Pound Ridge Golf Club

[bleclair8281]

Headed up to Pound Ridge on Saturday July 19th. Without a car your options for travel are Metro-North Railroad to New Canaan train station (with a change at Stamford) and it's a 4 mile cab ride from there. If you are taking the train make sure you call the cab company in advance to ensure they have a cab driver there.

 

On to the facility:

 

Pulling in to the club you definitely get the feel that the course is not finished yet and hasn't fully grown in yet, but there is an air of greatness to the place, it just isn't ripe yet. Theres a temporary clubhouse, albeit a very nice one, not some double-wide trailer. Food was great. Had the seared tuna salad which was perfect bite to eat at the turn for a health conscious golfer not wanting to carb up and fall asleep at the 13th hole. In terms of price $235 isn't cheap by any stretch but compare it to other famous Pete Dye courses (TPC Sawgrass, Kiawah Island) and you feel better about getting your money's worth. They throw in carts (i usually prefer to walk), yardage books, and free waters which is also a nice touch. The driving range isn't finished yet although they have grass teeing grounds which will be nice when ready to go and the practice green isn't ready yet although will be in about a week or so.

 

On to the course:

Putting green with a practice bunker in the middle

 

#1 - Par 4 - 453 yds

Good opener with a demanding tee shot, with ample landing area framed by the tall maple tree and bunkered mounding on the right. A 250 yard shot has a very generous fairway but the tree and bunkering come in to play for a 300 yard tee shot. Notice the mounding to the left side of the tee boxes which is what I mean by the course isn't "fully grown in" yet:

 

The approach shot is depicted on the website with a waste bunker surrounding all sides of the green aside from the front, although that fact isn't visible from the fairway:

 

#2 - Par 4 - 485 yds

Really tough hole with another demanding tee shot. Landing area again framed by the same group of trees from #1 and mounded bunkering to the right side.

 

The approach shot is well designed with water on the right and a bail out / chipping area left for the faint of heart

 

Quick Note on the fescue - as with other northeast courses it takes a few years for the fescue to mature as some fescue takes over and other parts die out and eventually will thin out. According to another fabled northeast course designer Brian Silva, mature fescue can add 1 stroke if you get unlucky or may not even add a stroke at all if you land in a light area. Because the fescue at PR isn't fully matured, it's easily a 2 stroke penalty every time you go in. I dropped a ball in for photography's sake:

 

#3 - Par 4 - 412 yds

Tighter landing area than the previous 2 holes. The pot bunker protecting the green is visible in the distance:

 

#4 - Par 3 - 169 yds

One complaint regarding the course is on this hole. The Black & Oak tee boxes are not completed yet and the alternate teeing ground doesn't clearly denote the distance change. The only way you can notice you are playing from 20-30 yards shorter is by looking at the cart path in relation to the tee box in the yardage book. The hole is a well protected medium length par 3 at any rate though.

 

Andy escaping the greenside bunker on #4

 

#5 - Par 4 - 317 yds

This is not a drivable par 4, trees on the left protect the green from a big tee ball attempting to reach in 1. The landing area in the fairway is protected by a barrage of bunkers & the green falls off long.

The aforementioned barrage of bunkers

 

Really, there are a ton of bunkers on this hole

 

#6 - Par 3 - 216 yds

Downhill par 3 that can be exposed to the wind due to the elevation. There is danger long as well as left and right of the green. short is a good spot to miss and play your 2nd from.

 

don't miss right!

 

view back up at the tee box depicts the elevation change

 

#7 - Par 5 - 509 yds

reachable (although risky at that) par 5. Uphill dogleg right with a fairway canted from left to right. Overhanging trees on the right protect the green from attempted draws so the golfer must play a cut shot in.

at this point, you really start to realize the beauty of the course and the piece of property from which the course was constructed.

 

#8 - Par 4 - 422 yds

Straightforward medium length par 4

 

 

#9 - Par 5 - 573 yds

Great driving test here. 250 yard forced carry, the ideal shot is a fade hit at the rocks left of the fairway that bleeds towards the middle of the fairway

 

#10 - Par 4 - 404 yds

Short par 4 with a very tight landing area. A 275 yard tee shot needs to clear the trees on the left (just out of frame in my picture) and avoid the massive mounded bunkering on the right which is incredibly penal. The approach is played off a downhill lie to a fairly straightforward green.

 

#11 - Par 3 - 206 yds

One of the most memorable holes at Pound Ridge. The rock ledging protecting several of the tee boxes is gorgeous to say the least. Ideal ball is a fade.

 

my 4 iron to 12'

 

 

view back up at the tee box from the green

 

#12 - Par 4 - 412 yds

another forced carry (cant remember the distance but maybe 225 yds)

 

#13 - Par 5 - 486 yds

reachable after a good drive, but you best be prepared to strike a good long iron shot into a very protected green

i like the rock outcropping in the middle of the fairway. ideal tee shots fly just left of it.

 

The approach in to 13 reminds me of Dye's work at both TPC Sawgrass & Kiawah Island with the waste bunkering along the side of the hole. Elevated protected green as I mentioned before.

 

#14 - Par 4 - 426 yds

Another forced carry of about 225 yards. the fairway is a giant triangle that tightens the further up you decide to hit it. I thought the best choice was 3 wood off the tee and a 270 yard shot got me to about 150 yards left at the top of the triangle.

 

#15 - Par 3 - 174 yds

I believe #15 to be the signature hole at Pound Ridge. Very large but narrow diagonal green that can play to a variety of distances depending on the hole location.

8 iron at the flag placed toward the right side of the green

 

my 8 iron ended up 2' away. shot of the day

 

#16 par 5 - 570 yds

at this point the thunder heads started to roll in so i didn't take pictures of #16 & #17. #16 plays as a blind tee shot framed by trees on both sides with a relatively ample landing area. a well struck ball will leave 275 yards to an uphill protected green. not really reachable in 2 but you can score if you lay up short and pitch it up to the elevated green

 

#17 par 4 - 460 yds

Tight driving hole framed by trees on both sides of the fairway. One of the most demanding tee shots on the course. Green is protected by a large bunker short right and mounding around the backside.

 

#18 par 4 - 477 yds

A good finishing test with a visually intimidating tee shot framed by classic Pete Dye bunkering on the left. The elevated fairway is to the right side.

 

The approach shot has water on the left and will be worthy of a photo once the clubhouse is finished behind the green.

 

Hopefully you all enjoyed the photos and the review. I really enjoyed the course it was a stern golf test but rewarded well struck shots.

[pitchmaster1224]

great review hope to play it someday

[sabram]

Thanks for the review. I'll probably play there in the Fall despite the price

[drpino]

great review and photos. thanks for sharing. definitely looks like a demanding setup.

[vanquish007]

Fantastic review!! :rolleyes:

I may be playing there soon... ;)

[pumpkin77]

Thanks for the intial thread. Because of your detailed review and pictures to boot, I am going to play there tomorrow. They have a fall rate of $150 starting Nov. 1, although they intend to aerate the first week of November. Hopefully not on Saturday, but the Monday. I intend to bring my camera and will try to take some good pics of the golf course and the fall foliage.

[Shwagin1066]

Anybody playing Pound Ridge this upcoming summer please request me to caddy! I will be turning 20 this summer and am a scratch golfer and will know the course very well. Name is Byron Vereschagin. Thanks!