Pound Ridge Golf Club

Pound Ridge Golf Club sits on the border between Connecticut and New York; a border it once straddled. Now it is firmly and wholly located on the New York side, in the upmarket and prestigious county of Westchester. Other revered names in golf, such as Westchester Country Club, Winged Foot, Quaker Ridge and Hudson National are also to be found in Westchester County. But Pound Ridge, which in terms of drama and design stands alongside those other illustrious names, is the only one of the five you can play without knowing a member.

In a wonderfully natural environment of woodland, wetlands and exposed rock, Pete Dye and his son Perry mercurially crafted a course that abounds with variety, interest and challenge. The tee-box at the par-3 15th is one you will never tire of standing on. Ahead of you is a world-class short-hole that is played over a reed-lined pond to a sliver of green, with a large rock wall providing a dramatic backdrop. Another stunner is the par-5 13th. This requires a drive over a cottage-sized rock, before the testingly tight journey towards the long and wafer-thin green.

The opening and closing sections of this challenging course are played in a linksy environment of large, himalayan mounding. In contrast, the undulating middle section enters what feels like an enchanted forest, where not insignificant elevation changes, wetland areas and impressive rock outcrops all make their presence felt. At all times the Dye family's flair and creativity with bunkering is to the fore, and is often simply sublime. Definitely a course to challenge your all-round game, thrill the senses and well worth going out of your way to play.