Canterwood in Gig Harbor North
In northern Gig Harbor, just a few minutes drive from the downtown area, you can find Canterwood. This exclusive gated community is home to the golf and country club of the same name. The beautiful scenery, pleasant atmosphere, and convenient location of Canterwood makes it an exquisite place to both visit and live.
Founded in 1988, Canterwood is nestled alongside 40 acres of woodland, and began as a private equestrian community, hence the name “Canterwood,” referring to both the forest and the canter of horses. As time progressed, the focus of the community eventually shifted from equestrian to the golf and country club of the present day. However, the original stables are still in use, and horse-riding along the nearby forest trails remains a pastime of Canterwood members and residents.
It should be noted that, while occupying the same space, the Canterwood Golf and Country Club and the Canterwood Neighborhood are two separate entities. This means that members of the club are not required to be residents of the neighborhood, nor do residents have to be members. While this is the case, the club and neighborhood are quite intertwined, both physically and in terms of community, and a large number of residents do enjoy the country club lifestyle.
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Location
Canterwood is located by Peacock Hill Ave, towards the northern edge of Gig Harbor, just south of Purdy. It is conveniently located right next to the northern Harbor’s main retail and business concentration, and it is a scarce few minutes drive away from Highway 16, meaning Canterwood residents have extremely easy access to Uptown and Downtown Gig Harbor, and the city of Tacoma. On a good day, a drive to Downtown or Uptown takes around 15 minutes, and to Tacoma about 20.
It should be noted that rush hour does slow down the highway considerably. Thankfully, Canterwood’s many entrance gates provide easy access to the various backroads which follow along the highway, leading to the likes of Downtown without too many extra minutes sacrificed, and could even help you bypass some of the rush-hour traffic in a pinch on the way to Tacoma.
In the opposite direction, Canterwood residents do not even need to take the highway to make it to Purdy, which is only about a seven minute drive away, giving easy access to the businesses and schools in that area.
Even further north, Canterwood has access to the cities of Port Orchard and Silverdale via Highway 16. While these cities are further away than Tacoma, the drive roughly 20-30 minutes without traffic, it can be worth the trip if you have places to be in that area, such as Silverdale’s local Barnes and Noble bookstore.
Attractions
Canterwood’s country club provides far more than just outdoor activities. Complete with a full bar and restaurant, the clubhouse is the ideal location for everything from a pleasant family dinner to a night of poker with friends. The clubhouse and the grounds are also host to various events throughout the year. These include banquets for the major holidays including Chritsmas, along with coinciding family events such as an egg hunt for Easter and a fireworks show for the 4th of July.
A unique Canterwood celebration is the annual Concert on the Green, a summer festival hosted on the club’s driving range featuring everything from food, to party games, to live music. Other events include monthly wine tastings, cocktail and cooking classes, and even a weekly trivia night. The club is also often used as a venue for private celebrations, with weddings being a common occurrence during the warmer months.
Outdoor Activities
Golf is, of course, Canterwood’s most characteristic outdoor pastime. The beautiful course snakes through much of the community, its scenery enjoyed by both players and neighboring residents alike. In addition to the course, the country club also hosts a lovely driving range and practice greens, as well as its own pro shop dedicated to the sport.
Other outdoor pursuits of the neighborhood include tennis and pickleball, both played on recently-constructed courts outfitted with a state-of-the-art “tennis bubble” which can turn the play area into a comfortable indoor space for the colder seasons. Swimming is also enjoyed by Canterwood club members, with the community pool open throughout the summer, adjacent to a small indoor gym for exercising year-round.
Beyond the country club’s main grounds, activities can also be found on the borders of the neighborhood, within the various walking trails of Canterwood’s surrounding forest. These trails are excellent for a leisurely hike, mountain biking, and, famously, horse riding, as provided by Canterwood’s stables, meaning you don’t even need to plan a trip to enjoy the great outdoors.
Shopping
Beyond the food scheme, Canterwood itself does not have much in the shopping spectrum. The country club does host a small pro shop for golfing equipment and attire, but golf is essentially all that shopping caters to within the neighborhood. That being said, Canterwood’s location is actually quite optimal for shopping.
Just outside the neighborhood, a scarce 3-5 minute drive away, is a large collection of stores perfect for all basic shopping needs. Residents of the neighborhood have easy access to large chains including Target, Home Depot, and Costco, as well as smaller stores such as Walgreens, Famous Footwear, and Big 5 Sporting Goods.
Other advantageous establishments around Canterwood include a number of fast food joints for a quick snack while on a grocery run, as well as other convenient businesses such as two banks, various barbers and salons, and even a chiropractor.
As mentioned before, Canterwood is also only a few minutes drive away from Uptown and Downtown Gig Harbor, either by backroad or highway, meaning the several amenities in both these areas are an easy addition to a day of shopping. It is in these areas you may find services such as auto repair stores and veterinary establishments, as well as the various small businesses and local amenities of the area.
Property Types
Since its founding, Canterwood has slowly grown and expanded, meaning the age of homes can range from decades to scarcely a couple years old. Furthermore, the neighborhood boasts a wide variety of lot sizes and home designs; most houses within the neighborhood have been custom-built by its original owner, meaning no two residences will look the same. Though for the most part, you will find a trend of single-family homes of fairly large size. Green belts between properties are also quite common, giving homeowners a lovely sense of privacy whilst adding a natural serenity to the area.
The variety of lot sizes and home styles means Canterwood is far less uniform in layout than other neighborhoods. This means you can get a bit turned around if you aren’t familiar with the neighborhood, but the layout is fairly easy to memorize. This non-uniformity, combined with the relatively hilly terrain of Northern Gig Harbor, means the views of each property will vary drastically. Some homes on elevated ground enjoy breathtaking views of the distant olympic mountains, others on the edges of the neighborhood are flush against the treeline of the surrounding forests and walking trails, while those towards the center have the pleasant backdrop of the country club’s 18-hole golf course.