Are you really kidding yourselves ....

[ForkaB]

I agree with Tom.  The ideal play, IMHO, when the pin is back left, is to aim a cut at the middle of the green (right of the pin) and hope it lands soft and trickles down towards the hole.  If you pull it slightly, you end up off the green long, but with a simple chip or putt back up the hill.  Worst place to be on the original Redan is in the bunkers to the right.  I was there on my last visit.....

[JESII]

So then, is an honest Redan a differentiator hole? This, in the context of some holes being referred to as equalizer holes. Typically shorter holes that offer no substantive advantage to length like a short par three or even a short but unreachable par four.

Does this hole offer a real significant advantage to the player capable of carrying the ball to the green?

[Patrick_Mucci]

So then, is an honest Redan a differentiator hole? This, in the context of some holes being referred to as equalizer holes. Typically shorter holes that offer no substantive advantage to length like a short par three or even a short but unreachable par four.

I believe it can be.[/color]

Does this hole offer a real significant advantage to the player capable of carrying the ball to the green?

I believe it does, especially when the hole is cut to the left, or close to the fronting edge.

But, it's not just carrying it to the green.

Remember, on the hole presented for the exercise, the green slopes right to left, and a draw will have a tendency to run.
While a high fade will tend to come to rest quicker.

And, balls hit up the alley, that don't feed all the way down to "hole high" are faced with dicey down hill putts, which are usually downwind as well.

If one has the ability to hit a high cut that will carry the front edge, that's an advantage over the player forced to hit short and reley on the run of the ball[/color]

Conversely, look at the play of a "Mike Circa" reverse redan from an elevated tee.

Isn't the shot of choice, if not the only prudent choice for those with the ability, a high draw irrespective of hole location ?

[JESII]

The difference I can see in some permutations of the Redan, especially the elevated tee variety is the lack of an upslope fronting the green. without this upslope, the ground approach gains viability. If nothing else, it moves that area up to #2 on the preferred miss list...and when you combine the risks associated with planning a miss into the #1 preferred miss spot (long and low), short gets even closer to #1 which makes "chucking in a grounder" more attractive...True, an elevated tee reduces the potential of a running shot because of a steeper angle of decent, but a downhill shot to a flat or downhill approach area will produce some roll out if the ground has a bit of life.


Sean, thanks again for the use of your line.