New Pete Dye Course : Pound Ridge Golf Club

[golf_junkie27]

Westchester Golf is amusing. With the exception of Hudson Hills and now Pound Ridge, all the public courses, county operated, are $25.

This is insanity. Might as well go private.

[Dent]

Another important step this week will be the course's rating by the Metropolitan Golf Association, in which officials use a mathematical formula to assess a course's difficulty.

from the first link that RemyM gave. I am so curious to see what this formula is.

[RemyM]

40 rounds at Pound Ridge would cost $9,400. Compare that to the annual dues at most top country clubs around here and it's not that bad. Plus you can go buy yourself a new car or two with the $90,000 you don't have to spend on an initiation fee.

[RemyM]

from the first link that RemyM gave. I am so curious to see what this formula is.

Here is some information

http://www.usga.org/playing/handicap..._articles.html

[RemyM]

Finally going to play here on the 4th. A friend has played there a couple of times and liked it. They have reduced the price to $195 for advance bookings. Will let everyone know.

[AmenCorner]

They have two golf courses, and a LOT of their members aren't even within 300 miles of the course half the time.

I know some people, more than one, that have worked there or continue to work there in season. They used those exact words. I am also aware they have 2 courses.

"Half the time" the place is probably unplayable. So, the other half of the year it is pretty much a golf factory. Nice clubs down here with 2 courses usually have around 600 members.

[AmenCorner]

40 rounds at Pound Ridge would cost $9,400. Compare that to the annual dues at most top country clubs around here and it's not that bad. Plus you can go buy yourself a new car or two with the $90,000 you don't have to spend on an initiation fee.

Point taken. At the same time, reality is most people might only play a couple times a year, as a treat. There is a course around here that I consider the same type of thing. I'll play the muni 9/10ths of the time, but I'll spring for more a few times a year. It sounds like a lot of money, but sounds like they are getting it!

[RemyM]

So I finally went and played Pound Ridge on Saturday with a friend. The course is awesome. There are some very difficult holes but most of the course is very playable. From the high points it is very scenic, and the way he used all the rock makes it both beautiful and intimidating. The par 3 15th is probably the most intimidating. It's not a long hole but it's all carry over the wetlands to a green that is very wide but not very deep. The hole gets longer the further left the pin is. Then there is the matter of the large rock hill behind the green, not a lot of margin for error on that hole. For a modern course many of the greens are not that large. The course is very well built, we have had a lot of rain around here and the course was firm and fast and the conditions were great. They moved a lot of dirt to create this place. Even though there are several parallel holes you feel like there is no one else out there due to the mounding separating the holes. You can hire a forecaddie for an extra $25 per bag, we had one and I highly recommend it. They have lowered the prime time rate to $195 if you book 9 or more days in advance but it's $235 if you book less then 9 days out, which to me is back-wards. Reduced rates begin at 3:00 and the cancellation policy was changed to a friendlier 24 hours. For that price you want a good day, and we had the best day of the year.

Now for the not so good. There is no clubhouse yet and it might not have one for a while still. The pro shop and restaurant share a very nice small building. There is no locker room, just a very elaborate portable bathroom trailer. The bar has 6 seats and there are 5 tables inside and about 10 outside. We sat outside with a beautiful view of the 2nd green and the large pond that sides it. The kitchen is a trailer so the menu is limited but the food was very good. I had the veal sliders which came highly recommended and they didn't disappoint. Since there is no dish washing facility disposable plates, cups and cutlery is used.

The driving range is only 200 yards long, and limited flight yellow range balls are used. It does have a very nice bent grass teeing area. There is a synthetic turf tee that they can use if need be. There is a small chipping green and practice bunker and a separate, yet a bit small putting green.

All in all a great day and I will definitely go back.

[AmenCorner]

Thanks for the report. On the website it looks incredible, especially 15 like you said.

[iWALK18]

So I finally went and played Pound Ridge on Saturday with a friend. The course is awesome. There are some very difficult holes but most of the course is very playable. From the high points it is very scenic, and the way he used all the rock makes it both beautiful and intimidating. The par 3 15th is probably the most intimidating. It's not a long hole but it's all carry over the wetlands to a green that is very wide but not very deep. The hole gets longer the further left the pin is. Then there is the matter of the large rock hill behind the green, not a lot of margin for error on that hole. For a modern course many of the greens are not that large. The course is very well built, we have had a lot of rain around here and the course was firm and fast and the conditions were great. They moved a lot of dirt to create this place. Even though there are several parallel holes you feel like there is no one else out there due to the mounding separating the holes. You can hire a forecaddie for an extra $25 per bag, we had one and I highly recommend it. They have lowered the prime time rate to $195 if you book 9 or more days in advance but it's $235 if you book less then 9 days out, which to me is back-wards. Reduced rates begin at 3:00 and the cancellation policy was changed to a friendlier 24 hours. For that price you want a good day, and we had the best day of the year.

You got to all the most important parts, now how about the trivial: How'd you play and what did you shoot!?!

[RemyM]

You got to all the most important parts, now how about the trivial: How'd you play and what did you shoot!?!

I wasn't happy with my putting. The greens looked faster then they were and I was very tentative with my putts. I hit the ball well on the front but killed myself with a triple on the par 3 6th. Very narrow green, missed it left, had a downhill lie in the rough and the green was 10 feet above me, three shots to get on and 2 putts. 45 on the front. Three penalty shots on the back plus two more holes where I had a downhill lie in the rough to a green above me, I'm not used to those. Three 7's gave me a 49 on the back and a 94 total. First time I didn't break 90 in a long time

, but I haven't played too many courses with a slope of 140 and that was from the middle set of 5 tees playing about 6,300 yards.

[tjy355]

Course looks like a nightmare. How was the pace of play?

[RemyM]

Course looks like a nightmare. How was the pace of play?

The other two people we played with were not the fastest players in the world, but no one had to wait for us and we never had to wait on a group in front of us. We played in 4:40.