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Jay Flemma

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Red Tail was Excellent (now with photos!)
« on: September 14, 2014, 05:15:08 PM »
So while they had some issues last year - and a great many courses did as well - I'm happy to report Red Tail was in great shape last Saturday, especially the greens, which rolled perfectly true.

Red Tail is always fun, with lots of elements from Macdonald Raynor and Banks because they are Brian Silva's favorite style.  I love how Brian creates his own staples as well though, like the Green Monster bunker complexes there and at Black Rock.  We really don't talk enough about him here.

I'll post pics soon...but we should do  Boston weekend some timer and play here and that place you guys all like and recommended on the other thread.
« Last Edit: September 23, 2014, 09:02:43 PM by Jay Flemma »
Mackenzie, MacRayBanks, Maxwell, Doak, Dye, Strantz. @JayGolfUSA, GNN Radio Host of Jay's Plays www.cybergolf.com/writerscorner

Lyndell Young

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Re: Red Tail was Excellent
« Reply #1 on: September 15, 2014, 10:03:13 AM »
Thanks Jay, Red Tail is on my list, Boston has so many great courses several trips are needed to play them all.I have played a couple of Silva's designs both I really enjoyed. Black Creek Club was excellent in Chattanooga and Greenville CC redesign of there Riverside course.

HarryBrinkerhofDoyleIVakaBarry

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Re: Red Tail was Excellent
« Reply #2 on: September 15, 2014, 11:51:22 AM »
+1 on Red Tail certainly deserving a visit if you are there for a couple days.  I thought it was fabulous.  The only detracting element was it didn't seem to drain well (this was 5 years ago mind you), and had gotten pounded the previous night prior to us playing.  But some very interesting holes certainly!

Amol Yajnik

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Red Tail was Excellent
« Reply #3 on: September 16, 2014, 05:44:51 PM »
So while they had some issues last year - and a great many courses did as well - I'm happy to report Red Tail was in great shape last Saturday, especially the greens, which rolled perfectly true.

Red Tail is always fun, with lots of elements from Macdonald Raynor and Banks because they are Brian Silva's favorite style.  I love how Brian creates his own staples as well though, like the Green Monster bunker complexes there and at Black Rock.  We really don't talk enough about him here.

I'll post pics soon...but we should do  Boston weekend some timer and play here and that place you guys all like and recommended on the other thread.

Thanks for the update, I had heard some not-so-great things about the conditioning earlier this year.  I'm hoping to make it out there sometime later this year before the season ends.  I always seem to start my rounds out there badly since missing left on the first 2 holes is terrible with the railroad tracks being OB, but the finish always makes me want to come back for more.

Dan_Callahan

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Red Tail was Excellent
« Reply #4 on: September 17, 2014, 09:18:05 AM »
Red Tail hosted the prep golf championship for the ISL last spring. The course definitely had some maintenance issues from the really tough New England winter ... but that was true of most courses in the Northeast. It's a fun design, and most of the kids really liked it. Low score on the day was a two-way tie at 72. I've never been a fan of the 18th, but it ended up being a great playoff hole. Kid from Thayer hit his tee shot down into the gully on the right. A girl from BB&N knocked her shot right down the middle. Thayer kid had a nice recovery, and the BB&N player decided to lay up as well. Thayer kid was away and hit his third to a foot (front, right hole location), putting the pressure on BB&N, who found the water.

In addition to the 18th, I'm not a fan of the 8th, which is really shoehorned in. The 12th and 13th are sort of blah. But everything else is really solid. The stretch from 14 through 17 is particularly good.

Jay Flemma

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Red Tail was Excellent
« Reply #5 on: September 18, 2014, 03:42:01 PM »
13 to me is the one weak hole.  I2 has its own character, but 13 is the "connective tissue" perhaps?
Mackenzie, MacRayBanks, Maxwell, Doak, Dye, Strantz. @JayGolfUSA, GNN Radio Host of Jay's Plays www.cybergolf.com/writerscorner

Mark Steffey

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Red Tail was Excellent
« Reply #6 on: September 18, 2014, 07:05:33 PM »
i'm not a fan of the 10-13 stretch.  all that room and he stuffed those holes up on the top of that hill there.  then i get back to 18 and see them and hate that hole for the view.  i found it to be a group of 3.  the first 9 through the forest, then 10-13 atop that skinny hill squeezed in there.  14-17 in the flats, then back up to the godforsaken hilltop.

Amol Yajnik

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Red Tail was Excellent
« Reply #7 on: September 18, 2014, 11:14:20 PM »
Red Tail hosted the prep golf championship for the ISL last spring. The course definitely had some maintenance issues from the really tough New England winter ... but that was true of most courses in the Northeast. It's a fun design, and most of the kids really liked it. Low score on the day was a two-way tie at 72. I've never been a fan of the 18th, but it ended up being a great playoff hole. Kid from Thayer hit his tee shot down into the gully on the right. A girl from BB&N knocked her shot right down the middle. Thayer kid had a nice recovery, and the BB&N player decided to lay up as well. Thayer kid was away and hit his third to a foot (front, right hole location), putting the pressure on BB&N, who found the water.

In addition to the 18th, I'm not a fan of the 8th, which is really shoehorned in. The 12th and 13th are sort of blah. But everything else is really solid. The stretch from 14 through 17 is particularly good.

I agree with you on 8.  The tee shot is awkward for me with no room to miss on the left, and then you can't miss at all on the right at the green or the ball rolls down a giant hill towards the 1st green.  I know that it's a short par 4 so the green can be a little tougher, but that miss on the right is so penal that it makes me dislike the hole.

Tim Book

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Re: Red Tail was Excellent
« Reply #8 on: September 19, 2014, 07:11:06 PM »
I totally agree.  Our crew from the West Coast added Red Tail to our New England itinerary very late in our planning and it was a very pleasant surprise.  It didn't hurt that we played on a new perfect Sunday morning a few weeks back.  Without any previous exposure to a Brian Silva course it left me wishing I could see more.  My only complaint would be the green speeds.  I thought the greens possessed a ton of great character, but they played so slow it was frustrating.  The assistant pro told one member of our group that they were intentionally keeping the green speeds down.  Overall, a nice surprise.

Jay Flemma

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Re: Red Tail was Excellent (now with photos!)
« Reply #9 on: September 23, 2014, 09:02:03 PM »
They were a little faster when I played this wkd.

Love 17!



Green Monster bunker!



Three! (Old photo)



sixteen green with 17 in background



eleven!



And 18!

Mackenzie, MacRayBanks, Maxwell, Doak, Dye, Strantz. @JayGolfUSA, GNN Radio Host of Jay's Plays www.cybergolf.com/writerscorner

Josh Stevens

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Re: Red Tail was Excellent (now with photos!)
« Reply #10 on: September 25, 2014, 05:00:45 AM »
Way OTT, but it looks kinda fun as there seems to be space

Not entirely sure of the green monster bunker however.  That can go

Charlie Gallagher

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Red Tail was Excellent (now with photos!)
« Reply #11 on: September 25, 2014, 01:48:15 PM »
I have not played Red Tail, but I thought I would mention another very solid Silva design in the Greater Boston region, The Rennaisance Club in Haverhill. I played the course about 6 weeks ago and found it to be challenging, interesting, and great fun, along with being in very fine condition. Silva created greens with lots of mounds in them at one time, examples can be seen at such courses as Shattuck and Province Lake. Rennaisance offers  conjoined planes that are challenging and fun to putt, more refined and interesting. Lots of good strategy is presented. The 10th hole is a wonderful puch bowl that makes you want to hang out at it just so you can try all the different short game shots and big breaking putts the green offers.
If you get the chance to check it out, it is well worth it.

Dan_Callahan

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Re: Red Tail was Excellent (now with photos!)
« Reply #12 on: September 25, 2014, 01:59:44 PM »
Renaissance is a very good course. I was a member there until last year after I did the math and realized I was only playing about 15 rounds a year. Amazing practice facilities, and a course that grows on you the more you play it. It has steadily improved since it opened. In its first few years, Renaissance was way too penal, with deep fescue everywhere. It looked awesome but was too difficult for the average golfer. They've also widened 7 considerably and improved the drainage, making it more playable. I liked the 4th with all the trees obscuring the view of the green (but not in play unless you top your tee shot), but too many members were losing balls from topping their tee shots. It's still a good hole with the changes, just less intimidating now. The 18th is really the only hole that I don't like, and that's only because of where it falls in the round.

The bee hive of bunkers on #2 at Red Tail really isn't in play. It's more of a visual aid to give you an idea of where the dog leg is on the par 5, since the turn to the right is obscured by trees. It's sort of an extravagant and unnecessary feature, in my opinion.
« Last Edit: September 25, 2014, 02:03:30 PM by Dan_Callahan »

Jay Flemma

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Red Tail was Excellent (now with photos!)
« Reply #13 on: September 26, 2014, 11:32:34 AM »
Yes, but the Green Monster Bunker at number four at Black Rock is completely in play!  It's the Alps you have to carry to get to the Punchbowl Green!
Mackenzie, MacRayBanks, Maxwell, Doak, Dye, Strantz. @JayGolfUSA, GNN Radio Host of Jay's Plays www.cybergolf.com/writerscorner

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