Pound Ridge Makes April Affordable

Can't wait to get back on the course?  Here's good news to start your season: Pound Ridge Golf Club, New York’s only Pete Dye design, will continue its off-season rates of $150 before 1 p.m. and $100 after 1 p.m. through May 3.

Available seven days a week, rates include golf or pull cart, yardage book and use of the practice facilities. For players searching for a “home” course for leisure or business golf, Pound Ridge recently announced its 2015 Season Golf Plans including individual and deluxe options.

“Whether in search of the year’s first round or checking Pound Ridge off the proverbial bucket list, the off-season rates are a tremendous value and opportunity to play a world-class layout,” says Todd Leavenworth, General Manager. “Spending a few hours outdoors in total tranquility is an ideal way to shake off the remnants of a historically severe winter.”

Pound Ridge also recently launched its new website, featuring a modern, easy-to-navigate interface with embedded video and panoramic images of the course on each page. Golfers are treated to a high-definition, drone flyover providing unprecedented views of the Dye masterpiece. Optimized for mobile and tablet formats, booking tee times and gathering course information is convenient and easy.

Ranked No. 3 in-state by GOLF Magazine and No. 4 by Golfweek, Pound Ridge is a formidable challenge for accomplished players, with its 146 slope and 76.1 course rating from the back tees. However, Dye’s use of handicap differential in determining the placement of the five other sets of tees makes the golf course appealing for every type of player.

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 Annual Plans

Pound Ridge Golf Club, New York’s only Pete Dye design and Westchester County’s award-winning daily fee course, has released its 2015 Golf Plans featuring Individual and Deluxe options.

New for 2015, the Deluxe Plan is a $15,000 debit account offering the holder and all guests 20% off peak weekday and weekend rates. The Individual Plan is a $3,000 debit account entitling the holder to 10% off applicable green fees. Both plans include exclusive access to the entire 2015 tee sheet for booking advance tee times, are non-refundable, non-transferable and for golf, only.

“The Deluxe and Individual Plans are two strong values for serious players who relish convenience and exclusivity,” says Pound Ridge General Manager Todd Leavenworth. “Paired with the recent expansion of the clubhouse, these annual programs present a viable alternative to the multi-year commitment of private clubs.”

For game tracking and improvement, the Individual Plan includes USGA handicap tracking via GHIN and use of all practice facilities (range, short game area and putting green) 4 p.m. to close, Monday through Thursday (April – Oct.). For more information, visit www.poundridgegolf.com/golf-plans or call the golf shop at (914)764-5771.

Ranked top five in New York by GOLF Magazine and Golfweek, Pound Ridge is less than an hour drive from New York City and a half-hour from White Plains, Greenwich, Stamford and Norwalk (Conn.). All guests receive a complimentary yardage book, bottled water and range balls. Carts are equipped with GPS for obtaining dead-aim-accurate yardages from any position.

Offseason (through May 3), peak-season (May 4 – November 1), and nine-hole rate information and policies are available at www.poundridgegolf.com/rates-policies.

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 Clubhouse Honored

Custom builder Mark Mosolino has received a prestigious Home Building Industry (HOBI) Award from the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Connecticut for his renovation of the Pound Ridge Golf Club clubhouse.

Mosolino took home the coveted “2014 Best Commercial Rehab Overall” award for his ability to maximize the structure’s utility and aesthetics. Considered an expert at creating vibrant, livable spaces in limited building footprints, Mosolino has received four HOBI Awards since 2010.

His work on the Pound Ridge clubhouse included the addition of permanent bathrooms, a full-service kitchen with new equipment, and men’s and women’s showers and small locker rooms. The breezeway between the building and temporary structure also was enclosed for additional comfort and privacy.

“We applaud Mark’s creativity and flexibility, and we’re elated that the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Connecticut recognized the scope and nuance of his work,” adds Ken Wang, owner of Pound Ridge Golf Club. “The new-look clubhouse provides our guests more options including showering or refreshing here at the course, and grabbing a bite to eat before, during or after a round.”

Other notable enhancements included floor, ceiling and window frame molding, chair rails and other fixtures. Extra features and equipment were added to create both elegance and permanence. Guests now have the choice of relaxing in the refreshed interior or outdoors on one of Pound Ridge’s two alfresco seating and gathering areas.

“My team is honored to win an award in HOBI’s hyper-competitive commercial category,” says Mosolino, owner of Mosolino Development. “Pound Ridge Golf Club is a part of this community, and we embraced the opportunity.”

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 Offers Fall Bargains

Pound Ridge Golf Club has instituted off-season rates of $150 before 1 p.m. and $100 after, effective November 3. Having just played the course, I can attest that it's in great shape and fall foliage made it even more scenic than usual.

Available seven days a week, the popular late fall, early winter rates include golf or pull cart, yardage book and use of the club’s practice facilities. More information on cancellation policies and exclusion dates is available at www.poundridgegolf.com.

“The golf course is in great shape this time of year, and the off-season rates are perfect for golfers to sample Pound Ridge for the first time, or to enjoy a value-packed return visit,” says Todd Leavenworth, General Manager.

Ranked No. 3 in-state by GOLF Magazine and No. 4 by Golfweek, Pound Ridge is a formidable challenge for accomplished players, with its 146 slope and 76.1 course rating from the back tees.

However, Dye’s use of handicap differential – matching the golfer's skill level to the difficulty of the challenge – in determining placement of the five other sets of tees makes the golf course appealing for every type of player.  I moved up to the middle tees this year and still found it a challenging test.

Pound Ridge is unlike just about every classic layout in the area. Dye’s signature design elements --dramatic mounding, rhythmic routing and subtle deception -- are displayed throughout the par-72, 7,165-yard layout, creating a compelling and fair test of golf.

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

Is Pound Ridge the Best Course Near You?

Pound Ridge Golf Club, the daily fee Pete Dye design in Westchester, climbed three spots to No. 3 in New York in GOLF Magazine’s 2014 edition of the “Best Courses Near You.”

Part of its biennial “Top 100 Courses You Can Play” in the United States, “Best Courses Near You” highlights the top tracks in all 50 states as determined by the magazine’s editorial staff and panel of well-traveled golf industry insiders.

Pound Ridge is the No. 2 New York City-area course, trailing only Bethpage Black, host venue for the 2009 U.S. Open and future site of the 2019 PGA Championship and 2024 Ryder Cup. GOLF Magazine also named the 2008 Dye design as its “No. 1 U.S. Open Worthy Course” in 2012.

“GOLF Magazine has been a strong supporter of the course since it opened, and its panelists have an appreciation and understanding of modern golf course architecture,” says Ken Wang, Pound Ridge owner. “We believe the course is maturing brilliantly and will continue to evolve as a testament to Dye’s genius.”

A strategic blend of challenging driving holes and intriguing risk/reward approach shots has earned Pound Ridge a spot alongside TPC Sawgrass, The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, Whistling Straits and Harbour Town Golf Links in Dye’s pantheon of legendary courses.

The front nine opens with a decidedly playable 451-yard par 4 with a green complex set against a rock-lined water feature. Starting with the par-4 second, an uphill brute with the narrowest landing area on the course, Pound Ridge quickly morphs into a strategic blend of challenging driving holes and intriguing risk/reward approach shots. The back nine takes golfers deep into a serene setting for “core” golf totally devoid of housing and distractions.

The amenities at Pound Ridge are first rate.  In addition to a newly-expanded clubhouse, Pound Ridge houses a practice range, short-game area and putting green. All guests receive a complimentary yardage book for fine-tuning tee shot placement and approaches, bottled water and complimentary range balls. Carts (included) are equipped with GPS to dead-aim-accurate yardages from any position.

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 Climbs Golfweek's Rankings

Pound Ridge Golf Club, the daily fee Pete Dye design in Westchester County, has moved up to No. 4 in New York in Golfweek’s annual ranking of the “Best Courses You Can Play.”

Pound Ridge is in elite company alongside PGA TOUR venues and world famous courses including Bethpage Black and Leatherstocking at Cooperstown. Since opening and debuting at No. 11 in 2009, the state’s only Dye design has steadily climbed in the rankings as it has matured and resonated with avid golfers.

“Golfweek is a golf course architecture aficionado’s magazine, and we have a great deal of respect for its rating system,” says Ken Wang, owner of Pound Ridge. “Our course appeals to players who appreciate a modern layout with multiple strategic playing options.”

Pound Ridge is quintessential Dye, exhibiting all the qualities for which he’s so renowned: dramatic, beautiful, rhythmic, challenging, deceptive and subtle. The front nine opens with a decidedly playable 451-yard par 4 with a green complex set against a rock-lined water feature.

Starting with the par-4 second – an uphill brute with the narrowest landing area on the course – Pound Ridge quickly morphs into a strategic blend of challenging driving holes and intriguing risk/reward approach shots. The back nine takes golfers deep into a serene setting for “core” golf – totally devoid of housing and distractions.

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 Upgrades Clubhouse

Pound Ridge #13  photo courtesy of the club

Pound Ridge GC is spiffing up the clubhouse and will undergo significant enhancements this off-season, bringing the indoor facilities up to the standards closer to those of the excellent Pete Dye-designed golf course.

The main building will be expanded to provide permanent bathrooms, a full-service kitchen with new equipment, and men’s and women’s showers and small locker rooms. The breezeway between the building and temporary structure will be enclosed for additional comfort and privacy.

Floor, ceiling and window frame moulding, chair rails and other fixtures, features and equipment will be added to create both elegance and permanence. Guests will have the choice of relaxing in the refreshed interior or outdoors on one of Pound Ridge’s two alfresco seating and gathering areas.

“The end result will be a significantly more appealing and single integrated structure,” says Pound Ridge owner Ken Wang. “This is part of our long term plan to provide facilities and amenities commensurate with the quality of the golf course.”

According to Wang, Pound Ridge’s proximity to Wall Street and the financial community of Stamford, Greenwich and Norwalk area of Southern Connecticut leads to a high number of “business golfers” out for an efficient and enjoyable round.

“Having a comfortable spot to grab a quick shower, change of clothes and bite to eat, perhaps before returning to the office or an evening function, is important,” adds Wang. “The layout is also very walkable and those who carry or pull their clubs will appreciate the option of freshening up, post-round.”

The project is underway, and all work is expected to be completed by spring 2014.

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 Offers Off-Season Bargain Rates

Pound Ridge #4  photo courtesy of the course

Pound Ridge, Westchester County’s newest daily fee course, will offer off-season rates of $150 before 2 pm and $100 after, effective Nov. 4 through Dec. 31, according to course owner Ken Wang.

Available seven days a week, off-season rates include golf or pull cart, yardage book, bottled water, player’s towel and use of the driving range, chipping area and practice green. More information on rate periods, cancelation policies and inclusions is available at www.poundridgegolf.com.

“We believe golfers appreciate the opportunity to play a nationally-ranked golf course for $150 or $100 without paying extra for range balls, yardage books and towels,” says Wang. “For players who haven’t experienced Pound Ridge, late autumn and early winter are ideal for sampling a quintessential Pete Dye layout.”

From the back tees, Pound Ridge plays to a slope of 146, challenging scratch and plus-handicap players. Move up to any of the five other sets of tees and it becomes a course any golfer can enjoy. Rather than using gender, age or ego as the primary determinant of tee spacing, Dye uses handicap differential, matching the golfer's skill level to the difficulty of the challenge.

Located under an hour from New York City and minutes from White Plains, N.Y. and Stamford and Greenwich, Conn., Pound Ridge is an easy – and scenic – drive from the region’s population centers.

Fans of Dye will find all the legendary designer’s renowned touches on display: dramatic mounding, rhythmic routing and subtle deception meld to create an imminently challenging and fair golf experience. Pound Ridge reflects the best in contemporary course design and is unique in a region filled with classic courses.

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 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

Pound Ridge To Host ESPN NY Golf Classic

photo by Jim Krajicek

Pound Ridge Golf Club will host the 9th Annual “Tee it up with ESPN New York Golf Classic” on August 12, 2013. ESPN and Golfsmith will co-host the day.

Since its inception in 2004, the event has raised more than $100,000 for charity, including The V Foundation for Cancer Research honoring the late Jim Valvano. ESPN celebrities slated for participation in the day’s events include: Cris Carter, Mike Golic, Mike Greenberg, Mike Lupica, Linda Cohn, Trey Wingo, Stephen A. Smith, Ryan Ruocco, Michael Kay, Sean McDonough, and Don LaGreca.

Tri-State area golfers can enter to win a spot in the ESPN New York Golf Classic at 12 Golfsmith locations throughout the metro area, or by visiting ESPNNewYork.com. Five grand-prize winners will be selected to invite two friends to round out their foursome with someone from the all-star roster of ESPN talent.

“The V Foundation is a game changer in the battle against cancer, funding over $100 million in research since 1993 and impacting lives world-wide,” says Pound Ridge Golf Club owner Ken Wang. “We are honored and excited to team up with ESPN New York and Golfsmith to further its mission of beating this awful disease.”

Located under an hour from New York City and minutes from White Plains, Stamford and Greenwich, Pound Ridge is the only Pete Dye design in the state. The daily fee layout is quintessential Dye, with all the legend’s renowned touches on display: rhythmic routing, dramatic mounding and subtle deception meld to create an exciting and challenging golf experience. Pound Ridge reflects the best in contemporary course design and is unique in a region filled with classic courses.

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 GC Offers Annual Membership Plans

You don't have to be a member, but you can be. Pound Ridge Golf Club, the only Pete Dye-design in New York, announces its 2013 individual and corporate season plans for avid golfers searching for a home course on a level with the area's private golf clubs.

According to Pound Ridge owner Ken Wang, Season plans are a no-risk alternative to the long-term commitment of a country club membership. There are no food and beverage minimums or hidden fees, and rounds are conveniently debited from the plan holder’s account.

Individual plan holders enjoy full use of the driving range and short game area after 4 p.m. Monday - Thursday, and receive a 2013 GHIN handicap. Starting at $3,000, annually, holders can use the account to pay for golf as well as for guests playing in their group.

Corporate plans ($16,000) offer the flexibility of listing any number of designated representatives on the account. A complimentary foursome voucher (up to a $940 value) is included along with an assortment of benefits tailored to the needs of modern executives.

“Our annual golf plans are the ideal option for area golfers who want to play frequently on a world-class public course designed to the highest private club standard,” says Wang. “Pound Ridge’s proximity to New York and the financial hub of Southern Connecticut provides the business professional with an unforgettable experience for client entertainment in a most convenient location.”

Pound Ridge is a quintessential Dye course. There are some excellent videos with Dye discussing the course during its construction on the club's website. All the legendary designer’s renowned touches are on display: rhythmic routing, dramatic mounding and subtle deception meld to create an exciting and challenging golf experience. Pound Ridge reflects the best in contemporary course design and is unique in a region filled with classic courses.

Since opening in 2008, Pound Ridge has earned world-class accolades from Golf Digest, GOLF Magazine, Golfweek, AskMen.com, Rolex and LINKS Magazine, not to mention TeeToGreen and Westchester Magazine. For more information,  www.poundridgegolf.com, (914) 764-5771.

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 Teams With Stamford Marriott

Pound Ridge Golf Club, the public Pete Dye-design in Westchester County, has arranged a new stay-and-play package with the Stamford (CT) Marriott Hotel & Spa, starting at $214 (Fri. – Sun.) and $300 (Mon. – Thurs.). The hotel is located about 15 minutes from Pound Ridge.

“The Stamford Marriott is a perfect match for Pound Ridge, providing convenient access to the course, elegant accommodations, fine dining and a spa where golfers can relax post-round,” says Pound Ridge owner Ken Wang.

Stay-and-play guests can take advantage of tee time booking via the concierge or hotel staff. There are several transportation options (rental cars, limousines) and complimentary rental clubs and golf shoes are provided by Pound Ridge. Hotel guests enjoy the flexibility of Pound Ridge’s weekday nine-hole rates of $80 (before 8:30 a.m.) and $60 (after 4:30 p.m.).

Since opening in 2008, Pound Ridge has earned world-class accolades from Golf Digest, GOLF Magazine, Golfweek, AskMen.com, Rolex and LINKS Magazine. It quickly emerged as a “destination golf course,” sought out by serious golfers collecting the world’s best golf experiences.

Advance golf reservations are needed 48 hours prior to weekend tee times (Fri. – Sun.). Forecaddies are available upon request by calling the pro shop at least 24 hours before a booked tee time.

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, motivating personnel, financial management, and business strategy.

Pound Ridge Adds More Private Club Amenities

Individual and group plans with flexible playing options and an assortment of benefits are available this year at Pound Ridge Golf Club, the public daily fee Pete Dye design in Westchester County.

Season plans start at $4,000 and several inducements have been added for 2012. Plan holders will get a ten percent discount on pro shop merchandise. They'll also be eligible to compete in the inaugural club championship and monthly tournaments as well as a meet-and-greet social in the spring. The pro shop discount will come in especially handy given the number of balls you'll need to play the demanding course.

Corporate plans feature rounds priced at lower advanced reservation rates for unlimited designated individuals from a business. Plans start at $16,000 and include a complimentary foursome voucher, a $940 value.

“Our individual and group plans offer customized options specific to the unique needs of today’s modern golfer,” says Pound Ridge owner Ken Wang. “From the boardroom to the first tee, our corporate plans are designed for ease-of-access and entertaining clients on a world-class, resort level course.”

Since Pound Ridge opened in 2008, the club has proven there is a market for high-end daily fee golf in Westchester. It may be priced a bit out of the range of the four-rounds-a-week retiree, but it has filled a solid need for golfers looking for a country-club experience on a pay-as-you-go basis.

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, motivating personnel, financial management, and business strategy.

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.

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 Accolade

Congratulations are in order for Ken Wang and Pete Dye--Golf Digest has named Pound Ridge Golf Club one of America's Best New Courses for 2009. The high-end daily fee course in Pound Ridge, New York, is ranked fourth in the listings to be published in the January, 2010 issue. Wang owns the course and Dye designed it. Another new Dye course, his track at the French Lick Resort in Indiana, was ranked number one in the listing. Pound Ridge is Dye's only design in the Northeast.

Pound Ridge opened in mid-2008 to general oohs and aahs both for its tight, drama-filled layout and its steep greens fee of $235. The price to play can be lowered somewhat if you take advantage of various packages and deals, but you'll still need a bucket full of balls to make it through the round if you can't hit 'em straight.

Owner Ken Wang says,

"Our rating is a distinction that validates the exceptional commitment that Pete gave us when he agreed to craft Pound Ridge. My goal in bringing Pete into the project was to create a golf course for the ages, and I believe our high ranking validates that we have created something very significant at Pound Ridge."

The course is truly unique for Westchester county, where more traditional designs by A.W. Tillinghast, C.B. Macdonald, Devereux Emmet, and Seth Raynor tend to dominate. Dye blasted thousands of tons of rock to carve the fairways, then used the debris to build walls buttressing the landscape. He also left the odd hillock, boulder, and hundred-year-old tree in the middle of a few fairways just to make things interesting. Pound Ridge is a visual and mental challenge.

I'm sure this past year's economic woes weren't kind to the cash flow of the club, but the well-deserved honor bestowed by Golf Digest is bound to help in 2010.

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

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