How The Owner Plays Redstone: Hole 4

Hi there,

For the sake of argument, let’s say the next four holes are where you really need to keep your head on straight.

Hole 4 starts that stretch.

It’s a 502-yard straightaway par 4 from the blue tees. Not overly long, but long in exactly the right places.

From the black and blue tees there’s a large elm tree that forces left-handers to hit a draw. Fortunately I’m right-handed, so a small fade works just fine.

There’s another thing going on here too.

The valley runs west to east from Rossland toward Trail, and in the summer there’s almost always a slight breeze in your face on this hole. Sometimes you can’t feel it, so I always check the tops of the trees.

That breeze matters later because today we’re playing to a front flag.

The tee shot

About 235 yards out on the left there’s a bunker complex. The landing area climbs slightly uphill, which limits roll.

A gentle cut usually keeps those bunkers out of play.

Let’s say I hit a good one — it lands three-quarters up the hill and rolls over the top.

Now comes the annoying part.

The ball finishes slightly downhill with your feet below the ball.

The second shot

From here you see a short flat area and then a gully about 25 feet below the green.

That gully is the problem.

The front pin sits above it, and this is not a place for guessing. You want a full swing with loft, not a half shot from down below.

Local tip: those gullies can stay damp in the morning. The soil here is glacial till and drains slowly, so the ground can be soft.

A high-loft, low-bounce club can dig right in — and suddenly you’re writing down a snowman.

So my play is simple.

I lay up with an 8-iron to about 130 yards, staying short of the gully.

It’s a routine shot — and routine shots can be dangerous for me. Easy swings are where my brain tends to wander.

The green

Today the flag is front right, a common Redstone location.

The green slopes front to back and you’re hitting up out of that gully, so the key is height and control.

Too long leaves a slippery downhill putt.
Too short can land on the collar and roll right back down the hill.

My number is 125 yards, usually a 52-degree wedge.

But remember that valley breeze. If it’s into you, you may need one more club.

Let’s say I hit it 15 feet past the hole.

Now you’re staring at a classic Redstone putt:

Downhill.
Right to left.
And very capable of turning into a three-putt nightmare.

At this point the play is simple — lag it close and take your par.

On a windy or wet day, par here makes you a rock star.

Birdie is mostly luck.

Next up: Hole 5.

See you up here,

Cary, Owner