POUND RIDGE, N.Y. -- Playing Pound Ridge Golf Club has always been a premium experience on the course, but the club has lacked in two areas since it opened in 2008 -- its driving range and clubhouse. There's no room to expand the driving range, but the clubhouse expansion is now a reality.
The club has been operating out of what seemed to be a temporary clubhouse in the first few years, but instead of building a brand new one, the old "temporary" one has been expanded into a permanent venue. It now offers 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 has been enclosed for additional comfort and privacy.
"The new-look clubhouse is part of the continual evolution of Pound Ridge Golf Club," owner Ken Wang said. "Our players now have more options, including showering or refreshing here at the course, and grabbing a bite to eat before, during or after a round."
That's important because playing this course should be an all-day experience. Impeccable conditions and challenge around every corner, the 7,150-yard golf course, designed by Pete and Perry Dye, is a one-of-a-kind layout. It features some of the highest points in Westchester County, with a number of tee boxes offering expansive vistas of the surrounding countryside. Notable holes include the par-5 13th -- home to "Pete's Rock," a giant boulder that rests in the middle of the fairway -- and the par-3 15th -- dubbed "Headstone" -- which is flanked on the right by a large rock outcropping that protrudes into the elongated 9,000-square-foot green.
Pound Ridge, located about an hour north of New York City, remains the only Pete Dye design in New York, and it's one of Dye's most difficult and beautiful. Yet to get the full experience, you definitely want to show up early, get a bite to eat and spend a good bit of time in the short-game area chipping and putting before heading out to this bear of a course. And you'll want to stick around afterward regaling your successes and failures over a cold beverage.
Stay-and-play opportunity at Pound Ridge
Better yet, you might want to consider a stay-and-play package, which the club is offering this summer with Delamar Greenwich (Conn.) Harbor, 17 miles southeast of the course just outside of New York City. The package includes a Friday or Saturday night stay at the hotel and one round of golf (which can be as high as $235 by itself in prime season), starting at $550 for single occupancy.
It also includes golf shoe and club rental (Nike, Titleist and Cobra), $20 food and beverage voucher in the clubhouse, continental breakfast, bottle of champagne for the room, 10 percent off the in the golf shop, hotel reception and yacht cruise, featuring views of Greenwich Harbor.
"The rolling terrain and tree-lined fairways of Pound Ridge combined with the coastal ambiance of our boutique hotel create the perfect experience for discerning golfers who want to play one of the elite courses in the U.S.," said Samantha Stout, Delamar Greenwich Harbor's senior vice president of sales and marketing.
Delamar Greenwich Harbor has 82 deluxe rooms and suites on the Harbor. Designed to evoke old-world charm, it houses a full service spa by Elemis, 500 feet of private dock and an award-winning restaurant and bar, L'escale.
For reservations go to www.delamargreenwich.com or call (866) 335-2627.
