Balsam Mountain Preserve

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.