Matt and I headed down to Derry this week to visit and play one of New Hampshire’s Best 9 Hole Courses  –  Hoodkroft Country Club.  Located in the heart of the city,  this little oasis of wildlife and fairways always leaves me wanting to come back for another round of golf.

It’s a challenging but steady course that doesn’t tend to eat my golf balls.  It’s also really pretty  –  with a covered wooden bridge and lots of nice water features.

As a beginner golfer,  one of the things I enjoy most about Hoodkroft Country Club are the approaches to the greens.  While there may be sand bunkers and water to watch out for,  many of the approach shots from the fairway are straight forward.  I appreciate the ability to concentrate on executing a nice pitch or chip without feeling intimidated by my surroundings.

To improve my overall game,  I need to work on my ability to gauge distance in my short game  –  especially on those pitches and chips.  My round at Hoodkroft this week taught me that I just don’t have a feel for that yet.  It also gave me the incentive I need to go practice!  I love when a course has the ability to inspire me to want do better.  It’s what makes golf fun.

My best pitch shots this round were on holes 2 and 6.  I used my pitching iron on the second hole to get the ball up and out of the rough on the right side of the fairway.  I was able to land that shot nicely on the green.

I used my 8 iron on the 6th hole for a simple bump and run.  I prefer keeping my ball low to the ground whenever possible on my approaches.  I feel like I have more control over the shot when I’m not thinking about trying to get loft on the ball.  I went a little long on my bump and run,  but the direction was good and the end result kept me safe and in play.

While I prefer a nice,  clear approach leading up to the green,  I also want the opportunity to challenge myself.  The signature 9th Hole at Hoodkroft Country Club does just that.  It’s a Par 5 with a water feature just in front of a two tiered green.  There’s a busy highway down the left side of the fairway and the green is overlooked by the clubhouse deck.  What golfers have to consider when playing this hole is whether they want to try for the green from the fairway or lay it up close to the water and pitch it over from a shorter distance.

This round I was able to go for the green from about 75 yards out on the left side of the fairway using my 9 iron.  I got the ball up over the water,  landing it relatively close to the green on the left side.  I was a little nervous while swinging the club,  but overall,  I was happy with the result.

I had a great time playing and filming this round with Rick,  Mary,  and Phyllis  –  and I’m already looking forward to coming back with our league players in August.  You can check out the course by watching the video below…

Then give HoodKroft Country Club a call and book a round for yourself.

*Thank you Mary,  Phyllis,  and Rick for joining us.  And a special thank you to HoodKroft Country Club for having us out on your course.  We had a blast!*