How The Owner Plays Redstone: Hole 1

Hi there,

Let’s start at the beginning.

Hole 1 at Redstone Golf Course is a 413-yard par 4 from the blue tees, and it gives you a pretty honest look at what kind of day it’s going to be.

From the elevated tee, you can see a willow in the distance, just beyond an undulating hill about 265 yards out. That hill is important. It has three bunkers on the right, and past those bunkers is staked white OB — the driving range.

The willow is your target.

Any tee shot at the willow, or just slightly right of it, is money.

On the left are my house and a few others lining the fairway. In reality, a series of trees blocks most of that view… although my house has been hit on occasion. But back to the course.

I’m right-handed, and my perfect tee shot is aimed just left of those right-side bunkers. If I catch it well, I can reach the top of the hill and get a couple hops down the backside. That’s the goal here — not distance, but position.

Let’s assume the drive is solid and ends up center cut. From there, I’m looking at about 145 yards, slightly downhill, staring straight at the green.

This is where Hole 1 starts asking real questions.

The green slopes gently upward, and today the flag is front right — one of those pins that looks inviting and causes problems. There are bunkers at the back that aren’t really in play, but the right-side bunkers are, and they play more like pot bunkers than beach sand. They’re not fun.

The left side of the green slopes down and naturally funnels shots onto the putting surface. It’s a great bailout — but with this pin, bailing out left leaves you above the hole, staring at a slippery downhill knee-knocker.

Here’s the owner’s take:

That front-right pin is a sucker pin. There’s very little green to work with, and a bunker directly behind it. If you’re aggressively pin-seeking, you might get rewarded — or you might find yourself writing down a lovely number 6.

For me, the smart play is to be short. Even short of the green is fine. From there, the uphill chip is predictable, and par is very much in play.

Hole 1 isn’t about making a statement.

It’s about avoiding an early mistake.

Walk off with a four, take a breath, and let the mountain course come to you.

Next up: Hole 2 — where Redstone reminds you pretty quickly that par fives don’t owe you anything.

See you up here,

Cary, Owner