Canaan Country Club

Played Canaan today and traveled quite a way to do so. Play here a few times a year because staff course condition and food are worth the trip. Everyone is so friendly and the food terrific. The housemade chips are the best chips you will have all day. Pun intended. See ya soon Canaan and this time I plan to par a par 3.

Canaan is a solid, par-35 nine-hole track that features small greens, several open fairways, and a pair of difficult par-3’s, especially the outstanding eighth. As both of these three-pars are elevated, it’s easy to under-club on each. They will also test your short game around their undulating greens; they have the most movement of any among the nine.

On every par-4 and five, most golfers will feel free to take out the driver. On four and six, however, you’ll have to exercise more care when you do, particularly on the right.

The second is a long dogleg right five-par of 490 yards that affords beautiful views of the surrounding hills and mountains in the Blackberry Valley. The open nature of the course provides more long vistas, most notably at the fifth, a tricky par-5 that doglegs right to a raised green protected by four traps. Play your second carefully here, as the hole—lined by trees—tightens considerably over the last 150 yards. Holes five, six, and seven are all also challenging with falloffs around each green. Overall, the course will provide a relatively complete test of your game, particularly when the task is to pitch back onto the elevated greens, all raised above grade. The greens are quick and run smoothly, and conditioning on and around these was quite good overall.

Given the emphasis on small greens at Canaan, precise mid and short irons may well be the key to shooting your best score.

I liked the look of the clubhouse, and attention paid to the Covid-19 precautions seemed both positive and responsive. Canaan’s parking lot was full and the course busy, so this seems to be a popular course.

Most golfers should enjoy playing here, as I did today, before heading over to the Hotchkiss School to take on a second nine.

My husband plays here mostly every week, and never has a bad thing to say. Staff is very accommodating, course is clean and well cared for. The bar also has great prices and the food is very good!

Relatively flat course with small greens with great scenery. I particularly like the two long par 3s that have elevated greens and deceiving yardage. Fran M is an excellent golfer that provides lessons if you're looking to improve your golf game.