Canterbury Woods Country Club

We played as a 3 some. Had to wait on every shot after the second hole. Never saw a ranger or a starter. Pace was way too slow.

I love the layout, but it was very dry and burnt out.
With no starter groups had to figure their own spacing out and. Lots of people on course. A ranger would have been helpful

Course in really good shape. Pace could have been better. Please put a ranger on your course

What a course, layout, setup and conditions were all 5 stars. Speed of the greens was very good, meaning competitive . I would recommend to anyone,

We loved the whole course. The fairways and greens was immaculate.. The fall colors from the trees made it even more special

Lots of hills, slopes and wetlands. Great challenge.

This was a great value for this course, and the pace of play was phenomenal. We played 18 in just barely over 3 hours. The only criticism is that the greens were pock marked with divot holes. I found myself repairing 2-3 on most greens.

Canterbury , what a course, myself and my son were amazed at what great shape it was in. The course set up and design were impressive. We will play multiple times and tell everyone we know about this gem

I’ve played a lot of golf courses around New England and the World and found this course to be fun and challenging
It’s just a great track within 80 minutes of Boston and the Price is Awesome
I wish I lived closer as I would become a member tomorrow
I hope it doesn’t get much attention from the general golf population because the price will go up and access will be tougher
Hope to get back for another round with other friends before the season is over

Great course definitely play again. Great course, enjoy the round, greens were fast and difficult to read which made for interesting reads. Even with a slower group in front of us, still finish in 4 hours.

Thoroughly enjoyed this course and the price was right for the time pf year!

Canterbury Woods is so excellent a golf course that I would suggest it begins where most other strong venues leave off. What puts this course in the vanguard of not just New Hampshire golf courses, but those over all of New England, are several distinctions: a great site, strong and varied green complexes, exciting and unique holes (with an often strategic emphasis), dramatic elevation changes, coherently contoured fairways and greens, numerous bunkers that would not appear out of place in a major U.S.G.A championship. In terms of discrete hole design, the collection of par-3’s and 5’s here is beyond reproach. Throw in a raft of rigorous par-4’s at 1, 3, 7, 9, 12, with, above all, the finishing 18th, and the essence of the course is diamond-perfect and highly challenging. Ross Forbes has designed, in short, a blockbuster golf course that is not to be dismissed.

Canterbury begins with four tough but manageable holes: a sturdy par-4 opener; the reachable par-five second; a still-tougher third hole—another four-par (now tightening the screws a bit more, not so much on the drive but the approach, which must carry a marshy area just prior to the raised green); then a solid three-shot par-5 that concludes with a bunker-flanked green that slopes upward from front to back. The fifth seems to me the one weak hole on the front side, requiring a high drive into a massive, canted hillside. Short at 311 yards, it plays tough mainly by its angularity and awkward lies, though its green is generally flat.

It is at this juncture, however, that Canterbury Woods begins to test your mettle--in earnest. Hole six is reminiscent of the 11th at TPC Cromwell in Connecticut: the high tee of this 145 yard three-par overlooks, some 50-60 feet below, a relatively small and well-guarded putting surface. Seven, a gargantuan par-4 of 394, yards, all of them steeply uphill, is the number 1 index and would be a stern test for even touring pros from the tips. It may be the most rugged and fiercely intimidating hole I’ve ever set eyes upon. A powerful drive from the tee is a must—it is a long forced carry uphill to the fairway—and the long approach to an impossibly perched green may be more daunting. Having seen the green at the famous fourth on Bethpage Black during this spring's PGA Championship, it is clear that the parallel between approaches on these two holes is a little uncanny. The 7th green, if this has not enough, can be fiendishly difficult to putt. The par-3, 217-yard eighth, however, offers up a tamer green on which we’ll expect to take two putts, but its tee shot must be almost perfectly executed: a low hill on the right may be used, carefully and in conjunction with a draw, to stop the ball on the narrow (but long) putting surface. Nine, a 376-yard, uphill par four, saves its biggest upsweep before the opening to the pitched green, which is flanked by a large left-side bunker.

Canterbury’s back nine ups the ante further, building momentum to a stirring finish. After the quirky, short par-five #10 (481 yards), hole eleven actually improves on the impressive 7th as a kind of extended version of it: this downhill par three is 193 yards, and also happens to be one of the most aesthetically beautiful holes imaginable. Hole twelve follows up brilliantly, and it may be the most exciting 4-par on the course. Starting with an uphill driving zone laden with large bunkers, this hole’s chief glory is an exhilarating downhill second shot. The approach must generally be from the left, and can be run onto a spacious, undulating green; you may feel, for a fleeting moment, as if you’re playing a links course here.

Not as steep as the two preceding par-3’s, thirteen is another pretty downhill par-three of 193 yards with two magnetic bunkers fronting its green. The green's biggest threat, a pronounced ridge, is situated on its left side. After doing an about-face on the 14th tee, the prospect is of an uphill drive to a pitched fairway with gaping bunkers on its left side, making the preferred line-of-play to the right. From this side, the uphill, saddleback green opens up to what will typically be a short-iron approach.

After 14, Canterbury's big finish begins. Requirement one, which begins the scenic 555-yard par-5 15th, is a booming tee shot that must traverse a long, formidable expanse of marshy lowland. Even from the shortest crossing, this is a long forced carry at the tips. Your pulse level may drop a bit for the rest of the hole, as the next two shots, though problematic, will seem surmountable. Sixteen, a shorter (and more reachable) par-5 coming next, provides back-to-back birdie opportunities. The hole may be either a two or three-shotter, depending on you power reserves, but it is equally challenging as a ‘three’ because placement on the layup is both tight and critical for an unobstructed wedge or short iron into the green. Seventeen, the shortest par-3 at 147 yards, stands out as a classic. It requires a cleanly struck iron that should be hit high to enable a soft landing on its plateau green. Heading home, the 436-yard, uphill 18th will demand two forceful shots tee-to-green. After reaching the relatively wide driving zone, your final approach will fly into a raised green fortified by a huge falloff on its left flank, along with a frontal bunker. This will demand nothing less than a stroke confidently planned and well-struck. The green itself is contoured enough to make two-putting, from most angles, anything but easy. Shouldn’t this hole be in the conversation when debating the best finishing holes, state-wide? Yup.

Given the five sets of tees here, this superlative layout should be played by anyone who loves golf, and it is a course that serious golfers cannot afford to bypass. Having seen the number of cars in its parking lot today, it is clear to me that local players are not committing this would-be oversight. The course conditions may not have been perfect this time out (some of the greens, as I learned, had been damaged by winter-kill) but they were more-than-acceptable, as always. Yet in general, everything about this course—from its beautiful vistas to the clubhouse amenities to the staff that assists you—is first-rate. If you ever find yourself in the central New Hampshire region and your golf plans do not include Canterbury Woods, revise them at once.

Great Course. Love the layout. Looking forward to bringing
out of state friends up for a few rounds..

I got a Hot Deal & decided to try it out as it's nearby. I played alone & had never been there. The young men in pro shop were friendly enough but not overly so. Also, I had no idea of course layout & no course map on scorecard... would have had to buy a course map... I said "no" to purchasing a map. So off I go. You can't see green from 1st tee so a bit confused where to aim... hit & hope... As for course layout there was signage steering one to next hole. But the course itself has a bit of an odd layout... VERY hilly. Wouldn't want to walk it! Two holes are right next to an interstate so don't use too much club...!! The fairways in nice shape, well maintained but greens had some divots & rough spots. I'm basically a beginner & have a high handicap and I found this course to be very challenging! Probably not good for brand new players but those like myself will have to work to par or even bogie on several holes. As stated, a lot of greens can't be seen from tee box and hazards are in blindspots too. On 16... I could not finish hole because 1/2 way down fairway at 5pm on a weekend day... the sprinklers were on full spray blocking access to the green... Curious what was up w/that....!? Overall, a nice course w/unique layout, and probably not good for 1st timers but a challenge for others! I will play there again & hope to play whole course and not be prevented by sprinklers in middle of afternoon...!! Owned by a corporation so is not "mom & pop" type course... i.e. perhaps the reason the staff not overly friendly & welcoming... I'd return but because of being corporate and not super congenial probably would not become a member. I prefer to support small business owners as corporations tend to concerns selves with only money not customer service and satisfaction the way small businesses do. Just my thought/feelings....

Canterbury Woods is a fun and beautiful course. Each hole has it's own personality. The uphill and side hill lies really test your golf ability.
Very friendly staff.