WELCOME!

Welcome to the Commodore Squash Club. Founded in 1976, our beautiful club is dedicated to the great game of squash. We have three International Softball Courts, two Hardball Singles Courts (one of which is now a dedicated Table Tennis court), a gorgeous Hardball Doubles Court, and a lovely Fitness Center. We are a private club, but memberships are priced so that nearly everyone who wants to can become a member.For those who want to try squash, but are hesitant to commit to a year’s membership, the Commodore offers a Three Month Trial Membership which makes the decision easy. Our goal is to have everyone renew after a year, and we boast a better than 90% renewal rate.

Who Are We?

Our club is one of the finest squash facilities in North America. The fitness center offers personalized exercise and strength training programs on quality Eagle and Universal exercise equipment, a rowing machine, bicycles and free weights. Separate men’s and women’s saunas are available to help relax you after your workout.

In September 1976, the Commodore Squash Club opened with Hashim Khan inaugurating play in a weekend of exhibitions and clinics. The original configuration was two hardball singles courts and one doubles court. A two hundred fifty seat gallery, one of the largest in North America, overlooked these three courts. In 1986 two more singles courts were completed making the facility one of the largest squash complexes in North America.

Numerous local, regional, national and international tournaments have been held at the club including: the 1978 WPSA Championships, 1986 North American Open,  1989 International Lapham/Grant competition with Canada, and in 1993 the U.S. Open Doubles. Recently, the Women’s Doubles Squash Association Tour came through St. Paul in conjunction with the 2008 Indian Summer Tournament.

In 1996, as the American hardball game was declining due to expanding interest in our country with the International game, the club installed three wide softball courts in the former gallery area. These courts are built to the highest standards and feature a knee saving internationally approved flooring system, natural light spectrum lighting and glass back walls.

We invite you to tour the Club. You will find it is a great place to play squash, workout and make new friend.

About the Owner

I, John O’Brien, am the proud Owner of the Commodore Squash Club.  These are my daughters Alice and Lucy, and my wife’s name is Amy.  My father Thomond first introduced me to squash as a small boy. I remember fondly taking lessons from the great Hashim Khan and Doug McLaggan, who had the finest “spider” lob I have ever seen. I played with the St. Paul Academy team for five years, and graduated in 1978. For three years, I played Varsity squash at Tufts University, when Tufts had two All Americans and a very strong team ranked in the top ten nationally. Locally I have won the Indian Summer Tournament, been a finalist in the State Doubles, and continue to play in National events whenever possible.

In 1993 I returned to Minnesota, having spent several years in New York City as a public school teacher. That Fall I attended an intensive Coaching Program in Atlanta under the direction of Tom Rumpler, Gary Waite, John Nimick, Rod Symington, Craig Thorpe-Clark, and David Pearson. There I became certified as a Professional Squash Association Level 5 Teaching Pro, a Softball Referee, and a Level 1 Coach. In 2001, with my father, I certified as a Hardball Doubles Referee. I have owned the Commodore Squash Club since 1995.

I believe squash is a wonderfully rewarding sport, both on and off the court. The fitness rewards are unparalleled, and the critical thinking involved make for a lifetime of delicious pondering. Those of us who have had the privilege of playing squash for our entire lives are truly the lucky ones.

Why Squash?

Squash appeals to all kinds of people, but those who thrive at the game tend to be people who love a challenge. The longer racquet and smaller ball can take a lifetime to master, but what fun it is to test one’s knowledge and skill on a regular basis. The better one gets at squash, the longer the rallies tend to become, and the more fitness is required. For many, squash becomes an arena in life where personal boundaries are stretched routinely. One can develop a keen self-awareness and knowledge of others, which translates beautifully to life outside of a squash court.

Articles:

1) Please see the 2007 New York Times Article on Squash/Kids/and Colleges:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/fashion/09squash.html

2) Forbes reported in 2003 that Squash is the world’s healthiest sport!

http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/2003/10/01/cx_ns_1001feat.html

3)  James Zug has written a concise History of Squash:

http://www.us-squash.org/ussquash/squash-history-zug.html

4)  Ian Brown’s great article on the allure of Hardball Doubles:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/multimedia/the-sweet-thwock-of-success/article1160377/

Sites:

1)  US Squash Web Site: http://www.us-squash.org/

2) Minnesota Squash Association: http://www.mnsquash.org/

3) Madison, WI “Squashworks”: http://www.madisonsquashworks.com/

Where are We?

The Club is ideally located in the Cathedral Hill district of St. Paul only minutes from either downtown Minneapolis or St. Paul, and just a few blocks off the I-94 freeway. Take the Dale St. exit south to Selby Avenue, head east to Western Avenue, then south on Western Avenue to 79 Western Ave. No. We share the same parking lot with the old Commodore Hotel. If approaching from the South, take 35E North, and then take the Grand Avenue exit off of 35E, turn left and go straight up Ramsey Hill. At Summit Avenue, take a right, one long block to Western Avenue, take Western Avenue North 1 1/2 blocks. Club is on the left.

MapQuest Link:

Getting Started

Getting started is easy. If you have never played squash and want to check it out, either by yourself or with a friend, all you need to do is give  Jeff a call (651-228-0501).

Making a Court Reservation

To get started, click on the blue “Member Services” link on the upper right hand corner of the Home Page. Enter your User ID and Password. You will then have the ability to make on-line court reservations, check rankings, report scores,  and find contact information on all of our members.  One very slick feature allows you to make a reservation and have “looking for a match” emails sent out to members within .25 of your skill ranking. Should someone be interested, that person will add his/her name to your reservation, and you will receive a confirmation email.  For people who like to play at odd hours, or at the last minute, this feature works wonders.

Reservations are one-hour sessions. You may reserve or cancel courts up to two weeks in advance.