The Balsams' red clay courts are admired by both legendary pros and young amateurs.
When Rick Toland recently took charge of tennis programs at this northern NH vacation spot, he wasn’t exactly a stranger. He has intermittently served here (pardon the punnery) since the 1970s.
It was in those early days of Toland’s resort service that a highlight occurred which bears recalling…
He estimates it was 1979, several years after the end of a great conflict. No, not the one around Saigon. We’re talking about the Battle of the Sexes. Colorful, middle-aged tennis ace Bobby Riggs had lost to Billie Jean King in 1973, but attained household-name status in the process. A group at The Balsams invited him to speak there around the end of the decade, and after arriving by private plane at nearby Errol, that’s exactly what he did.
“I was teaching tennis at The Balsams, so I was a natural contact for him to hit tennis balls with and hang around with, so it was very exciting.”
But Riggs’ presence, of course, put Toland on the spot. As The Balsams’ tennis professional at the time, it was simply expected that he would do more than just bat a ball around with the visiting superstar. He would have to face him in “the arena,” playing for score. A full match ensued.
“It was very humiliating,” laughs Toland, “He made me run around while he pretty much stood still, and I’m not so sure he wasn’t being kind. There were quite a few people watching and enjoying his showmanship. We played on the red clay courts, and he commented that they were some of his favorite courts that he had played on.”
Toland got three games in two sets. For the uninitiated, that means Riggs won four games for every game Toland won. That is the same outcome Riggs achieved when he battled top-ranked female player Margaret Court before his loss to King. But like King, Toland treasured his time with – and against – the brash sports hero. Every detail of the visit seems to have a home in his mind.
“I went and listened to him talk, and it was entertaining.”
For much of the three-day visit these two tennis pros watched football, drank beer and continued swatting the fuzzy balls around the resort’s breathtaking courts. Riggs was a legendary – and very skilled – gambler. The pair made a wager on a Dallas/Redskins game.
After leaving, Riggs sent Toland a note thanking him for the experience. His career was now winding down. Less than a decade later he received the news that he had cancer, battling this last match to the end in 1995.
But the memories of his visit, like those of so many other celebs who’ve stayed here, still echo around these lobbies and sports facilities. Toland had a unique chance to meet a legend and pass the story on to guests.
Dave Ridley
The Balsams Blogging Team
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