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Ben Cowan-Dewar

  • Karma: +0/-0
Canada's Redtail GC profile is updated...
« on: June 13, 2007, 05:29:45 PM »
...and is found under Architecture Timeline and Courses by Country. The link can be found here: Redtail Golf Course

As mentioned in the revised review of Redtail Golf Course, many great golf clubs have benefited from autocratic rule. Redtail is a modern day example. No doubt its narrow fairways and small, slick greens would be modified if pandering to a large membership’s tastes was required. Fifteen years since its opening, Redtail remains true to its founders’ vision of a low profile course that challenges the best.

As Steel’s first North American design (associate Tom Mackenzie was his man on the ground), it occupies an interesting place in modern golf. From when they found the property in 1988 until the course opened in 1991, the concept of minimalism had started to take hold. This design is an early example of keeping the features low to the ground. For instance, there are no bunkers flashed up behind the greens to aid the golfer with depth perception. Instead, its pot bunkers are below green level and their presence is more evident after a round of two than before. Good players have long appreciated the subtle hidden terrors that this design possesses.

Redtail narrowly missed cracking GOLF’s world top 100 (named a Hidden Gem twice) in 1991 and 1993 as it represented a refreshing change to the overdone designs that plagued Canada the 1980s. However, its very lack of flashiness may be hurting it today with raters who blow in for one afternoon looking for eye candy and wow features. Such people leave disappointed, this is a pity as Redtail deserves more study than that.

Fortunately, the fickle nature of raters doesn’t much matter to the leadership at Redtail whose autocratic rule helps make Redtail a joy to spend a day or more, both playing golf and kicking around the clubhouse.

Peter Pallotta

Re:Canada's Redtail GC profile is updated...
« Reply #1 on: June 13, 2007, 10:55:13 PM »
Ben
thanks much for posting that; I enjoyed the read and the pictures.  

From the first time I saw the course, Redtail has always struck me as looking "elegant", but in a simple way, sort of in the way that Shaker furniture is simple and elegant.  Does it also "play" elegantly (if that makes any sense)?

Also, I know that it has a very limited membership, and have wondered about what that means in terms of maintenance/maintenance practices. I imagine they have a goodly amount of flexibility in that area. Do you know if they alternate from green and lush to a little firmer and faster, or if there is a 'preferred' approach?

Thanks again
Peter  

Chris_Clouser

Re:Canada's Redtail GC profile is updated...
« Reply #2 on: June 14, 2007, 07:31:55 AM »
Ben,

The review is fine and the photos are excellent.  But in looking at it I wonder if Redtail is not a pure example of why there is a difference in the way a lot of people on this site look at a golf course versus a majority of golfers.

In looking at the photos I saw at least five items that seem to be the "bane of the existence' of many posters on this site.  But on a course like Redtail they get applauded.  

Is Redtail the type of course that reveals the truly duplicitous nature of the critical eye that is often used on this site to view and review courses?  If Redtail is a course that for some reason receives applause and acclaim from so called architecture "know-it-alls" then I can see why others just roll their eyes when we talk about what makes a course good versus great.

As for why the course doesn't catch the imagination of the one time player, I think that is fairly obvious looking at those photos when considering the type of club that Redtail is, based on the profile presented by Ben.

It makes me wonder if a course can really be considered great if it takes you multiple plays before you start appreciate its nuances or if there should be something there initially that sparks your interest.  I would like to think both.  

Of course all of this is based solely on photos.   ;D

Ben Cowan-Dewar

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Canada's Redtail GC profile is updated...
« Reply #3 on: June 14, 2007, 09:25:50 AM »
Dear Peter,
I would agree with you that it is elegant without being flashy.

As for your question about the maintenance, I am not sure if there were particular practices you were wondering about, but I have seen a mix of both in my time there. I am not sure if this is indicative of a preferred approach or just my own random experience. The commonality among my times there is the fast greens, which I do believe would fit the club's preferred approach.

Chris,
The same way Pine Tree appeals to good golfers, Redtail does. It is certain "high demand" golf and given its narrow nature, it is not a course of angles the same way Royal Melbourne or the original Augusta were.

While I am not comparing Redtail to St. Andrews; the Old Course is a course that comes to mind that is often thought to reveal itself after multiple plays.

Ian Andrew

Re:Canada's Redtail GC profile is updated...
« Reply #4 on: June 14, 2007, 09:57:16 AM »
Ben,

With many narrow fairways and many small targets, there are few options on a lot of holes. I'm not sure that much of it reveals itself with multiple plays.

I walked it twice during construction and to this day wonder how much better it would have been with more width in the grassing lines. I enjoy the low profile style and even the small wild greens - the tightness and occasional forced carry will always be my criticism

henrye

Re:Canada's Redtail GC profile is updated...
« Reply #5 on: June 14, 2007, 11:25:44 AM »
I would have to agree with Ian re: narrow fairways & small targets leaves the player with less options on how to play the course.  However, and it's a big however, Redtail, to me, has to be the one of the best golfing experiences in the world - if your looking for a quiet relaxing round with challenge, but aren't looking to get tortured - there is no better place.  Everything blends perfectly together.

It will never be a top 100 golf course, but it has to be a top 10 golf experience.

Wayne_Kozun

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Canada's Redtail GC profile is updated...
« Reply #6 on: June 14, 2007, 09:32:35 PM »
While a couple of the holes are overly tree-lined, particularly the 4th hole, most of the holes are relatively open.  The feature that makes the course play relatively tight is the fescue which can grow quite long.  And the fescue is not always a fair penalty - 1 yard into the fescue and it is very thick and often a lost ball or wedge out into the fairway. If you are 5 yards into the fescue you are fine because it is much wispier - this difference is likely caused by irrigation seeping into the first couple of yards of fescue.

But as HenryE said it is an absolutely fantastic golf experience.  It is also very close to another fine course which is an outstanding example of Stanley Thompson's work - St. Thomas.

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