Pound Ridge Golf Club
Pound Ridge, N.Y. 7,085 yards, par 72
Reservations: 914-764-5771
Green fee: $235
Website: poundridgegolf.com
Westchester County, north of New York City, has long been known for its dazzling array of private venues — Winged Foot, Quaker Ridge, Westchester Country Club and Trump National Golf Club, among others. But the county's pay-for-play tracks have always lagged, in quality and quantity. The opening last month of Pound Ridge Golf Club goes some way to redressing that imbalance.
Spearheaded by developer Ken Wang (brother of fashion designer Vera Wang), Pound Ridge is a new design by Pete and Perry Dye on the site of an old nine-hole course. Wang chose the Dyes due to his fondness for the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, which he likened to "being in the middle of a giant math problem conjured up by a master of geometry." Pound Ridge is studded with Ph.D.-level challenges. Take the drivable par-4 fifth hole, where the back tee is shorter than the middle but plays much tougher thanks to the angle.
The closing six holes are merciless, but ace this examination and it might make you forget about the $235 price tag. It's safe to assume play won't be too speedy here, but at least you'll have time to figure out Dye's next puzzle.
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