One of the courses I’ve been hearing about all season is Candia Woods Golf Links in Candia,  NH.  Everyone I’ve talked to who’s played this course has had nothing but great things to say about it.  I was really looking forward to seeing what all the hype was about as Matt and I prepared for this week’s golf blog and YouTube video.

The slogan for Candia Woods is:   The Friendliest Golf Course in New Hampshire.   It certainly lived up to its name.  From the moment we arrived until the end of the day,  everyone we met was relaxed,  happy,  and having a great time.

They were just finishing up their Club Championship Tournament while we were filming,  so we were able to meet some of the participants and watch them compete.  We also ran into the club champion for this year,  Kevin Ferendo.  He shot  a 71 and  73 to take home the Edward J. Butler Trophy for the second year running.

The golf course at Candia Woods proved to be just as friendly as all the people we met.  It has a full driving range,  two practice greens,  a well-equipped pro shop,  and a comfortable lounge area.  There’s also a banquet hall pavilion for special events and parties.

The course itself is well landscaped and fantastic for beginners.  The fairways are wide open with minimal tree lines while the approaches to the greens are friendly and forgiving.

Those who are new to the sport can enjoy a relaxing round of golf on a course that allows for clear shots off the tee and a lot of bump and run approaches to the greens.  However,  don’t let this course fool you.  It still comes with its own set of challenges for the more experienced golfer.  If you want to work on your putting proficiency  –  this is the course to play.

“Keep in mind where the 101 Highway and the driving range are and take that into account with how the greens break.”  said Craig McLaughlin,  Head Golf Professional at Candia Woods.  “The entire land slopes toward that area,  so it looks like the ball might go one way,  but it actually goes the other.”

For this video,  Matt was joined by Paul,  John,  and Rick.  A few of the guys have golfed here before,   so Rick was able to tell me some of the history while Paul reinforced Craig’s comments about the course.

“The greens here really are phenomenal.”   said Paul as we made our way to the first tee box.

Paul,  John,  and Rick teamed up against Matt for a friendly game of match play.  They followed a modified scramble format,  using the best tee shot on each hole and playing their own ball from there.  It was a fun match to film.  Matt ended up winning with an Eagle putt on the 9th hole par five,  but it wasn’t an easy victory.  John,  Paul,  and Rick made some nice shots and well-deserved putts,  challenging him right up to the end.

We headed over to the lounge at the end of our match for some food and a few drinks.  The Clearing at Candia Woods is famous for their chili,  and I highly recommend it.  In fact,  the chili was so good I had two bowls!  –  one before we filmed our round and another one after…

If you’re a golfer anywhere in the New England area,  come check out Candia Woods Golf Links.   With good food,  a well layed-out course,  and great customer service  –  you’ll  see exactly why they’re called  The Friendliest Golf Course in New Hampshire. 

Thank you  Rick,  Paul,  and John for joining us.  And a special thank you to Candia Woods Golf Links for having us out on their course.  

Watch the video here…