Downtown Development

Carom Club Brings Some New English to Burque

By Alan Kleinfeld, 3-01-06

In billiards, English means to apply side spin to the cue ball by striking it off center. What's this have to do with Albuquerque? Well, most people don't think billiards when they think of the Duke City. I, for one, tend to think of bad drivers, beautiful weather and a big purple mountain. But thanks to one entrepreneur, billiards is coming to town in a big way.

Oddly enough our state has history with pool and billiards (two different sports, same principle--billiards is played on a bigger table with smaller balls and softer cloth, making it more challenging). The founders of the famous Olhausen pool table, Butch and Don Olhausen, are from New Mexico. They started their careers in the Land of Enchantment (somewhere in the southern part of the state, I believe) working for their dad setting up and re-covering pool tables. Of course, when the boys moved to California in the late 60s and early 70s, they took their idea with them (and once again, New Mexico was SOL).

Now, in the vein of fancy east coast entertainment centers like Boston Billiards Club and Jillian’s, Albuquerque has the Carom Club. It's described by its owners as a fine dining, upscale lounge where billiards can be played in a clean, smoke free environment on state of the art tables.

The club is the brainchild of Ramona Biddle, professional billiards player, and her husband, Anthony. It's been about two and a half years, from conception, that Ramona and Anthony have put their sweat, their money and their hearts into this establishment. Carom, by the way, is a billiards term meaning to bounce off or glance off an object ball or cushion, or a shot in which the cue ball bounces off one ball into another.

I was privileged to see the Carom Club before its opening. Though not on the scale of a place like Jillian’s or Dave & Busters (which tend to have bowling, darts, and video games in addition to billiards) the Carom Club will be a welcome addition to Downtown Albuquerque and, possibly, the city as a whole.

The 2nd floor, a 9,500 square feet space at 301 Central NW (with a spectacular new façade) certainly looks like an upscale lounge with plenty to offer. One of the first things you may notice after you walk in from the private entrance off Central is all the Birdseye Maple. It's everywhere. And it's not a coincidence that the same wood is used in the making of pool cues.

Several other things your eyes may fall upon include the "pro shop," where merchandise can be purchased, the 34-foot bar of Mahogany, Birdseye Maple and shiny granite counter top and the 12 flat panel TVs placed just about everywhere. If, where you’re standing, you don’t like the music, saunter elsewhere in the joint. With five separate sound zones you’ll find something that pleases your ears. All that entertainment is 100 percent satellite.

If you’re ready to play, you can choose from 16 Brunswick Gold Crown billiard tables, which, according to Biddle, is the top professional table in the world (regulation size 4.5 x 9). If that intimidates you, play one of the three “coin-op� tables. Slip in your four quarters and go at it. And for those aficionados, play Biddle’s pride and joy, the art deco 1948 Brunswick Snooker table, bought off eBay and shipped from New Jersey. It’s one of only 14 in the world. All said and done, you have 20 tables from which to pick.

I suppose if anyone in Albuquerque were to know billiards, it would be Ramona. If you want to be impressed, check out Ramona’s WPBA website) and see her professional stats. You might even recognize her from tournaments televised on ESPN. Who knew we had someone like her living right here in Albuquerque?

Anthony told me of a survey he read in an August 2005 issue of Sports Illustrated, wherein billiards was ranked the number one participant sport in New Mexico. So the Biddle’s timing may be just right. If nothing else, I’m sure downtown hotels will appreciate having a new place to send tourists and visitors.

When the doors open in March, the Carom Club will have cost about $1 million. It will employ about 40-50 people, seat 188 for dinner and may be the city’s only non-smoking Billiards establishment. Food will be served for lunch and dinner. The menu and its prices are still being solidified. Cost for pool will be $6-$12 per hour depending on time of day and day of the week. For more information, check out Carom Club.

I am not a pool person. But even so, I could see myself with my posse hanging out at the Carom Club. It’ll be a cool place to chill and watch ‘em spin English.

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