Redlands Mesa Review: Big Views, Demanding Approaches

Redlands Mesa was fun, but it asked the same difficult question often: could I follow a shot from an elevated tee with a precise approach?

The setting is memorable. My impression of the round was that the holes began to feel repetitive: elevation off the tee, followed by another demanding approach. A golfer hitting it well may find that pattern satisfying. I did not hit enough good approaches to get comfortable with it.

Good shots had somewhere to go

I do not think the course failed to reward a good shot. When I described the round afterward, that was an important distinction. Better execution would have produced better opportunities. The frustration came from repeatedly finding myself with another exacting shot while my game was not cooperating.

Smooth greens, difficult pace

The surfaces were smooth. I saw few pitch marks, which stood out compared with what you sometimes encounter on a public course. The challenge for me was judging distance.

A putt I expected to travel about thirty feet might finish much farther away on one hole and well short on another. Combined with the break, that left ten-foot second putts when I had expected something in the two- or three-foot range.

That is an account of how I experienced the greens, not measured green-speed testing. I cannot separate every contribution from slope, grain, pace judgment and my stroke. I can say that I struggled to settle into a reliable feel.

The range made warming up harder

Finding flat ground on the driving range was difficult. Before a round, I want to make a few straightforward swings and see the ball flight. Working from an awkward lie made that preparation less useful to me.

That is the part I would plan around on a return visit: arrive with enough time to find a suitable spot, then spend extra time learning pace on the practice green.

Who might enjoy it?

If memorable surroundings and demanding approach play are central to your day, those were the features that stood out. If you want a relaxed round with forgiving approach demands and an effortless range warm-up, my experience suggests setting different expectations.

This review reflects one playing experience in October 2026. It does not assign a tested rating, quote current green fees or claim that conditions are the same on every visit.

The long-putt practice plan is the most obvious piece of work I would take from it.