Originally known as Progress Downs but renamed concurrent with a course renovation in 1999, RedTail is one of three courses owned and operated by the city of Portland (Heron Lakes and Eastmoreland being the other two). A neat feature of the course is that it is a bit of an oasis in a busy suburban setting. The course is bordered by a mall/strip mall and middle class houses. Yet it is very common to see water fowl, a pack of foxes and hawks while on the course.
The clubhouse, partially obscured by the ever present tent sale. Notice iron sets, shoes, apparel, balls and bags. all available at heavily discounted prices.
Practice area (Grade: A)
The practice facilities are an area where RedTail truly shines.
The course features a double deck driving range (mats only), with maybe 80-100 total bays. Approximately 15 of these bays are reserved for lessons and have Trackman machines. The range is long enough that we can hit all our clubs; flags and markers could be better. Management is working on buying additional Trackman machines that will be available on a rental basis to the public.
A putting only green is located between the clubhouse and first tee. Another putting green is located off the 9[SUP]th[/SUP] tee. A very large and undulating chipping and putting green - which simulates the course very well - is adjacent to the 10[SUP]th[/SUP] tee. A separate short game area set up for 30-60 yard shots and a bunker is located off the 18[SUP]th[/SUP] fairway.
In total, the practice facilities are excellent. Other than being able to hit off grass they offer the golfer just about everything they need. This is my go-to location to work on my game.
Course conditions (Grade: C-)
This is a tough one. The course is well maintained and manicured. It is not a goat track in any way, shape or form. However, it can visually be a little like a bad paint job on a car: it looks great from afar but you see little imperfections the closer you get. As an example, I think the course does not use pesticides (a prudent choice considering the wildlife on site). This means the fairways have weeds and dandelions instead of being perfectly refined. This is not a big deal but it is different from what you experience at higher end facilities.
Also, the course conditions have two very undeniable shortcomings. First, it drains horribly. This isn’t an issue in the summer, but considering this is Oregon and it rains just a bit, there are long periods of time when the course is borderline unplayable. Second, the bunkers are just atrocious. They have the thinnest layer of sand possible on top of hard clay soil. This make the bunkers play differently from most other courses, and in a bad way.
Tee boxes are in solid condition, fairways are well defined, rough is varied and maintained and the greens are manicured and roll true (sadly, clientele don’t always fix their divots though).
I can live with the results of not using pesticides. Most courses have drainage challenges in this region, so I am patient there. The bunkers are brutal and really need some attention.
Layout (Grade: B+)
RedTail has five tee options, making the course accessible to players of all skill levels:
Don’t let the different tees fool you into thinking the course is easy. It is not. This is one of the more challenging courses in the area, featuring a lot of water, undulating greens, elevation changes, sloped fairways and intermittent brutal length (from the Black tees: a 646 yard par 5 - with a forced water carry on the 2nd shot and a 3 tiered green - and four par 4’s of at least 469 yards).
The layout is diverse in how it presents its challenges. As mentioned above, several holes are just long. Many holes are difficult driving holes. The holes that are easiest from the tees are among the hardest at the greens. The shorter holes almost always include elevation changes or play into the wind, making club selection and course management a challenge, and also have substantial protection at the greens.
The course challenges nearly all elements of your game. While it is hard to score here, the flip side is that an index built at RedTail will travel well.
View from the tee on #2, a 131 par 3 from the White tees:
View from the tees of #13, a 391 yard par 4 (White tees). Water left, water long, mounds right. If you find the fairway an elevated and severely sloped green awaits your approach shot.
View from the fairway of #15, a dog leg right 427 yard par 4, the number 2 rated hole on the course. The water right in the picture comes into play from the tee. It is hard to see but there is also water to the left of this picture (i.e., through the fairway from the tee) which protects the left side of the green. The green is severely sloped back to front and right to left.
Pace of play (Grade: D)
I always see Marshalls on the course and they are proactive about pace of play. As an example, this morning, before I even teed off, the starter was on the walkie-talkie about the group ahead of us. A Marshall drove out to speak to them before they walked off the 1[SUP]st[/SUP] green. Marshalls were intermittently positioned at holes throughout the course reminding golfers to stay on pace. I appreciate these efforts. Still, even with all the efforts and good intentions, play at RedTail is typically slow. I teed off at 6:52am and finished at 11:25. Four and a half hours is perfectly respectable, but this is one of the faster rounds I’ve played at RedTail; it is much more common to experience 5+ hour rounds.
Price (Grade: C)
I paid $42 to walk 18 holes this morning. The rates for all three municipal courses are set by the city and are the same. Like the other courses, rates vary by season and day of week. RedTail offers a host of discounts, deals and specials. For example, a common special is a mid $20’s fee for all you can play golf after 2pm (but see pace of play issues). At the end of the day, I think the rate I paid this morning is just okay, it pushes the limits for what I think is fair for a course of this quality.
Amenities (Grade: A+)
RedTail offers solid amenities. While the course does not have a locker room, it has a grill located off the 9[SUP]th[/SUP] tee and a restaurant off the 18th green. There are always cart girls touring the course selling light foods, snacks and drinks.
Over and above traditional amenities, RedTail offers a host of other amenities that push it over the top.
Virtually every day of the year they have a tent sale going which allows golfers to purchase last season’s gear and apparel at sale prices of 30%-50% off full retail.
The pro shop has been recognized as a top 50 shop. They continue to earn the rating. In addition to the regular practice bays and the bays with Trackman dedicated to lessons, they also feature an outdoor fitting area with four additional Trackman bays. The fitting area has drivers, fairway woods, hybrids and wedges from nearly every major manufacturer. I counted 78 sets of irons being displayed in the shop; every single one of those sets is fair game to take to the fitting area (this is the only place I’ve ever heard of that has Bridgestone irons to demo – and they had multiple sets).
RedTail does an amazing job as a teaching center, especially with kids. Every week of the summer there is a morning, afternoon and day long / full course kid’s golf camp. The camps are geared toward games and fun, with team and individual competitions. During the school year RedTail offers an after school golf clinic where kids can come in at 5pm and get small group training. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have my kids at these camps/clinics. The instructors at RedTail do a great job with the kids.
Finally, the instruction made available to adults is great, too. First, is the technology – RedTail has maybe 15 Trackman machines on site. I’m not aware of any other facility that offers this. But over and above the technology is the fact that RedTail is virtually a training center, with maybe 10-20 teaching pros on staff, including female instructors. It should be virtually impossible for a person not to find an instructor they will flourish with at RedTail
The fitting area. There is a second rack behind the one clearly visible and another two more behind me. Any of the almost 80 iron sets inside the pro shop are fair game to take to the fitting area, where you can get Trackman numbers.
Overall (Grade: B)
If the grade were based on the course alone it would be a slight notch lower. But RedTail earns the higher mark based on its total package of fitting, training, practice facilities and golf course. I especially appreciate the practice facilities, discounts on gear and apparel, ability to demo clubs on Trackman machines and have my children get exposed to the game here. RedTail offers a solid total package as a golf facility.
The clubhouse, partially obscured by the ever present tent sale. Notice iron sets, shoes, apparel, balls and bags. all available at heavily discounted prices.
Practice area (Grade: A)
The practice facilities are an area where RedTail truly shines.
The course features a double deck driving range (mats only), with maybe 80-100 total bays. Approximately 15 of these bays are reserved for lessons and have Trackman machines. The range is long enough that we can hit all our clubs; flags and markers could be better. Management is working on buying additional Trackman machines that will be available on a rental basis to the public.
A putting only green is located between the clubhouse and first tee. Another putting green is located off the 9[SUP]th[/SUP] tee. A very large and undulating chipping and putting green - which simulates the course very well - is adjacent to the 10[SUP]th[/SUP] tee. A separate short game area set up for 30-60 yard shots and a bunker is located off the 18[SUP]th[/SUP] fairway.
In total, the practice facilities are excellent. Other than being able to hit off grass they offer the golfer just about everything they need. This is my go-to location to work on my game.
Course conditions (Grade: C-)
This is a tough one. The course is well maintained and manicured. It is not a goat track in any way, shape or form. However, it can visually be a little like a bad paint job on a car: it looks great from afar but you see little imperfections the closer you get. As an example, I think the course does not use pesticides (a prudent choice considering the wildlife on site). This means the fairways have weeds and dandelions instead of being perfectly refined. This is not a big deal but it is different from what you experience at higher end facilities.
Also, the course conditions have two very undeniable shortcomings. First, it drains horribly. This isn’t an issue in the summer, but considering this is Oregon and it rains just a bit, there are long periods of time when the course is borderline unplayable. Second, the bunkers are just atrocious. They have the thinnest layer of sand possible on top of hard clay soil. This make the bunkers play differently from most other courses, and in a bad way.
Tee boxes are in solid condition, fairways are well defined, rough is varied and maintained and the greens are manicured and roll true (sadly, clientele don’t always fix their divots though).
I can live with the results of not using pesticides. Most courses have drainage challenges in this region, so I am patient there. The bunkers are brutal and really need some attention.
Layout (Grade: B+)
RedTail has five tee options, making the course accessible to players of all skill levels:
| Black | 7107 | 74.4 | 135 |
| Blue | 6682 | 72.6 | 130 |
| White | 6267 | 70.6 | 126 |
| Red | 5551 | 67.4 | 118 |
| Yellow | 4220 | N/A | N/A |
Don’t let the different tees fool you into thinking the course is easy. It is not. This is one of the more challenging courses in the area, featuring a lot of water, undulating greens, elevation changes, sloped fairways and intermittent brutal length (from the Black tees: a 646 yard par 5 - with a forced water carry on the 2nd shot and a 3 tiered green - and four par 4’s of at least 469 yards).
The layout is diverse in how it presents its challenges. As mentioned above, several holes are just long. Many holes are difficult driving holes. The holes that are easiest from the tees are among the hardest at the greens. The shorter holes almost always include elevation changes or play into the wind, making club selection and course management a challenge, and also have substantial protection at the greens.
The course challenges nearly all elements of your game. While it is hard to score here, the flip side is that an index built at RedTail will travel well.
View from the tee on #2, a 131 par 3 from the White tees:
View from the tees of #13, a 391 yard par 4 (White tees). Water left, water long, mounds right. If you find the fairway an elevated and severely sloped green awaits your approach shot.
View from the fairway of #15, a dog leg right 427 yard par 4, the number 2 rated hole on the course. The water right in the picture comes into play from the tee. It is hard to see but there is also water to the left of this picture (i.e., through the fairway from the tee) which protects the left side of the green. The green is severely sloped back to front and right to left.
Pace of play (Grade: D)
I always see Marshalls on the course and they are proactive about pace of play. As an example, this morning, before I even teed off, the starter was on the walkie-talkie about the group ahead of us. A Marshall drove out to speak to them before they walked off the 1[SUP]st[/SUP] green. Marshalls were intermittently positioned at holes throughout the course reminding golfers to stay on pace. I appreciate these efforts. Still, even with all the efforts and good intentions, play at RedTail is typically slow. I teed off at 6:52am and finished at 11:25. Four and a half hours is perfectly respectable, but this is one of the faster rounds I’ve played at RedTail; it is much more common to experience 5+ hour rounds.
Price (Grade: C)
I paid $42 to walk 18 holes this morning. The rates for all three municipal courses are set by the city and are the same. Like the other courses, rates vary by season and day of week. RedTail offers a host of discounts, deals and specials. For example, a common special is a mid $20’s fee for all you can play golf after 2pm (but see pace of play issues). At the end of the day, I think the rate I paid this morning is just okay, it pushes the limits for what I think is fair for a course of this quality.
Amenities (Grade: A+)
RedTail offers solid amenities. While the course does not have a locker room, it has a grill located off the 9[SUP]th[/SUP] tee and a restaurant off the 18th green. There are always cart girls touring the course selling light foods, snacks and drinks.
Over and above traditional amenities, RedTail offers a host of other amenities that push it over the top.
Virtually every day of the year they have a tent sale going which allows golfers to purchase last season’s gear and apparel at sale prices of 30%-50% off full retail.
The pro shop has been recognized as a top 50 shop. They continue to earn the rating. In addition to the regular practice bays and the bays with Trackman dedicated to lessons, they also feature an outdoor fitting area with four additional Trackman bays. The fitting area has drivers, fairway woods, hybrids and wedges from nearly every major manufacturer. I counted 78 sets of irons being displayed in the shop; every single one of those sets is fair game to take to the fitting area (this is the only place I’ve ever heard of that has Bridgestone irons to demo – and they had multiple sets).
RedTail does an amazing job as a teaching center, especially with kids. Every week of the summer there is a morning, afternoon and day long / full course kid’s golf camp. The camps are geared toward games and fun, with team and individual competitions. During the school year RedTail offers an after school golf clinic where kids can come in at 5pm and get small group training. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have my kids at these camps/clinics. The instructors at RedTail do a great job with the kids.
Finally, the instruction made available to adults is great, too. First, is the technology – RedTail has maybe 15 Trackman machines on site. I’m not aware of any other facility that offers this. But over and above the technology is the fact that RedTail is virtually a training center, with maybe 10-20 teaching pros on staff, including female instructors. It should be virtually impossible for a person not to find an instructor they will flourish with at RedTail
The fitting area. There is a second rack behind the one clearly visible and another two more behind me. Any of the almost 80 iron sets inside the pro shop are fair game to take to the fitting area, where you can get Trackman numbers.
Overall (Grade: B)
If the grade were based on the course alone it would be a slight notch lower. But RedTail earns the higher mark based on its total package of fitting, training, practice facilities and golf course. I especially appreciate the practice facilities, discounts on gear and apparel, ability to demo clubs on Trackman machines and have my children get exposed to the game here. RedTail offers a solid total package as a golf facility.
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