Conditions at Shell Houston Open, Redstone Golf Club unsurpassed

HUMBLE, Texas – During a spectacularly sunny spring week at the Shell Houston Open, the Tournament Course at Redstone Golf Club has never looked better. Players are calling the Rees Jones-designed course the best conditioned venue on the PGA Tour, save Augusta National, and superintendent Randy Samoff just seems to be able to up the ante with each year.

Lee Westwood called it “immaculate,” Phil Mickelson said it was the “best on tour,” and Josh Teter, who was tied for second after the first day said, “These are maybe the best greens I’ve putted on.”

The setup is designed to mimic conditions at Augusta National, which is where at least 32 players in the Shell Houston Open field will be next week. Heavy overseeding of the fairways, roughs and greens result in what is essentially a winter golf course, a rarity in Houston. You can check out a review I did on the golf course for GolfChannel.com here.

The best part for golfers, of course, is that you can play this setup as well, at least for the next few weeks. By mid-May, conditions will be too hot and humid to support to the winter rye as the course transitions to Bermuda, but until then, golfers will have to travel far and wide to find better conditions.