Golf Course Design: The Redan

Several types of golf hole have distinguished themselves from the indistinct masses over the years, and have left an indelible mark on the game.  This is the first in a series of posts about notable golf hole designs written for readers that are just beginning to discover the world of golf architecture.

"Redan" hole discussed after the jump!



Redan - A Redan is at its most basic a par 3 with a green that slopes from right to left, with a bunker on the front left side of the green, and a diagonal approach. CB MacDonald, a founding father of American golf course design, put it even more eloquently:

"Take a narrow tableland, tilt it a little from right to left, dig a deep bunker on the front side, approach it diagonally and you have a Redan" 

The most famous Redan in the US (and maybe the world) is the 4th at National Golf Links of America on Long Island in New York.

  

Why is a Redan considered a classic?  For one, the Redan rewards strategy.  The tee shot obviously can't be left.  Shots hit too far right are equally punished, as the player must chip down the slope of the green.  That said, the hole is inarguably fair - even at 195 yards.  The correctly placed shot will bounce short of the green and kick left, and take the right to left slope towards the pin.  If the pin is set right, then a high fade placed left of the hole will still allow a skillful player to putt up the hill for birdie.  Ultra conservative players can also lay-up in the fairway short of the green.  

Note that the Redan comes from an era of golf that relies heavily on the "ground game" or utilizing the bounce and slope of the terrain a golfer's advantage.  Many courses rely on "target golf" - which forces the golfer to hit high approach shots that will more or less stick to the green.  The ground game adds another dimension to the game - one that has been for better or worse been erased from the majority of US courses.