A Redan can make a perfectly good golf shot look terrible.
You hit your iron toward the flag, make solid contact, and watch the ball land exactly where you intended. Then it takes one hard bounce, runs across the green, and disappears into trouble.
Meanwhile, another golfer aims nowhere near the flag, lands the ball on a bank, and somehow finishes closer.
That’s the beauty of a well-designed Redan.
The architect gives you two ways to play the hole. One looks straightforward but carries more risk. The other asks you to trust the contours of the ground.
Once you understand that choice, the hole starts making a lot more sense.
Quick Answer: A Redan is a golf hole, usually a long par 3, with an angled green that slopes sharply from one side to the other. A large bunker protects the direct route, while a raised shoulder offers another way in. The trick is knowing where to land your ball so the slope carries it toward the hole.
What Exactly Makes a Golf Hole a Redan?
The original Redan idea is fairly simple.
Picture a long par 3 where the green sits diagonally across your line of play. Instead of facing you squarely, it angles away, usually from front right to back left.
Now add a raised bank on the right and a large bunker guarding the more direct approach.
The green itself slopes strongly from right to left.
Suddenly, aiming straight at the pin isn’t always your best option.
You can aim toward the higher right side, land the ball on or near the shoulder, and use the slope to carry it across the green.
That’s the classic Redan shot.
Of course, the ground doesn’t do all the work. Your ball still needs the correct speed, trajectory, and landing position. Hit it too hard and the same slope that helps a good shot can send it well past the flag.
I think this is what makes the Redan such an interesting piece of golf architecture. You can hit a decent shot and get punished because you picked the wrong target.
And you can hit a shot that initially looks wide of the flag and end up with a birdie putt.
The four features worth looking for
| Design feature | What it looks like | Why golfers should care |
|---|---|---|
| Diagonal green | Green angles away from the tee | Changes the available landing depth |
| Raised shoulder | Bank along the higher side | Can feed a running shot toward the hole |
| Deep guarding bunker | Often protects the direct approach | Makes attacking the flag more dangerous |
| Strong green slope | Surface falls toward the lower side | Carries the ball after it lands |
You’ll find holes with one or two of these features that aren’t really Redans.
An angled green on its own isn’t enough. The interesting part is how the slope, bunker, and landing area work together.
North Berwick’s 15th Is Where the Redan Story Begins
If you want to understand why the Redan became such a famous design, start with the 15th hole at North Berwick’s West Links in Scotland.
The club currently lists the hole at 189 yards from its longest shown tee.
That distance tells you something about the challenge.
A golfer facing a longer iron or hybrid generally has less control over stopping the ball than someone hitting a wedge. When the green also slopes sharply from right to left, choosing the correct landing spot becomes especially important.
North Berwick’s 15th is the inspiration behind the Redan holes that later appeared on some of the most celebrated courses in golf.
Its name comes from military fortifications. A redan is an angled defensive structure, and the raised green with its guarding hazards invited the comparison.
Golf history frequently connects the name with John White-Melville and the Crimean War period. The exact architectural authorship of the original hole is less certain, so giving one person sole credit would oversimplify the story.
What matters to a golfer standing on the tee is the design.
The green asks you to think beyond the flag.
And that idea turned out to be worth copying.
Why Is a Redan Usually a Long Par 3?
Length gives the Redan much of its character.
Think about the difference between approaching a green with a pitching wedge and hitting a 5-iron from 190 yards.
With the wedge, you can produce a steeper landing angle and generally have a better chance of stopping the ball.
With the longer club, the ball tends to land with more forward momentum. The ground becomes a bigger part of the shot.
That’s where the Redan gets interesting.
A golfer who doesn’t have enough height or spin to stop the ball beside the flag can still find a route onto the green by using the slope.
But distance alone doesn’t make a great Redan.
If an architect stretches the hole too far and leaves most players unable to reach the usable landing area, the design starts losing its strategic choice.
A good Redan should make you think carefully about how to play the shot. It shouldn’t simply punish everyone who lacks tour-level distance.
How to Play a Redan Hole Without Fighting the Green
The biggest mistake is choosing your target before studying the slope.
Most golfers see a flag and immediately work out the distance to it.
On a Redan, I’d reverse that order.
First, find the high side of the green. Then look at the trouble protecting the direct line. Only after that should you decide how aggressively to attack the pin.
For a traditional Redan that falls from right to left, a shot aimed toward the higher right section often gives you the better approach.
The ball can land safely and move toward the middle or left side.
But you can’t assume every Redan plays exactly the same way.
Firmness, wind, flag position, and your chosen club all change the shot.
When the green is firm
This is when the Redan concept becomes especially interesting.
A ball landing on firm turf will generally release farther than one landing on soft ground.
If you can land your shot on a closely mown shoulder, the bounce can carry it onto the putting surface.
You need to allow for that movement.
A shot that lands next to the hole might finish 20 feet away. Another that lands 20 feet from the hole might feed much closer.
Don’t judge the quality of the shot by its first bounce.
When the green is soft
A soft Redan plays differently.
The ball won’t release as much, so relying on the bank to carry it toward a distant pin becomes risky.
You may need to carry the shot farther onto the green.
This is where the popular advice to “just use the slope” falls short. The ground has to be firm enough for that strategy to work.
If the course has received heavy rain, treat the expected bounce very differently.
When the flag is tucked behind the bunker
Leave yourself some room.
The bunker usually exists to make a direct attack difficult. Trying to fly the ball straight at a tucked flag brings that danger into play.
Aiming toward a wider section of the green can leave a longer first putt, but it also gives you a much better chance of avoiding a difficult recovery shot.
For most weekend golfers, that’s a trade worth taking.
When you’re hitting a hybrid or fairway wood
You need to be particularly careful about the ball’s landing speed.
A hybrid shot coming in relatively low can take a large first bounce. If the slope runs away from your landing point, the ball may travel much farther than expected.
I’d favor the widest usable landing area rather than trying to squeeze a long shot close to the hole.
And if a controlled running shot is part of your normal game, the Redan gives you a reason to use it.
There’s no need to manufacture a draw or fade that you rarely hit successfully.
A Simple Way to Recognize a Redan From the Tee
You don’t need to memorize every famous template hole to recognize the basic design.
Next time you stand on a long par 3, look at the green before checking the yardage.
Does one side sit noticeably higher than the other?
Is there a bunker protecting the shortest route to the flag?
Does the green run diagonally across your line of play?
Most importantly, can you see a route where the ball could land away from the hole and then move toward it?
That final question is the most useful.
A diagonal green with a bunker might resemble a Redan in a photograph. But the design becomes much more interesting when the golfer can genuinely use the surrounding ground.
You should be able to identify a reasonable landing zone before deciding whether to attack the flag.
What Is a Reverse Redan?
A reverse Redan turns the traditional arrangement around.
On the classic version, the green generally falls from right to left.
On a reverse Redan, the main slope works in the opposite direction, usually from left to right.
The higher shoulder and the guarding hazards change sides as well.
The decision remains similar.
You still need to work out where the ball should land and how the ground will move it afterward.
Los Angeles Country Club’s 11th hole is one well-known example of reverse-Redan architecture.
It’s a useful reminder that copying the original North Berwick orientation isn’t essential. An architect can reverse the concept while keeping the same strategic challenge.
Some of Golf’s Most Famous Redan Holes
North Berwick may be the original, but the Redan became especially influential through the work of architects such as C.B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor.
They believed certain great golf holes contained design ideas worth adapting elsewhere.
The Redan was one of those ideas.
National Golf Links of America, 4th Hole
C.B. Macdonald’s Redan at National Golf Links of America is among the best-known American interpretations.
The angled green, dramatic contours, and guarding hazards make the golfer think carefully about the landing area.
It’s a good example of how an architect can take a Scottish design idea and give it a different appearance while keeping its central strategy.
Riviera Country Club, 4th Hole
Riviera’s fourth is another famous interpretation.
George Thomas created a long par 3 where the green’s angle and surrounding contours place a premium on choosing the right approach.
The hole can challenge golfers who have enough distance to reach the green but struggle to control where their ball finishes.
It also shows how a Redan concept can work within a very different landscape from the original Scottish links.
Shinnecock Hills, 7th Hole
Shinnecock Hills‘ seventh is frequently discussed alongside Redan architecture.
Its severe contours create difficult approach and recovery decisions, especially when conditions become firm.
However, the way a hole looks and the way it actually plays aren’t always identical.
That distinction matters when comparing famous templates. Not every hole associated with the Redan idea reproduces the original’s exact playing experience.
Why Some Redan Holes Don’t Play as Intended
A golf hole can keep the same basic shape for decades while the experience of playing it changes.
Green speed, firmness, mowing patterns, equipment, and course setup all influence how the ball reacts.
Take the raised shoulder on a traditional Redan.
If the grass stays short and the surface is firm, a ball can land there and kick toward the putting surface.
Let the surrounding rough grow thick and that option becomes much less useful.
The bank may still be there, but golfers can’t use it in the same way.
Soft turf causes another problem.
A Redan that depends on bounce and release won’t produce the intended movement when every ball stops near its landing point.
Modern equipment can change the challenge too.
When a strong player reaches a traditional long par 3 with a high, spinning short iron, they can sometimes take the ground out of play and attack directly.
That doesn’t automatically ruin the hole. It simply changes the decision the golfer faces.
For me, the most important quality of a Redan is whether the indirect approach remains a genuine option.
If that option disappears, much of the design’s character goes with it.
Can a Par 4 Have a Redan Green?
Yes.
Although golfers usually associate the Redan with long par 3s, the green concept can also work on a par 4 or par 5.
Think about approaching a diagonal green from the fairway.
If you’ve driven into the correct side, the angle might allow you to use the shoulder and feed your approach toward the hole.
Miss the fairway on the wrong side and your next shot might have to carry the guarding bunker.
Now the Redan influences your tee shot as well.
That’s one reason template architecture still matters to modern golf course design.
A Redan is a design concept that an architect can adapt to different pieces of land and different types of holes.
The dimensions don’t have to match North Berwick exactly.
The strategic decision needs to make sense.
Common Mistakes Golfers Make on Redan Holes
I think golfers lose unnecessary shots on these holes because they treat them like ordinary par 3s.
The first mistake is aiming directly at every pin.
A flag tucked behind a deep bunker should make you reconsider your target, especially with a long iron.
Another mistake is ignoring the ball’s first bounce.
On firm turf, landing the ball pin-high can be too aggressive. The ball still has momentum, and the slope can carry it a long way.
The opposite mistake happens on soft turf. Players expect a bank to feed the ball onto the green, only to watch the shot stop short.
There’s also the temptation to hit a shot shape that looks ideal on paper.
If the hole seems to favor a draw but you normally play a fade, don’t abandon your reliable shot just to copy the textbook Redan approach.
Use the shape you control and adjust the landing target.
A smart bogey is sometimes a much better result than forcing an ambitious birdie attempt into the deepest bunker.
Redan Hole Golf Template FAQs
Who invented the Redan golf hole?
The original Redan at North Berwick developed during the 19th century. Historical accounts differ on precise design authorship, so no single architect should receive unquestioned credit. C.B. Macdonald and later template-hole architects helped spread the idea to other courses.
Why are Redan greens so difficult?
Their diagonal shape, pronounced slope, and guarding hazards make the direct route difficult. Players must judge where the ball will land and how far it will travel afterward.
Are all Redan holes par 3s?
No. The classic Redan is a par 3, but architects have adapted the green concept to longer holes. On a par 4 or par 5, the fairway position can determine whether the golfer has a useful approach angle.
Should you always aim right on a Redan?
No. A traditional Redan often favors an approach from the higher right side, but reverse Redans slope in the opposite direction. Flag location, green firmness, wind, and your normal shot shape should influence the decision.
What makes the Redan different from other golf templates?
The Redan’s defining challenge comes from the relationship between an angled green, a strong side slope, a usable shoulder, and hazards guarding the direct approach. Other templates create different problems through their own green contours, bunkering, and approach angles.
Final Thoughts
The next time you encounter a Redan, don’t pull a club as soon as you see the yardage.
Take a proper look at the green.
Find the high side, study the bunker, and work out where your ball is likely to go after it lands.
If the ground offers a safer route toward the hole, use it.
And don’t worry if your best target looks a long way from the flag. On a well-designed Redan, that’s often exactly where the architect wanted you to aim.