8/31/26- Made it out to the first ever GK/Moose event at Candlewood CC. An older country club(1956) tucked right in the middle of Whittier. The city itself has grown around this country club, and if you did not know where it was you might not know its there. The trees that align the road are thick enough to just get a glimpse, of a sunken down classic style course. I had the honor of playing with JohnnyGK, RGM2525, and Sparky14. This was one of the most enjoyable experiences I have had on a golf course. First off, the amenities at Candlewood are really nice, the complimentary coffee at the start and large range were an added touch. The golf carts were newer with GPS and upgraded cushioning. Everything was very clean and well managed.
The course is in great shape. The tee boxes are flat and rather large. They are well maintained. The fairways were in excellent shape, and the greens rolled nicely. Lots of divots, but also the course was going through its normal Monday watering on the members day off. The sand was very good, only one of the traps I ended up in was a little thin, but nothing to complain about. The rough was thick and made it a challenge if you ended up in it.
Candlewood is a tight course with some holes and tee boxes elevated. If you can drive and hit the ball straight you will love this place. A few holes have dog-legs, and on almost every hole there is one tree that is in play. Those trees should not effect you, but they do get in your head.
The highlight of the round was hole 8, where Mr. Sparks(Sparky14) hit a hole-in-one, looking back into the sun. No one thought it went in, but there was a large divot rather close to the hole. Walking up and seeing him discover the ball had dropped in, was worth every penny. It was his first hole-in-one. This is now the second time in the calendar year I have played in a GK event where I saw someone hit their first hole-in-one (JohnnyGK-Dec 26', Las Posas). Nothing like celebrating on the 9th tee box with a cold Pink Whitney followed by an epic hotdog at the turn.
If you get the chance to play Candlewood, do it. I would love to play here again.
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