A Duffer's Guide

marc.lalonde@transcontinental.ca

With nine beautifully-manicured holes of golf, more than a hundred years of history and the friendliest members of any course we've visited so far, Como Golf Club in Hudson is one of the area's true undiscovered jewels – and a heck of a golf course, to boot.

Just the drive up to the club's parking lot is an impressive one – in stark contrast to less-venerable courses. A winding, twisting and turning road that runs alongside the last four holes on the course set the tone for a delightful afternoon – even though the Duffer's Guide crew was on the course.

My fellow duffer Jesse Paterson and I were immediately taken by the mature trees that make each hole feel like its own space, and the physical beauty of the course, with many undulations, uphill and downhill slopes that give the course character.

We decided to play all nine holes twice, with the logic being we would be better on the back nine than on the front.

The best laid plans of mice and men sometimes go astray, however.

On the par-4, 292-yard first hole, a gentle uphill slope awaits you before giving way to a downhill slope, and on this day, the pin sat on the front right part of a sloping, tricky green. Word to the wise: with a massive, sheer hill at the back of the green, you're better off playing this hole with a higher club to avoid the possibility of going down the back of that monster and getting your ball up it.

The par-4 406-yard second hole's tee box sits on the top of a downhill slope, so you can see the entire hole from the tee box – and it's a nice view. It's a lot nicer of you manage to avoid the large, greenside bunker to the left and the stream that cuts across the hole at 100 yards – almost forcing you to lay up and swing a wedge from that distance.

The 157-yard par-3 is an interesting little hole, and so was the uphill par-4 fourth, but the fun really begins at the fifth hole, a 481-yard par-5 that is tricky because of the dense woods on the right. It plays and feels a lot longer than 481 yards, though, and that much was obvious when we hit our approach shots.

It takes a little bit of time to get to the 137-yard par-3 sixth hole, but boy, is it worth the walk. It's a short hole, but a huge bull-rush-laden swamp hazard sits off to the right of the tee, and you have to hit your shot in the air – or you might not ever find it. Once you get the ball in the air here, you'd also be well-served to hit it on the green, or you could be descending again. The green slopes down to the right, so even if a shot is on the green, that doesn't mean it's staying there.

So, in short, it's a fun, challenging hole.

The par-4 seventh hole is a straight shot down the fairway and it's not out of the question for long hitters to consider trying for birdie on this one.

The par-5, 523-yard eighth hole is really the crowning triumph for this grand old dame of area golf courses. It's a long, challenging (with woods on the left and a tight fairway, you're well served to be straight off the tee) hole that situates a hazard just in front of the green, so make sure your approach counts. With a downhill slope, the view is impressive enough to bring you and your clubs back time and time again.

With a par of 70 for eighteen holes, it's as close to a championship course you’re likely to find at the prices they charge.

The private club is currently in the midst of recruiting new members for the end of the 2008 and the 2009 season, and is offering a discount on initiation fees, making the price of membership more than affordable for golfers of all ages.

The club is located on Harwood Blvd. in Hudson, just three kilometres from Highway 40 Exit 26. For more information, call them at (450) 458-7541, or visit them on the web at www.comogolf.com. You'll be glad you did.