Pebble Beach, Whistling Straights, Pinehurst No. 2: There are some American golf courses every golfer must experience at least once in their lifetime.  Pound Ridge Golf Club, just north of New York City, has earned itself a spot among these American classics on every golfer’s “bucket list.” 

Since its opening in 2008, the Pete Dye design has garnered the reputation as the pantheon of Big Apple-area golf.

Crafted by Dye, his son Perry and long-time Dye construction manager/lead shaper Michael Langkau, Pound Ridge Golf Club is a full bentgrass facility, hewn from 172 acres of magnificent cliffs, streams and wooded hills in Westchester County.

Dramatic rock formations and boulders were left onsite, creating one of the most visually stunning settings for golf in the U.S. More than 14,000-linear-feet of rock wall surrounds trees, wetlands and water hazards.

Contoured fairways which wind through hardwood forests and fescue mounds lead to open meadows with picturesque green complexes. The property features some of the highest points in the region, with a number of tee boxes offering expansive vistas of the surrounding country.

Pound Ridge Golf Club requires demanding tee and approach shots to navigate the myriad of rock outcroppings, boulders and the occasional wetland. Must-see-it-to-believe-it holes include: the par-5, 13^th, home to “Pete’s Rock,” a giant boulder that rests in the middle of the fairway; and the par-3 15^th hole, dubbed “Headstone,” which is flanked on the right by a large rock outcropping that protrudes into the elongated, 9,000-square-foot green.

Playing at 7,154 yards from the back tees with a par of 72 and a slope of 146, Pound Ridge features five sets of tee boxes that make it appealing to short and long hitters alike. Pete Dye’s wife, Alice, has a say in her husband’s work and like she has done for Dye courses across the world, Alice made sure Pound Ridge included fair, yet challenging options for people wishing to play from the front tee boxes.

While many classic courses don’t send out messages beckoning golfers to return, Pete Dye’s layouts have the opposite effect, and Pound Ridge Golf Club may be the most magnetic of the bunch.  After playing it once, golfers want to go right back out and tackle its myriad of strategic puzzles.

Dye disciples who have sojourned to PGA West, TPC Sawgrass, Harbour Town, Kiawah Island Resort and the American Club take notice: Pound Ridge Golf Club is an essential part of any golfer’s collection of Dye-designed courses, and even more accessible than the aforementioned shrines due to its location just minutes outside of New York City.

Pound Ridge’s proximity to New York City is another reason why its one of the most sought after playing experiences in the country.  Unlike many golf destinations, where players spend hours in hotel rooms, waiting to play their next round, Pound Ridge’s location allows golfers to take advantage of all that New York City has to offer.

Pound Ridge has stay-and-play agreements with several hotels in the greater New York City area including the Mandarin Oriental and Marriott Marquis in Manhattan; the Ritz-Carlton, Westchester; and the Stamford Marriott Hotel and Spa and Hyatt Regency Greenwich, in Connecticut.

For more information on stay-and-play packages at Pound Ridge Golf Club visit www.poundridgegolf.com or call 914.764.5771.