Ainsdale Golf Course has been sold to Kincardine native and former U.S. collegiate golfer Taylor Candler (Schmidt) and her husband Charles, a golf pro who is originally from Sanford, Florida. The Candlers, who currently reside in Wichita, Kansas, with their 4 ½ month old son Wyatt, will take over the 18-hole golf course on Jan. 12, 2017.
The sale does not involve Somerhill Golf Club, which will continue to be managed by Brad Mackay, who is the son of current Ainsdale owners Al and Kathy Mackay. The deal includes a home on the golf course property so the Candlers won’t have to do any house hunting.
While the move means giving up her position as head coach of the women’s golf team at Friends University in Wichita, she’s thrilled about returning to her hometown. “I’m just so excited to be going home to be with family and friends,” she said. Charles, who is currently assistant general manager at Flint Hills National Golf Club near Wichita, is also looking forward to the experience, even though he hasn’t lived through a full Canadian winter yet. “I’ve done some skiing and skating and I’m looking forward to snowmobiling. It will be an adventure,” he said.
They had looked at buying a golf course in Florida where Charles’ family lives but Charles said the market is “very saturated” and buying Ainsdale will not only put them close to Taylor’s family but also give them an off-season which will allow them time to travel to see his family.
The Candlers plan to listen to their members and public players during the first season before deciding on any future plans for the course. Their exact roles have yet to be determined but they expect Taylor will do the “lion’s share” of teaching at the course.
Taylor said the Mackays were “awesome to deal with” and negotiations went very smoothly.
Al Mackay said during a recent interview that the Candlers reminded him very much of himself and Kathy when they bought Ainsdale 30 years ago. “We’re really excited for them. We were basically the same age when we took over the course,” Al said. The deal was recently completed, and Al hasn’t had time to make any definite plans yet, but he will continue with his tax and accounting business which currently has 300 clients. He also plans to support Brad at Somerhill.
About Taylor & Charles Candler:
Taylor is originally from Kincardine. Recruited by the University of Oklahoma, she played for the Sooners from 2009-2013. She is considered one of the best golfers to ever come out of the Grey-Bruce area and her collegiate career with the University of Oklahoma women’s golf team included seven top-10 finishes. After her college career, she completed her Master’s Degree at OU, while playing professionally. She played events on the Cactus Tour, Sunshine Tour, and the Road to the LPGA Symetra Tour. She made it to the 2nd stage of qualifying for the LPGA Tour. After playing professionally, she was the Head Coach for NAIA Friend’s University in Wichita, Kansas.
Charles is originally from Sanford, Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida in Orlando, FL with a BA in Marketing. After college, he worked at Stoneybrook Golf Club in Orlando, The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Orlando and Innisbrook Resort & Spa in the Tampa area. From Florida, he moved to Norman, Oklahoma where he was the General Manager/Director of Golf at Belmar Golf Club, owned by country singer Toby Keith. In 2015, he was offered the AGM position at Flint Hills National Golf Club, a top 100 golf course in the US. Charles is a Class A PGA Professional and a member of the CMAA.
If you would like more information about this sale, please contact Charles & Taylor Candler at (226) 963-1829 or via email at ccandler16@hotmail.com.
