Played here for the first time today, as a guest of a friend. Was very pleased, as I had never even heard of it prior to being invited a week ago, and didn't know what to expect. It is a beautiful cou... Continue »

Played here for the first time today, as a guest of a friend. Was very pleased, as I had never even heard of it prior to being invited a week ago, and didn't know what to expect. It is a beautiful course and club, certainly worthy of private club status.

Conditions followed suit, as it was very well-kept from tee to green. Greens were the highlight, and also the teeth of the course, as the layout is otherwise not terribly difficult, and not very long. They were firm and fast, probably 10-12 on the stimp, with lots of undulation on some.

Fairways and rough were both good, though the rough was thin and/or bare in some spots. Tee boxes were good as well, minus some minor divot damage in some spots. Sand good as well, though I did have one bunker shot today where it was very thin, despite being in the middle of a greenside bunker.

All in all. a wonderful course and layout, which I will definitely be playing again, given the opportunity. Decent practice facility, too, btw, with a big chipping area + bunker, and two small-to-medium putting greens, one with undulation, and one that is flat. The driving range was mats, but it looks like they have a grass area in front of it. I hear the snack bar/restaurant is really good, too. Didn't see a beverage cart, though (it was a Thursday).

Oh! I almost forgot! They have the electric push carts available for members (and guests?) to use! I thought this was so cool, cause I've been thinking about buying one; so the thought of getting to try one for free is super appealing.

GKer atreitman and I discovered Candlewood CC together for the first time at 1050 on Wednesday morning, 12/8/21, to play a GK Cup 18 match. Man, it’s getting harder and harder to find a morning tee ti... Continue »

GKer atreitman and I discovered Candlewood CC together for the first time at 1050 on Wednesday morning, 12/8/21, to play a GK Cup 18 match. Man, it’s getting harder and harder to find a morning tee time in SoCal if you aren’t a member somewhere or signed up for some players club. No starter, but we went to the first tee on time. We were paired with another pair of visitors there for the first time, so no benefits from local knowledge. Our group got behind starting on hole #2 and we could see the groups stacked up behind us as we dealt with poor and sprayed shots. Finally caught up with the group ahead on hole #8 and were in position for the rest of the round, finishing in 4.5 hr.

The course plays across mildly rolling terrain with a large unimproved drainage creek running alongside half the holes, and the remainder on slightly higher rolling ground. Several uphill or downhill holes and some blind shots. Most holes with lots of trees alongside. Lots of kikuyu and with rain the day before the course played soft and longer than the card. Only 2 par-5 holes and par of 70.

Conditions were generally pretty good. Greens had good coverage and rolled medium+ fast with generally more break than you saw. Not a lot of green tiering or undulation, but greens are fairly small and most have plenty of sand around them. Greens had recently been sanded and showed some residual material but it didn’t appear to affect roll. Fairway lies were good and rough was not too deep and very playable as the course dried out during the day. We did see scattered thin/bare areas in fairways and rough. Tees were mostly level and par-3 tees didn’t show excessive damage. There were no divot mix containers on the par-3 tees. Traps had a coarse, brownish sand that looked OK and had a fairly shallow playing layer. Rakes were provided so we played the traps down.

Playing partners talked non-stop until we finally asked them to take a break, and on one hole they played Alan’s ball by mistake. No cart girl; there’s a snack shack at the clubhouse at the turn. Didn’t use the on-course bathrooms. Fairly small clubhouse with a separate golf shop. Staff encountered were all very friendly.

We paid $89 on GolfNow. Trying to find a morning time is chancey and this is what you have to pay these days. I hit the ball very poorly and I’m sure that affect my comments. I wouldn’t rush back here, but CCC is a solid play with a variety of holes. You need to be getting off the tee well and hit the ball straight. Many holes are narrowed by treelines and nearby hazards. The par-3 holes are challenging.

I would’ve loved to join the fun at the Desert Willow event, but forecasts of a 108-degree day scared me off. Instead I ended up finding a great TeeOff.com “Deal” time for 1:00 at Candlewood CC. With ... Continue »

I would’ve loved to join the fun at the Desert Willow event, but forecasts of a 108-degree day scared me off. Instead I ended up finding a great TeeOff.com “Deal” time for 1:00 at Candlewood CC. With 15% off promo code, it was only $39. Amazing deal! Checked in around 12:30 and was told I’d be playing with another single and a twosome. No problem getting single rider cart. Range balls were included; I hit a few off the “irons only” section. Both practice putting greens were open; one of them was packed so I continued to the other one and had it all to myself. Started pretty much right on time and there was no one in front of us for about 3 holes (when we got to the 4th green a single was teeing off on 7, and there was no one else between). So we made our own POP and finished in just under 4:00. I believe I was the only one in our group who’d played the course before. COVID stuff: Pro shop door had a sign about mask wearing; employees were wearing masks both in the pro shop and outside around the clubhouse. All tee markers were out. No rakes in bunkers. First time I’ve seen this: Holes had no insert, so the ball fell all the way to the bottom, but the pin had a metal contraption that you lifted up to eject the ball. Industry Hills has something similar, but better. Two reasons why I didn’t like this system that much: One, the metal rod runs parallel to the pin, making the hole visually smaller and intimidating. In fact, one guy’s putt hit the rod and bounced out. (He took it as a holed putt, but I don’t like another “barrier” to keep balls out of the hole.) Two, the handle that you lift up is supposed to have a rubber or plastic covering on it, but only one or two still had it, so the rest were all bare metal and it seemed like I was going to scratch the paint on my putter trying to lift that handle with my putter head. Also, they’re a little tricky to operate, and sometimes it was just easier to reach in the hole and grab the ball than to get this thing to work well. (Not a big deal. Just trying to be thorough.) No beverage cart. Pretty sure the snack bar was open. Sign near the pro shop that said no water is available on the course, so to stock up or call in if you need anything… not sure what happens if you call. Carts were nice but no GPS and no cooler. They were stocked with free tees in the cart. Course conditions are very nice! I was very happy with just about everything. Greens definitely have some imperfections and healing ball marks, but mostly rolled smooth and fast while accepting shots very well. Fairways had great coverage, no issues for me at all. Rough seems a step down, maintenance-wise with some inconsistencies from one area to the next. Most of it is pretty thick kikuyu a couple inches deep. I think I was in three or four bunkers and they were probably the best I’ve encountered recently. Other than no rakes, I wouldn’t have even noticed it was covid-era. Tee boxes were all decent to good. This was my second time playing the course, and I was saddened to see they lost the namesake Candlewood tree on the par-5 7th! No one mentioned that in any reviews! It used to sit in the middle of the fairway about 100 yards short of the green, which made that a more interesting (and much funkier) hole. I played pretty well today, so maybe that contributed to it, but I really enjoyed the course today. Yes, it’s very tight in spots and unforgiving of balls that go astray. But it’s also quite fun with some nice elevation changes, the need to move the ball both ways, attractive bunkering in spots, fun greens to putt, and a cool old-school look and vibe. Highly recommended right now if you can get a good deal like I got.

Played Candlewood on 8/3, my first time here. Course is really packed into a small space. Really tight in places, especially on the back 9. If you can work the ball both ways off the tee, you can real... Continue »

Played Candlewood on 8/3, my first time here. Course is really packed into a small space. Really tight in places, especially on the back 9. If you can work the ball both ways off the tee, you can really attack here. But if you only curve one direction, you'll be in trouble as there isn't enough room to avoid the trees. A straight tee ball is required here, my 1/2 fairway fade would not work on 5-6 holes.

Greens are really nice here. Soft and fast. Would be really highly rated if not for the complete lack of divot fixing tools owned by the members. Ball marks everywhere.

Fairways and rough are fine, although there are spots that are almost bare. Sand traps were good, a little damp. Staff was very nice.

I'm mixed on this course. Generally, it was in nice shape. The layout is interesting, except for being too tight off the tee. I won't go back at the GolfNow $89 rate, but my playing partner said it was $55 pre-COVID. I'd consider it at that rate.

Kassper7 and I played our GK Cup match today at Candlewood. It was a picture perfect winter day that was made for golf. Nice carts but no GPS as we tee'd off from the blue tees with an 11:40 tee time,... Continue »

Kassper7 and I played our GK Cup match today at Candlewood. It was a picture perfect winter day that was made for golf. Nice carts but no GPS as we tee'd off from the blue tees with an 11:40 tee time, paired with a nice couple. Oh yeah, there's a small range area next to the starter but it's well kept and you can purchase a bag of 40 balls in the office. Really nice condition at Candlewood right now. It's definitely in its Country Club shape currently and it feels like a private club in the sense of attention to detail, tough course design, and a premium on accuracy and length. The green complexes here are quite difficult with many of the greens hiding deceptive slopes and lighting quick speeds. You're terrified of hitting the ball too hard and rolling off the green in some cases (that definitely happened), but also nervous about going too soft and ending up precariously above the hole again anyway. But they're in great shape and very fast, however even some really well struck approaches strutted their way off the green. Beware. Fairways are very lush and green. So many great hitting surfaces today that it was a pleasure to strike the ball well. Rough was fairly manageable but also very lush. Was only in one bunker late and it was not fluffy sand by any means, and probably the weakest aspect of the course conditions. Tee boxes were nice and well taken care of, while offering up a good variety of hole lengths for every golfer. The layout here is tight. That's the best way to describe it. Very few 'grip it and rip it holes,' but a multitude of 'pucker up and pray at the moment of impact' ones. The par 3s are tight. The par 4s are tight. The par 5s? Yes, they're also tight. You have danger on every side it seems, especially on the back nine. But when you do hit the ball well, it's quite rewarding. POP was great all day ... never pushed from behind, and never waited throughout the entire day. Ideal. Think we got around in about 4 and change. Nice to play at a place where they stagger tee times better. This is a course that will tire you out. You have to be very focused and very deliberate with every shot or you're going to put up big numbers. Still, it's a unique layout and with such nice conditions, I will be back another day.

Last minute free up of schedule allowed myself to tee it up with larryq2001 at 9:30 am today. Customer service was excellent. Spoke to pro shop attendant and he mentioned they post 6 to 8 tee times a ... Continue »

Last minute free up of schedule allowed myself to tee it up with larryq2001 at 9:30 am today. Customer service was excellent. Spoke to pro shop attendant and he mentioned they post 6 to 8 tee times a day on golfnow. This a members only club. Not too crowded and real pleasant conditions today. Greens were smooth and held shots like darts with occasional back up. The speed was around 10 with some crazy undulations. Don't let the scorecard distance fool you, The course has teeth for a par 70. They are punching next week. Some holes in back nine were ridiculously tight. Fairways, rough, tee boxes and traps all in good/great country club shape. Nice change of scenery. Give it a go if you are in area.

Used Golfnow for 9:30 round this morning before temperatures heated up which has made play a little slower than usual according to staff. Arrived 30 minutes early and had easy checkin told greens had ... Continue »

Used Golfnow for 9:30 round this morning before temperatures heated up which has made play a little slower than usual according to staff. Arrived 30 minutes early and had easy checkin told greens had been micro punched recently and I could go off by myself when ready. Hit a few range balls (plenty of leftovers) from mats and tried practice green which rolled fast and smoothly with barely noticeable punch marks. Headed out catching a member five some on 3rd who let me pass by to fourth tee and I was able to fit third hole back in after 16 from nearby the 17th tee box. One member came over as I finished 6 and they were heading to fifth tee introducing himself and thanking my courtesy in asking to pass. There were no others caught or behind me in 3 hours of playing but noticed a few heading out on front around noon.
Found the conditions to be very clean and manicured, tee boxes level and recently mown, fairways were neatly trimmed and easy to hit woods and irons from with all divots filled. Rough along fairways about 1" with some areas between trees a bit sparse and although bunkers were nice looking brownish sand I stayed out of them and cannot verify thickness or feel. Greens held and putted nicely having all marks repaired playable undulations and fast enough just not quite the 11-12 stimp they are known for. Terrain varies flat to hilly with several elevated tees, tree lined fairways had a few tight feeling spots, over one lake with another in play and creek laterally beside several holes. A couple house views on outside holes but only wild miss hits could reach them. Lots of work ongoing by maintenance crews and the main clubhouse facilities were being painted. Really enjoyed this round and plan to play again.

Played here today, after reading the last posting. I had the pleasure of playing with a member and his local knowledge was very helpful. I do not have much too add, that roarksown1 has not already sta... Continue »

Played here today, after reading the last posting. I had the pleasure of playing with a member and his local knowledge was very helpful. I do not have much too add, that roarksown1 has not already stated and stated very well. Two points he made, length and course knowledge are extremely important when playing here. He also, did not seem a fan of the bunkers? But I found them to be very playable. Many holes are elevated and w/o knowing size and contour of the greens, hitting to the right area of the green, can be difficult. The layout of the course is very nice, but I would have preferred a Par 72 vs Par 70, given the length and elevation of several holes. 2 more Par 5's would have been ideal. The par 3's, (all 4) are excellent, challenging and nicely designed. Hole 7, is a dogleg r/l 555 par 5 that begins with an elevated tee and ends with an elevated green, with water in front. Hole 8, is a 170 par 3 over water, with a long narrow, elevated green guarded by large bunkers. Hole 9, is a 324 uphill Par 4, guarded by bunkers and trees. A really great stretch of 3 unique holes, IMO. The rough was very thick outside of the fairways and will cause a lot of problems. There is a creek that runs through the course, that comes into play, plus numerous OB due to narrow fairways. Customer service was excellent. Lunch was terrific and POP was right at 3 H. Highly recommended. If GK wants to hold an outing at a private club? I highly recommend this one. Its location off the 605 freeway in Whittier, should be centrally located for many GK members?

First time ever playing Candlewood CC today after a late meeting in Cerritos that was close enough nearby and easy to get a tee time thanks to kassper7's tip for birdiebug.com. This is a 'private' cou... Continue »

First time ever playing Candlewood CC today after a late meeting in Cerritos that was close enough nearby and easy to get a tee time thanks to kassper7's tip for birdiebug.com. This is a 'private' course but you can book tee times online either there or at GolfNow. Met up with Mattias and we got a cart and played the tips, which here are the blue tees that max out at around 6200 yards. But don't let the short yardage fool you - this is a tough course.

I had heard not such great things about Candlewood, and after seeing the very Muni looking parking area while pulling in for the first time, I thought there might be something to those rumors. But that was quickly dispelled after the first few holes as I found the course to be terrifically engaging and fun. The front nine has a great number of very cool and fun holes with varying direction of elevations, while the back is incredibly tight on almost every hole and requires far more accuracy than distance. In truth, there are very few grip it and rip it holes at Candlewood, but it's still a very enjoyable experience from my POV.

The conditions were not quite Private club quality, but surely nothing too horrible to complain about. The greens here are very difficult. Fast, sloped all over the place and difficult to stop approach shots on. Some greens are massive, others tiny. They had mostly good coverage to them and were quite tough to read as there's not a flat surface on any of them.

The fairways are slightly above good LA Muni level right now, but the rough is in good shape and can be very thick at times and difficult to find your ball. Sure, you may find a thin lie in a few places, but it's mostly in good shape and it will be up to you, not the course, to blame your mistakes on here. Bunkers that I was in were okay, and by okay I mean it was more like thick dirt than sand, but it wasn't too terrible. Tee boxes varied from just fine to a few that were not so nice and uneven. When accuracy is at a premium, would sure be nice to put some extra time into getting those tee boxes flat.

POP was great on the front nine but then slowed down a bit as we caught up to the threesome of older gentlemen ahead of us (how were they so fast on the front?). Overall we finished in around four and a half hours so that was fine coming in as the sun was dipping and the cold in the shadows started creeping in. Before that though it was a gorgeous winter afternoon LA style. Fantastic. Cart service was also around many times so that was a positive.

Really looking forward to coming back out to this course again to shoot a better round. A little course knowledge here will surely go a long way, but it won't do a lick of good if you're flying that ball all over the place. This narrow track will eat your lunch. Plan accordingly.