A bit more information, courtesy of John Kerr's
The Golf Book of East Lothian published in 1896.
Prior to around 1860, North Berwick was a six hole course, not extending as far as the current Redan. One hole was added sometime before 1869 making it a seven hole course:
"with one exception, these holes were much the same as the first three and the last three of the course before the recent extension was made. The first teeing ground was far back, near the west end of the Links, and a long carry was required to cross the burn, which ran past the present site of the new club-house and Hutchinson's shop (now represented by the road). Then in driving to the sea, an ugly quarry, now filled up, had to be faced. The Gate hole on the return from the wall was more difficult of approach than it is even now, for the putting ground was then surrounded by water from another burn, the track of which is represented by the present road. The formidable quarry again met the player on his way to Point Garry. Then came the sixth hole or short hole, which was called the Gasworks hole, and was usually carried by a cleek or iron from the return tee-ing ground on Point Garry, its putting-green being in a hollow, where one of the villas now stands. In playing for the last hole, a long 'swipe' was required to cross the burn, and a good second to reach the putting-ground, which was like the first tee, well back at the west end of the present Links."(72)
In 1869, three holes were added beyond the wall and the Gasworks hole was eliminated, making the course a nine hole course. In 1877 the course was enlarged to 18 holes, when the course got permission to encroach on Ferrygate, to the Eel Burn. The Redan was probably added in 1869.
Kerr mentions the seven hole course were matches between The Dunns and old Tom and Allan Robertson. The nine hole course was were Tommy Morris and father were playing Willie Park and son when Tommy got word of his wife's illness.
"The old eighteen-hole course, though it was certainly too short, had a great many features about it which endeared it to golfers. The designer of the new course acted very wisely and considerately in preserving some of these, such as the Redan, the Quarry, and the Pit."(74)
With the enlargement, the 15th hole is listed as 266, and on the card, the 266-yard 15th cross with the 243 yard fourth. At the end of Kerr's description of the new 1895 course, he wrote, "The fifteenth ('Redan') and the last three holes remain as before." The course opened in June 1895, with a professional and amateur tournament. The amateurs played on June 3rd and the pros June 5th. The event was scheduled the week before the Open was to be played at St. Andrews, so the turnout of top players was large and representative. Mr. J.H. Outhwaite won the amateur event with scores:
555-345-565--455-555-753--87
and
454-444-455--546-473-554--82
While Outhwaite played the hole 5-3, the top pros played it much better.
A. Herd 3-3.
W. Fernie 3-4.
A. Kirkaldy 3-3.
T. Vardon 3-4.
H. Vardon 5-4.
D. Brown 4-4.
Ben Sayers 3-4.
There is no individual hole scores for the rest of the field. J.H. Taylor was the defending Open champion and would win again the following week, but finished 12 shots behind Herd.
It would seem the pros of the time didn't have too much trouble making three on the 266 yard Redan. Half of the scores from these pros were threes. It's possible sometimes they played the Redan shorter than the card (though moving tees was not very common then) but you'd think for the first professional tournament, they'd play the full length.
Mr. Edward L.I. Blyth writes about his years playing at North Berwick:
"The first extension of the green into the park neyond the west wall was, I think, in 1870. There were three holes, the first being in the neighborhood of Perfection (presently the fourteenth hole); from there we played to the south-west corner of the park, to where the fourth hole of the ladies' green now is; from that to the Redan, which was a lovely shot. I used to play it with my spoon -- a full drive, though high, so as to land on the table and escape the large bunkers on either side."(387-388)
Ben Sayer set the course record on September 28, 1895 on the new, extended course:
Out: 555-453-454--40
In: 344-452-445--35--75
It would seem at 266, the Redan was considered a one-shotter, a long one, but still a one-shotter.
Cheers,
Dan King
A very distinguished statesman, whose identity must not be disclosed, said to me, after a visit to the new green at Easter, that he was disappointed. North Berwick he said, used to be North Berwick, and North Berwick only -- now it might be any place. The links had, he thought, lost the peculuar charm which lay in their well-marked individuality."
J.P. Croal (The Evolution of Gullane and North Berwick: A Glance Back Thirty Years)