Como GC-Feb2010

I have a special place in my heart for the St. Paul city courses: Highland National, Highland 9, Phalen, and Como. As a teenager, I spent the spring months, while school was still in session and the high school golf season was still going on, playing at some of the nicest private courses in the area. But during the summer I didn’t have an exclusive private course to play on, and neither did any of my friends, so we spent countless hours chopping up the fairways of the St. Paul courses. I remember these courses had special “junior” rates for high schoolers, so we could play 18 holes for something like 8 bucks. I spent pretty much all my money those summers playing as much golf as I could at these cheap rates, and the city courses were where I finally figured out how to play the right way. I have had many wonderful rounds at the St. Paul city courses, and Como is no exception.
    Driving around some of the winding roads that lead to Como GC will lead you to notice two things right from the start: first is all the water hazards on the holes near the roads, and second is the cool clubhouse. The clubhouse looks like a large green gazebo, or maybe a greenhouse. Every time I walk inside of it, I half expect to see it filled with a plethora of exotic plants. If you do want to see plants, the adjacent Como Park has a beautiful Conservatory that can fulfill your needs. As far as the water hazards go, there are quite a few at Como GC - large ones that come in to play on multiple holes. The water hazards help to make up for the lack of length on this course; Como measures under 6,000 yards from the tips. Most of that water is situated on the back nine, but comes in to play on a few holes on the front, too. Let’s take a look at the front nine, shall we?
    The first two holes are relatively straightforward par fours, although there is a lot of elevation change built in to them. Hole number 3 is where the fun really starts. The tee shot on number three appears daunting from the tee box. A huge hill runs along the left side of the fairway, sloping the entire hole from left to right.  In our foursome, most balls hit into the hill ran back down into the fairway, but I was not as fortunate. Hitting my second shot with the ball several inches below my feet is not my idea of a good time. Avoid the hill! But even from the fairway below, the second shot is intimidating. Though the hole slopes from left to right, the green is actually back to the left. You will need some extra club to reach the elevated green. Let’s just say that by the time you are done with the third hole, your legs will be feeling it!
    Hole number eight is memorable for a number of reasons. First, the hole is the longest on the front, a par-5 measuring 489 yards from the white tees. On a rather short course, it is a nice change of pace. Second, the fairway is lined with trees, and hitting into them leaves you with little choice but to lay up. Third, the approach shot requires a great deal of accuracy, as the green is guarded by a semi-large pond. All in all, hole number eight is a beauty.
    The back nine begins with a neat par-4 that heads high up a hilll at about 100 yards out. The main obstacles on this hole are the trees. Trees line the entire left side, and a nicely sized grove is to the right, exactly where right-handed slicers are apt to hit their drives. Since I normally hit a hook off the tee, I wasn’t scared, but apparently I should have been, since the grove of trees is exactly where my drive ended up. Oh well.
    The 11th hole is the first water hole on the back nine. This hole is a very interesting layout, with an elevated tee box, hill on the left side of the hole, a skinny fairway that is very hard to hit, and a nice big pond just off the right side of the landing area. The fairway then heads back up to the left, to an elevated two-tiered green. A golfer could hit a driver on this hole, but the pond sneaks in towards the green the farther you get from the tee box, making an already skinny landing area that much skinnier. Everybody in our group hit irons off the tee, and we all managed to hit the fairway and leave ourselves a wedge or 9 iron in to the green, so I guess I would say that’s probably the smart way to play this hole.
    After a couple more par-4s and a lovely little par-3, you’ll find yourself at the impressive par-4 15th hole. The fairway heads straight out in front of golfers for about 175 yards, the entire way paralleling a large pond. At the 175 marker, the fairway takes a hard turn to the right, and heads up a skinny chute in between ponds to a lovely two-tiered green that slopes from right to left. This green is framed by trees and all the water hazards, and requires a  high, soft shot if you want to score well. This is just a beautiful little par-4 that definitely has the ability to drive golfers crazy. I love it!
    Hole number 16 uses the same pond that played such a big role on hole 15, this time forcing players to hit over it from the tee box. Being a short par-3, at least the forced carry isn’t all that long. The green is quite wide, but not very deep at all, so make sure you dial in your iron before you tee off. You need to get your ball over the water, but you don’t want to go long, since a big bunker sits directly behind the green.
    Como Golf Course is a beautiful track that the city of St. Paul should be very proud of. Although not a very long course by anyone’s standards, it is packed with peril around every bend. If you have your irons working and aren’t intimidated by water hazards, you should have a great time during your round at Como.