back from its lows earlier in the year, there have been some good reports lately about the state of the housing market, interest rates remain low, and many economists are even predicting economic growth for the last half of this year. Overall, the sentiment seems to be moving in the direction that the worst may be over and the economy may be heading out of the recession as we move into 2010.

So, what exactly are you waiting for?

The families buying into Balsam this year are mainly doing so because it offers everything they are looking for in a high-elevation mountain community. Balsam is authentic and unpretentious; the families who live here are successful and down-to-earth. The low density master-plan offers a level of privacy that residents in other Club communities can only imagine. And the comprehensive suite of amenities are unrivaled by any community in the Asheville area.

But just as important, families who are buying today are looking for value, and they're looking for a reason to buy now. Our real estate offers a compelling value story on its own, but right now, at this moment in time, we are offering individually customized purchase incentives that will most likely not be available when all the news is good and families that have been sitting on the sidelines decide to enter the market for mountain real estate (and they will, it's just a matter of time). The families that are purchasing today realize this very simple fact. They are smart, savvy, and are taking advantage of opportunites right now that are real, tangible, and meaningful.

Call us at 866-452-3456 to schedule your family's visit. If Balsam turns out to be the place you've always dreamed about, we can help you live your dream in ways you never thought possible.

Memorial Day Kid's Party

Memorial Day weekend was a blast at Balsam Mountain Preserve. I had a great time at the kid’s party Saturday evening. We had 14 kids join us for pizza, bocce, ping pong, pool, checkers, foosball and a movie. I enjoyed meeting Kyle and Tyler Murtha and was so happy to see Chloe and Jack Beacham back for the first time this season! I think the Libby family (Brooke, McKinley and Woods) took home the most prizes from the treasure box and Kathryn McCulloch dominated the checkers board. Fred Horton and his guest Grant couldn’t be beat at ping pong and Leo Horton and his guest Cooper were putting together puzzles using stickers which was really cool. Megan Futrell brought the movie Mall Cop that we all enjoyed watching! Miss Allison was a big help in serving the food and she sure did win a lot of bocce games. Thanks everyone for a great evening! I can’t wait to do it again soon!

Balsam Mountain Preserve Named Best New Course In North Carolina

This month's issue of Business North Carolina magazine keeps the accolades rolling in for what is now widely recognized as one of the best golf courses in the state of North Carolina. The publication has named the Arnold Palmer Signature design at Balsam the number one new course in the state, and one of the top 25 overall. Being named Best New Course for 2009 is a big honor, but the Top 25 overall ranking is also quite gratifying, considering the course is entering just its second full year of operation.

Business North Carolina noted, "It was a recipe for success: a beautiful piece of land in the mountains of western North Carolina, topped by a golf course that some say is among the best Arnold Palmer has ever designed. Put it all together and you have Balsam Mountain Preserve, the state's best new course, according to the North Carolina Golf Panel".

The criteria for selecting the best new designs began with the panel visiting courses throughout the state that officially opened during 2008. On a 1-to-10 scale, they assessed routing, flow, design, strategy, fairness, memorability, condition, variety, aesthetics and the experience of the round. "I felt overall that this year's candidates were the best collection of new courses in the 12 years I've been on the panel," commented Sted Morris, a Durham investment consultant. Referring specifically to Balsam Mountain Preserve, Advance resident Steve Johnson, a public relations executive, said "The views alone are enough, but the real estate they chose for the course provides much more than just a photo op. Palmer always seems to give players lots of options off the tee, and the greens are the right size for the approach shot required."

Click here to read more about the story, or better yet, come visit this Spring to explore the community, meet the families who call it home, and experience for yourself the course that everyone is talking about.