Pound Ridge Is D*&#%d Hard

Pound Ridge #13  photo by Jim Krajicek

We all have "off" days on the golf course, but the last place you want to have one is at Pound Ridge GC, the Pete Dye design about an hour north of NYC. Show up with less than your "A" game and your ego will take quite a beating. The daily fee track is known for fabulous sculpturing of the land, majestic forests, and picturesque rock outcroppings, but it's always a good idea to keep Pete Dye's opening-day advice in mind: “Everyone agrees it’s a beautiful piece of land. You just need to bring a lot of golf balls.” If you can't hit it straight, you'll need a bucket full.

The first thing you discover at Pound Ridge is that precision isn't just nice to have, it's absolutely essential. Tee shots have to be not only in the fairway but in the right place in the fairway to have a shot at the green. Approach shots have to not only land on the green but end up in the correct place on the green to have a reasonable two-putt. Mistakes aren't just unfortunate, they're deadly. Off the fairway a yard or two? You'll be in four-inch rough with a wedge your best option. Miss it by ten yards or so? You've probably lost your ball in the fescue or one of the many, many environmentally-sensitive hazards. The same conditions apply, by the way, to most of the par threes.

That's not to say Pound Ridge isn't an enjoyable golf experience--just be mentally prepared for a tough round. The course is visually stunning, with 14,000 linear feet of rock walls, dramatic bunkering, and gorgeous water hazards. The green complexes have none-too-subtle but perfectly putt-able contours, well-placed but playable traps, and numerous pin positions to keep things interesting from round to round. The turf and putting surfaces are as good as any private club--and better than many.

Pete Dye pointedly built five sets of tees with large differences not just in length of hole but angles of play, forced carries, and even hazards and obstacles between them. Choosing the correct tee is essential if you want any hope of playing a successful round. The tale is in the course rating for each tee, not the yardage. The "Oak" tees, for example, play 6,773 yards, a not-unplayable distance for many decent golfers using modern equipment these days. The course rating from those tees, though, is 73.8. That means a scratch golfer is expected to score nearly two over par if he shoots to his handicap that day!

The course isn't a pushover from the next set of tees forward, either. The "Granite" tees measure 6,261 yards with a 70.4 rating and 140 slope. From there, you'll face 200-yard-or-so carries off the tee on a couple of holes (nine and fourteen), not to mention the need to shape your tee shots on a couple more (ten and eighteen). Approaches over water will affect your strategy on the second and possibly the eighteenth hole. Elevated greens add to the difficulty on nine, thirteen, and sixteen.

Regardless of the tees you play, a house-size boulder, aka "Pete's Rock," sits in your line off the tee on the thirteenth hole, a 448-yard par five (from the Granite tees). The glacial erratic draws a great deal of commentary, but it also distracts from the real difficulty of the hole, which is lined by hazards on both sides of the narrow fairway all the way to the green. Golfers befuddled by the rock are much more likely to lose a ball right or left than to bounce one off the boulder. Even if your drive finds the short grass, your second shot needs to be laser-straight even if you are laying up to the long, narrow green.

Dye plays all sorts of mind games on the equally-infamous fifteenth hole, a relatively easy 144-yard par three. Once again, a granite outcropping immediately behind the green draws the player's attention while the hazard lining the front poses a much greater threat. The green is huge--some 60 yards wide--and set at an angle to the tee, so distance control is the key to par. Just to mess with you some more, though, Dye set the tees so that foliage in the hazard typically blocks your view of much of the putting surface.

Pound Ridge opened in 2008 to great acclaim and much comment about both it's demanding layout and equally-demanding greens fees, which were easily the highest in the metro area. Deep-pocketed golfers flocked to the course, however, and owner Ken Wang's $40-million gamble appears to be paying off. Given the caliber of the golf course, players get their money's worth even at the top rate of
$195 (including cart, range, and other amenities). Off-season and off-peak rates are considerably lower.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Casa de Campo Stages Inaugural Dye Hard Cup

Could you overdose on Pete Dye golf? Most of us would jump at the chance to try. Add a $90,000 prize and put the event at one of the Caribbean's premier destinations, Casa de Campo, and the only question you'll hear is "where do I sign up?" (for the answer, see below)

Welcome to the inaugural Dye Hard Cup.

Casa de Campo's Teeth of the Dog

From Nov. 10-15, 2013, 90 contestants will pit themselves against the 90 holes of golf at the Casa de Campo Resort in the Dominican Republic, playing for a winner-take-all prize of $90,000.

Dye Hard, indeed!

Along with Teeth of the Dog—the number-one course in the Caribbean according to Golf Digest—the Dye Hard Cup will be played on the three breathtaking nines at Dye Fore, spread along cliffs high above the Chavon River, and The Links, featuring spectacular views of the Caribbean Sea. Also included is the resort’s private course, La Romana, another of Dye’s devilishly beautiful designs.

Just as exciting is the format, which is open to both professionals and amateurs: 90 holes played as an individual gross stroke-play competition with one contestant pocketing the whole $90,000.

The number of holes in each round will correspond to the number of holes at each Casa de Campo course: The opening round is 27 holes on La Romana. The second round at Dye Fore is also 27 holes. Round three is 18 holes on The Links. And the final 18 is on Teeth of the Dog, the ultimate test. But there’s more to the Dye Hard Cup than just great golf. Players also get five nights’ lodging and all food and beverage at Casa de Campo.

“We are looking forward to hosting some tremendous golfers for six days of great competition and camaraderie,” said Peter Bonell, Chief Marketing Office. “Their talents will be challenged by the beautiful but difficult tests that Pete Dye has blessed us with at Casa de Campo.”

The festivities kick off on Sunday, Nov. 10, with a welcome reception at The Beach Club by Le Cirque, the resort’s leading restaurant and lounge, nestled against the Caribbean Sea. (Early arrivals can play practice rounds on any of the courses that day.)

Also included in the contestant’s package:

• Five nights’ accommodations in a newly renovated elite-class room at the resort
• Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily
• Unlimited drinks in all resort bars and restaurants, including Oasis bars and beverage carts on the golf courses
• Unlimited use of the driving range
• Complimentary use of a personal golf cart on property throughout the stay
• Complimentary use of the resort’s Sports Fitness Center
• VIP treatment for arrivals at La Romana airport (10 minutes from resort) and at hotel check-in
• Airport transfers, resort taxes, and service charges

The all-inclusive registration fee for contestants is $5,000. Non-golfers are $3,000, and instead of golf have unlimited access to horseback riding, tennis, and non-motorized watersports at the resort’s private Minitas Beach.

If you ever wanted to Dye Hard, this is the way to do it.

For more information, call the golf reservations office at (809) 523-8215 or visit www.casadecampo.com.do/dyehardcup2013.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

How Much Dye Golf Can You Play?

Casa de Campo is dishing up the ultimate golfer’s “all you can eat buffet,” including one of the top golf courses in the world, in a “Golf Fantasy Trip” package highlighted by limitless golf.  Stay at the resort for four nights and get everything for one price. That includes as much golf as a person can play on 63 holes designed by legendary architect Pete Dye, highlighted by the infamous Teeth of the Dog.

Casa de Campo. Photo courtesy of the resort.

Along with “The Dog”—the number-one course in the Caribbean according to Golf Digest — are three breathtaking nines at Dye Fore, spread along cliffs high above the Chavon River, and The Links, featuring spectacular views of the Caribbean Sea. Golfers partaking in the “Fantasy” play them all, as often as they would like, thanks to unlimited greens fees.

Other elements of this Golf Fantasy include:

• Four nights’ accommodations in a newly renovated elite-class room at the resort
• Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily
• Unlimited drinks in all resort bars and restaurants, including Oasis bars and beverage carts on the golf courses
• A one-hour lesson with Eric Lillibridge, director of the on-site Jim McLean Golf School
• One round with a Casa de Campo PGA Professional
• Two sports massages at the Casa de Campo Spa
• Welcome champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries
• Complimentary use of a golf cart on property throughout the stay
• Pete Dye-autographed copy of the beautiful coffee-table book, “Pete Dye Golf Courses”
• VIP treatment through arrivals at La Romana airport, plus airport transfers, taxes, and service charges

Cost for the “Golf Fantasy,” available from Jan. 3 through March 14, 2013 , is $2,799 per golfer, based on double occupancy, or $3,695 single occupancy. Accompanying non-golfers are $2,110. For more information, call the golf reservations office at (809) 523-8215 or visit www.casadecampo.com.do.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Pound Ridge Give-a-way at Chelsea Piers

Pound Ridge Golf Club – the daily fee Pete Dye course in Westchester County – has a treat for golfers who visit its exhibit at the 2011 Golf Fest at Chelsea Piers Golf Club Saturday, April 30, from noon to 6 p.m.

One of the Big Apple’s most-anticipated golf season kickoff events, the eighth annual Golf Fest is a two-day celebration featuring club demos from top club manufacturers, kids activities, contests, clinics, refreshments and more.

Pound Ridge is offering attendees a complimentary drawstring logo bag, yardage book and brochures, and is giving away a round of golf at New York’s only Dye-designed layout. Metro golfers are invited to stop by and learn more about the course that garnered “Best New” recognition from Golf Digest, GOLF Magazine, Golfweek and LINKS.

Jason Ekaireb, director of sales and marketing, will bring Pound Ridge to life with a slide presentation and by sharing his personal and professional insights of working closely with Dye during the 10-year construction process.

“Pound Ridge occupies a unique niche in the Metro area golf landscape and we look forward to sharing its fascinating back story, groundbreaking design concepts, and host of new player programs and rates with Golf Fest attendees,” says Ekaireb.

Admission to Golf Fest is $15 for adults and $10 for children. Hotdogs and beverages are complimentary for children. For more information and to register in advance, visit www.chelseapiers.com/golffest.

For more information about Pound Ridge visit www.poundridgegolf.com or call (914) 764.5771.

In addition to writing about golf, Dave Donelson distills the experiences of hundreds of entrepreneurs into practical advice for small business owners and managers in the Dynamic Manager's Guides, a series of how-to books about marketing and advertising, sales techniques, hiring, firing, and motivating personnel, financial management, and business strategy.

Rob Runs Into A Round-Wrecker

We've all had it happen to us. Rob Labritz, the only club pro to make the cut at the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, had an excellent third round going for 17 holes. Then a quadruple bogey jumped up and bit him.

You can read the details of how one of Pete Dye's 1,000 bunkers snagged Labritz's approach shot on the 446-yard par-four ninth hole (his 18th of the round since he started on the back nine) at the blog he's writing with Ralph Wimbish at the NY Post. But we've all had it happen to us...an awkward stance, a bad lie, a little extra adrenaline and the next thing you know your scorecard has a blot on it.

Up until that point, Labritz was cruising. He'd started the round at even par, then scored a birdie on the first hole. Here's some video of the precise second shot that set up the tweeter that put him under par for the tournament.



He poured in this putt for another bird on the 12th hole.



Labritz added yet a another circled number at the 569-yard par-five 16th hole. He dropped a couple of shots in the early going on the back nine, but got one back with another kick-in birdie at the 507-yard par-four 8th hole, his 17th of the day. All together, a much-more-than-respectable round that shows Labritz, the Director of Golf at Bedford's GlenArbor Golf Club, can keep pace with the best.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo.

Pound Ridge Moves Toward Affordable

It's still not exactly a bargain, but Pound Ridge Golf Club just announced a significant cut in greens fees for weekday tee times. Players can now tee it up on the spectacularly tough Pete Dye design for just $155 if they book five days in advance. Regular rates are $235, so this represents a 35% discount. After 3 PM, the advance reservation rate drops to $105.

Pound Ridge owner Ken Wang says,

“These new price points deliver tremendous value, and will allow more golfers to experience what we, and the rest of the golfing world, are rapidly recognizing as a very special course.”

Pound Ridge is indeed a special course. It opened in 2008 after some ten years of planning, permit battles, and major rock blasting on 172 acres about an hour north of Manhattan. Pete Dye, his son Perry and long-time Dye construction manager/lead shaper Michael Langkau created a demanding, picturesque track among the site's escarpments, streams and wooded hills. Dramatic rock formations and boulders were left onsite, creating some of the most visually stunning golf holes in the Northeast. More than 14,000-linear-feet of rock wall surrounds trees, wetlands and water hazards. These frame contoured fairways which wind through hardwood forests and fescue mounds leading to devilish green complexes.

Golf Digest named Pound Ridge one of "America's Best New Courses" in 2009 and rival Golf Magazine put it in the number two slot of "Top Ten You Can Play." In addition to writing about the course when it opened, I featured the 14th hole, a 401-yarder with one of the most intimidating tee shots around, in Westchester Magazine this spring.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo.

Pound Ridge Golf Club - Pete Dye Ball-Eater

Pound Ridge Golf Club, Pete Dye’s newly-opened ball-eater, is a spectacular golf course in a place where there are many spectacular golf courses already--Westchester County, NY. His first New York course joins a pantheon of legendary tracks like Winged Foot, Quaker Ridge, Westchester Country Club, Fenway, and Century, not to mention legends-in-the-making such as Hudson National, GlenArbor, Golf Club of Purchase, Trump National, and Anglebrook. It will be interesting to see how it rates with this sophisticated golf community.

I toured Pound Ridge while it was under construction, then played it during the Grand Opening just before it went live to the public. It’s look is unlike that of any other course in the area, which is what you would expect from Pete Dye and his son, Perry, who actually deserves most of the credit for the layout. The new course was literally blasted out of Westchester granite on 172 wooded, rolling acres. Fairways are narrow and rolling, surrounded my moguls, expansive bunkers, and what seems like miles and miles of stone walls (they had to do something with all that blast debris). Rock outcroppings are everywhere, as are environmentally-protected wetlands and acres of dense woodlands. The course is visually stunning.

At 7,171 yards from the tips, it’s plenty of golf course, too, although four other sets of tees ranging down to 5,180 yards make it perfectly playable for all types of golfers. The key to enjoying the course, in fact, is choosing the right set of tees. Several holes have forced carries and obstacles like trees and rock formations that will ruin the round of the player who insists on playing the blues (6,787) when their handicap calls for the whites (6,279). That’s a common theme, of course, but Pete Dye drives the point home with a vengeance.

The 18th hole is the most controversial in that regard. From the white tees, it’s a 415-yard par four with a series of bunkers along the left leading to a pond that pinches the front of the green. Moguls line the right side the length of the hole. Two huge maples stand 130 yards from the tee in the right rough. Go forty yards back to the blue tees, though, and the hole not only becomes a more respectable 454-yarder, but those two maples now completely block the line to the fairway about 170 yards off the tee. Since they’re at least 75 feet tall, it’s almost impossible to hit a driver high enough to carry over them. A sweeping fade means you have to aim directly at the fairway bunkers on the left; setting up for a draw points you at the adjacent fairway and has to come back over the moguls in the right rough.


As Dye told my friend John Paul Newport of the Wall Street Journal, "Anybody dumb enough to play the hole from back there can try to work around it if they want to. There'll be some bellyaching, but who cares?"

The most interesting feature of Pound Ridge, though, is that it’s a daily fee course, not a private club. Owner Ken Wang, brother of fashion diva Vera Wang (who hits a mean driver herself, by the way) saw a need for a high-end public course in the New York metro market. He may be right, too, since Westchester County has a grand total of six public golf courses (munis, really) serving a population of nearly a million people. There are a few daily-fee courses within a hour’s drive, but none of them are even remotely in the same league. Greens fees at Pound Ridge? $235 including cart and use of practice facilities.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo

Watch great live golf thanks to the best satellite tv deals for cheap satellite at SatelliteDish.tv!