When many think of Cooperstown, N.Y., the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum often comes to mind. But there’s more to Cooperstown than just baseball, and one of the major attractions rivals the old ballgame in both history and tradition. Along the shores of Lake Otsego sits the Otesaga Resort Hotel, four stories high with beckoning white columns. Named for the Iroquois term meaning “place of meeting,” the hotel sits on land associated with the glimmerglass of James Fenimore Cooper’s “Leatherstocking Tales.” It offers 135 rooms and suites, some with lakeside views and a lushness that only a wraparound veranda and imposing Georgian architecture can provide.

According to Otesaga’s sales manager Colleen Donnelly, the resort celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2009, and one look at photos and drawings from its founding year makes clear that while time may change some things, the face of the 2009 Otesaga Resort Hotel has changed very little since 1909—even the configuration of the hotel ballroom with its floor to ceiling windows.

For golfers, Otesaga provides a cornucopia of pleasures, including the acclaimed Leatherstocking Golf Course, a traditional parkland layout that first opened when the hotel opened. Twenty years later it was redesigned by Devereaux Emmett and is a solid par 72, playing at 6,401 yards from the tips. There’s also an 11-acre driving range and professional golf instruction available.

Other amenities include tennis, croquet, and the Clark Sports Center, which offers fitness classes, squash and racquetball courts, weight-training facilities, a climbing wall, and an outdoor Olympic-sized swimming pool. For those wishing to try adjacent Lake Otsego, there’s sailing, swimming, and canoeing within sight of the hotel.

And what would a total resort experience be without a spa? Only a short walk into Cooperstown village is Essential Elements Day Spa, and the Otesaga guest is certainly welcome. “Our setting is very relaxing,” Donnelly points out. “Once you park your car, you’re set with everything you need.” And that includes a tradition of elegant dining that dates back to the opening of the hotel 100 years ago. The first meal offered caviar canapés and potatoes parisienne, setting off boiled halibut and lamb chops Monte Carlo. A century later a five-course meal, including a varied wine list, continues the sense of elegance.

For those with more casual dining in mind, the Hawkeye Bar and Grill is open for lunch and dinner. And the Templeton Lounge offers live music and dancing in the evenings.

Commemorating this centennial year, golfers and non-golfers will be treated to great room packages and other special activities. “We want to make the Otesaga experience memorable for everyone,” adds Donnelly.