Red Fox

Par 28

Level 3 playing from 982 - 1,566 yards

Red Fox is a neat little figure-eight course with two holes on my Hardest List.  The course traces the edge of the Fenney Springs Wetlands, and while that nature element impacts just the 3rd hole, you do get a beautiful sightline to the dense woodland on every tee box and green.  It shares a Starter Shack and putting green with its sister course, Gray Fox.  Here’s a fun (and pretty irrelevant) fact about foxes.  The way you can tell the difference between a Red and a Gray Fox is that Reds have a white tip on their tail.  Grays have a black.  Can you keep all those colors straight?  Best to focus on just keeping your shots straight!  Especially on hole #1!  Because you’ll be hitting over water on the first shot of the day.  It only plays around 110, but the wall that protects the green will be an immediate adrenaline rush.  Keep your head down, take an easy first swing and be confident – don’t pull out your “water ball” for the first hole – plus you’ll likely need if for #9!  On #2, you get your driver out for the only time today.   At just over 300 yards, it’s not the length but the location of your first shot that requires your focus.  There’s water all along the left and a creek that cuts across the fairway about 250 yards out.  The more you hit left, the more the creek comes into play.  As often the case, hitting down the middle is ideal.  Your second shot needs to be precise as the green is elevated and you don’t want to be left or over.  #3 is the first of the two Red Fox entrants to my Hardest Holes List.  Pictured below, it plays around 150 with no bailout area for a mis-hit.  A dense tree line to the right and wetlands to the left is a great visual but creates an incredibly narrow landing zone.  If you’re not a believer in Mulligans, Red Fox 3 will convert you!  #4 is the most difficult green.  It’s slopes to the front but has a second tier on top so if the flag is back a precision drive is required to avoid a three putt. 

Now you’ve finished the “front 4” and drive past the starter shack to get to the “back 5”.  The 5th hole has Red Fox’s best-looking sand trap (is that really a new category?) and a green with a subtle valley in the center for a tricky putting experience.  #6 is a little longer to an elevated green that punishes anything that’s not a direct hit.  Sometimes the shortest holes pose the greatest challenge - #7 is a perfect example.  It faces south into the Fenney Wetlands and gives you a great view into the Fenney Recreation area.  It’s a really tight shot – my fear of hitting into the trees in the back can cause me to swing light, but that brings into play the wetlands and a pesky wall covering the front.  You need a perfect drop shot to avoid big trouble.   And the green slopes to the front left leaving you most likely with a downhill putt.  Have fun on the shortest hardest hole here!  After navigating that little gem, you make your final turn on the figure-eight and head back southwest with the woodlands now on your left.  #8 is a mid-range shot with water along your right, but the green is wide open.  Get your par here, because #9 is coming!  When I first started to keep a list of the Hardest Holes, Red Fox #9 was my first entrant.  After playing the course three times, I seriously considered hitting a driver off the red barn in the back just to miss the marsh and sand!  When you stand on the tee box 150 yards out you'll see what I mean – there’s only a speck of green to shoot at.  This is like a Pelican course wannabe hole!  Use your water ball if you didn’t lose it on #1, or maybe you still have a mulligan if #3 didn’t gobble it up!  Think of me when you see that red barn, and maybe you’ll start your own hardest holes list with this one too!  

Toughest to Easiest:

3, 9, 7, 1, 6, 2, 4, 5 - hardest green #4