Landa Park Golf Course at Comal Springs Review

Texas Outside Rating: 9.1

Golf - Public Course · 18 Holes · Par 71
New Braunfels
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Landa Park Golf Course at Comal Springs Review

Review of Landa Park Golf Course at Comal Springs in New Braunfels

Landa Park Golf Course at Comal Springs is owned and operated by the City of New Braunfels and opened for play as a nine-hole course on 61 acres in 1938.  In 1972, the course was redesigned as an 18 hole layout which also expanded the course by an additional 52 acres.  

In 2013 the City of New Braunfels started a $7 million dollar renovation by Finger, Dye, Spann of Katy Texas which has turned Landa Park Golf Course at Comal Springs into one of the best in Texas.  The renovation touched everything on the course from the tee boxes to the cup.  Bottom line, from our perspective the redesign transformed Landa Park Golf Course at Comal Springs from a traditional and straightforward somewhat boring layout into a layout that is fair but demanding, loaded with character and fun holes, and a joy to play. 

One of the joys of playing Landa Park Golf Course at Comal Springs is the wildlife (ducks, egrets, and more) and all of the deer grazing in the rough and under trees and carefully watching your game and snickering behind your back as you top the ball or spray it into where they are grazing.

The course is scenic with trees and native areas and ponds plus the clear water of the shortest river in Texas (the Comal River) which comes into play on some holes and on others you can watch the tubers having a blast as you're trying to blast out of the bunkers.  On the back nine, you'll hear whooping and hollering at Schlitterbahn Water Park as guests enjoy the slides, river, and all there is to do at this great waterpark.  At times, when it is 100 degrees and typically after a three-putt, you may wish you were tubing rather than golfing.

The front nine of Landa Park Golf Course at Comal Springs has 4 sets of tee boxes with yardages ranging from 2470 to 3354 yards for par 37 - one par 3, 6 par 4s, and 2 par 5s.  This nine is regarded as the easiest of the nines and from my perspective, the greens complexes on this nine are very challenging - lots of slope, contour, ridges, swales, and well guarded plus some are raised.  This is the easier nine but it will still throw a lot at you to keep you on your toes, for example:

  • #2 is the #1 handicap and you'll think it's a piece of cake at 341 yards from the tips but a branch of the Comal River (which is hidden from your view and could come into play for long hitters off the tee) cuts in front of the green and puts a premium on your approach shot
  • #4 is a fun 571-yard par 5 with a carry over the lake from the back tees, a huge bunker waiting for your drive, a slight dog left, then a carry over the Comal River to a green with no room for error
  • #9 is only 317 yards from the back tee box and you might be tempted to go for the green but a big sprawling tree can block the approach to the green which is raised and has lots of slope and contour plus a long skinny deep bunker on the right side and a sharp drop off the back side and a hidden bunker you'll find if you're long on the approach shot

The back nine of Landa Park Golf Course at Comal Springs is short at 2068 to 2851 yards (it plays much longer than that) primarily because it is a par 34 with 3 par 3s, 1 par 5, and 5 par 4s.  The back is home to some very memorable, challenging, and fun holes like:

  • #13 is a great 516-yard par 5 that's slightly downhill and a dog right between two huge fairway bunkers leading to a green that is tucked off to the left side of the fairway making for a very tough approach shot
  • #16 is fun play - it's an uphill shot with a sharp dog leg left and a sprawling big tree that splits the fairway and can block your shot to the green -  a great risk-reward shot to carry the trees on the left but you also need to miss the huge bunker with two islands or you can try a long uphill shot to the right side of the fairway and approach the green from the right side of the tree - you'll want to play this hole again
  • #18 is a fun finishing hole with an elevated tee box and a carry down over the creek and natural area to a green guarded by trees and 4 bunkers - you'll be tempted to go for the green since it's only 316 yards from the tips

The fairways at Landa Park Golf Course at Comal Springs were in excellent condition, particularly considering it was February and the winter was rough.  They are firm, generally wide and forgiving off the tee box, and littered with bunkers and deer!  The rough was cut thin and very playable.  There are several holes that play side by side and you may encounter some fellow golfers in your fairway or you may end up in theirs if you spray the ball.  No homes, no barking dogs, lots of trees, and a couple places where you might lose your ball if you miss the fairway.

The greens at Landa Park Golf Course at Comal Springs are fantastic - fast (around 11 when played, but they normally will be around an 8 to 9), well guarded, large to huge, a variety of shapes, some are raised, and all have some combination of slope, undulation, tiers, ridges, or swales.  The breaks range from subtle and easy to read to "wow, I didn't see that!"  Pin placement can make or break your score.  Practice putting before you head out!

The bunkers are some of the best we have encountered and typically only found at exclusive private courses.  They are well maintained, the lips range from easy to steep - but the sand is packed on the steep ones and your ball will tend to roll back to the middle - that's if you're lucky and the last guy in bunker raked it!  And the sand is perfect - thick, light, and fluffy.

Bottom line - this is a must play course that is a heck of a value, in great condition, fair but demanding, and home to some very memorable holes.  Here is a link to a Coupon for Landa Park Golf Course at Comal Springs which will save you some money on your next round.  And don't forget to check out their upcoming tournaments and events page.

Head Pro's Corner

Here are some comments from Chad Donegan, Golf Manager, and PGA Head Golf Professional:

  • The golf course is in great condition. The greens are running 10-10.5 this season and we have over-seeded tee tops, fairways and green surrounds.
  • We offer memberships to adults and juniors. Visit our website at for more pricing information and download the FREE Landa Park Golf Course at Comal Springs app on your iPhone or Android.
  • We offer lessons, for adults and juniors, from PGA certified professionals to help improve your swing.
  • Hofbrau on the Green has excellent food and drinks. We cater to the golfer after play or can host your next party or business luncheon.
  • Our entire staff, from the Pro-Shop to Maintenance, would like you to come and enjoy Landa Park Golf Course at Comal Springs.
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Course Slope & Ratings

Tee Box Yardage Rating Slope
Black 6,205 70.3 136
Blue 5,156 65.9 121
Gold 5,645 67.7 126
Red 4,561 67.1 114

Course Information

Course Architect:
Finger Dye Spann
Greens Type:
Mini Verde
Greens Condition
9.3
Greens Difficulty
9.0
Fairway Condition
9.0
Bunker Condition
10.0
GPS:
No
Walkable:
Easy
Scorecard
Course Map
Beware of water on 9 holes and the 36 sand traps.

Texas Outside Rating

Overall Rating:
9.1 out of 10
Beauty:
8.6
Difficulty:
8.8
Variety:
9.2
Fun to Play:
9.5
Value:
9.3
Condition:
8.8
Front Nine Rating:
8.7
Back Nine Rating:
9.4
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FEES & AMENITIES

Approximate Weekend
Rates: $35.00 to $49.00

The pro shop is well stocked and the service is excellent. Hofbrau on the Green serves some good food - burger, Philly, sandwiches, and more - and has a full bar. There is a putting green and short game practice area but no driving range, however, there is a driving net you can hit into. Another nice touch is at each of the hole's tee box is a plaque with some very interesting facts/history that range from endangered spices on the course to the Edwards Aquifer to the history of Landa Park.

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Here's How Texas Outside Determines the Scorecard Rating

The Texas Outside rating scale ranges from 1 to 10 – a perfect 10 course would be something like this:  links along a cliff overlooking the Pacific ocean and bordered by tall trees; lush fairways on rolling hills with lots of natural hazards; water (which is crystal clear) on most of the holes; immaculate greens (but they are undulating and tough); lots of variety and character (each hole is completely different and includes blind shots, elevation changes, doglegs, and significant challenges); perfectly manicured traps with the whitest and prettiest sand you’ve ever seen; a nice club house with great food and a 19th hole; a GPS; plenty of beverage carts or your own cooler and ice; and it only costs $40 bucks! What this means is that you probably won’t find any 10s in Texas – try Cabo San Lucas, Pebble Beach, or some of the Hawaii courses! 
Texas Outside rates courses on the following:

  • Beauty – tall trees, rolling hills, beautiful houses, waterfalls, and similar stuff would score high; a 1 would be flat, bushes or cactus instead of trees, and some grass but mostly weeds
  • Difficulty – a straight, 300 yard par 4 with no traps or hazards, no out of bounds or water would probably get a 1; if it is a 460 yard par 4 over two ravines, with water along one side, natural hazards on the other, strategically placed traps or that dreaded tree right in the middle of the fairway, we are talking a 10. 
  • Variety – what would you give a course where all the holes looked and played exactly the same (“I thought we just played that hole!”); were side-by-side, which is good for finding or dodging other people’s balls, but not much fun; and you can see the flag from every tee box?  That’s right, it gets a 1.
  • Fun Scale – a 10 is where you walk off the course and say “now that was fun” and you can’t wait to get back, or you immediately turn around and play another 18 holes
  • Value – a 5 is $50 to $60, a 10 is $20 to $30, and 1 is $200 or so – of course all of this is dependent upon how you liked the course.  For example, if a run down, boring municipal course, with six players on each hole was only $10; it would still get a value rating of 1.
  • Condition – this one’s pretty easy – what condition are the fairways. A 10 commands very lush perfectly manicured fairways, compared to a 1, which has fire ants, weeds, and more dirt than grass!
  • Condition of Greens and Difficulty – very hard to read greens with lots of undulation and tough pin placement, rate very high on the difficulty scale.  Condition is self-explanatory.  

All of the above determines the overall score for the golf course.  In other words, we like courses that are pretty, fun, very challenging with a lot of variety, and fairways and greens in excellent condition – all for $40.  We also tend to play the courses that are affordable for the masses, which means in the $30 to $80 range. We rate hard and we haven’t found a 10 in Texas yet – don’t worry we haven’t given up and we’re still looking.