Balsam Mountain Preserve adds pickleball courts to mountain retreat campus
Balsam Mountain Preserve finished three outdoor pickleball courts at 3,500 feet, adding a cooler mountain play experience to its racquet-sports campus.
Balsam Mountain Preserve has turned pickleball into part of its mountain identity. The Sylva, North Carolina, community completed three regulation outdoor courts beside the Ruby Valley Fitness & Wellness Pavilion and its outdoor tennis complex, giving the property a more fully built-out racquet-sports campus for guests and residents.
The new facility was designed to be more than a place to hit a few games. The courts feature regulation blue and green playing surfaces finished with SportMaster acrylic, along with a seating and viewing area that can support light food and beverage service during community events. That layout gives the space the feel of a social hub, not just another court pad tucked behind a fitness building.
General Manager Gayle Starke said the addition fits the preserve’s larger vision of world-class activity in an authentic mountain setting. That matters here because pickleball is as much about the gathering as the game, and Balsam Mountain Preserve is leaning into that multi-generational appeal rather than treating the sport as a stand-alone amenity.
The setting does a lot of the work. The courts sit at 3,500 feet of elevation, where summer temperatures are cooler and the views are part of the draw. For multi-day stays and group travel, that changes the pitch completely. Players are not just booking court time; they are stepping into a retreat environment where the racquet schedule, the mountain air and the social space all reinforce each other.
Programming around the courts is already part of the plan. Director of Fitness Gavin Baldwin will lead a dedicated racquet-sports initiative, while Katie Nowicki, the pickleball professional at Champion Hills in Hendersonville, will visit regularly for clinics and private lessons. The preserve will also provide complimentary paddles for general use, a small but practical touch that makes it easier for beginners and casual visitors to jump in.
That combination of elevation, instruction and built-in gathering space is what separates Balsam Mountain Preserve from a basic court install. In a market full of properties calling themselves active-lifestyle destinations, three well-placed courts at 3,500 feet give this mountain retreat a clearer reason for players to stay longer and come back.
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