How To Navigate And Beat Pound Ridge Golf Club
By Sam McPherson
Almost on the Connecticut border, Pound Ridge Golf Club in Pound Ridge, New York, offers a Pete Dye design to challenge the most serious of golfers. With five different sets of tees for golfers of all handicaps, Pound Ridge truly is a treat for everyone and anyone. It's more costly than many courses out there, but you get what you pay for. Here, you're paying for the experience that could last a lifetime and the beauty of a Pete Dye golf course that's so close to metropolitan New York City.
Layout & Green Fees
There are a lot of rock formations built into the design of the course (see below), and that aesthetic can't be underestimated. One of the first things you should do at Pound Ridge is decide which tees you're going to use, and as noted, you have choices: Black (7,165 yards), oak (6,773), granite (6,261), sand (5,683) or pine (5,151). Once you've settled on a tee set for your round, you can enjoy each hole a little more knowing you've put yourself in the best position to succeed and enjoy the day.
Peak season fees run from $120-$210, while offseason fees are a little more affordable ($100-$150). Meanwhile, there are also nine-hole reservation options, reserved for same-day inquiries only. However, it's nice to know that option is there if you can't get off work early enough in the day to play a full 18. Nine-hole fees run from $60-$105, depending on the season.
Hardest Hole
The second hole is a par-4 challenge that plays just as long as two of the par-5 holes on the course. Depending on your tee box, there's some downslope for your tee shot, but then the hole rises right back up again toward the green. Also, the longer you are off the tee, the narrower the fairway becomes, putting some golfers into bunkers on the left if they're not careful. There's a nice big green if you can reach it in two shots, but it slopes back and to the right. If it's a front pin position, watch out.
Easiest Hole
The par-3 15th hole is as good as it gets on this Dye course. From the shorter tees, you have a direct, slightly uphill iron shot; from the longer tees, there's a bit of a faux-dogleg to the left. Either way, the distance is short; the elevation is the only real challenge. Club up a bit if you must to make sure you reach this huge green waiting for you. Depending on your tee-shot angle and the pin location, you can also do a little run-up shot to take advantage of the green's size. From the longer tees, the rock formation behind the green can serve as a backboard of sorts for the shots that go too long.
Craziest Hole
The 13th hole may not be crazy, per se, but the presence of a large boulder in the middle of the fairway might affect those golfers that have overestimated their talent and chosen a tee box that's too long for them. It is a crazy sight, however, to see that boulder just hanging out there—although it really shouldn't come into play, as noted above. The long fairway of this par-5 beauty has a lot of peaks and valleys that can either help your ball or hinder it. Sometimes, that's left to chance, of course. The green is slightly elevated, making that approach shot even tougher, depending on your lie.
Sneakiest Hole
The 18th hole is one of the hardest on the course, but it surprises you because of the mental intimidation. Somewhat like the 18th at Pebble Beach, this par-4 finishing hole has danger after danger on the left side. There are endless bunkers on the tee shot to avoid, and there is water on the approach to the green. Stay right down the middle, and you'll be fine—but too often, those hazards get in the head of the golfer, and disaster ensues. If you're going to miss, you want to miss right on this one.
Sam McPherson is a freelance writer covering baseball, football, basketball, golf, hockey and fantasy sports for CBS, AXS and Examiner. He also is an Ironman triathlete and certified triathlon coach.