I played Pound Ridge yesterday with a client.
The course was in excellent shape.
The greens and surrounds were pretty interesting/demanding.
A few of the tee shots on the par 4s didn't require driver.
I'd say there were a number of different options available in terms of how to play a number of the holes.
So it sounds like a pretty interesting, cool, fun course huh?
I played Pound Ridge two days ago and agree with all of the foregoing. However, My feelings about the course/round are more favorable than Ted K's. I know the course has been discussed here several times and I don't want to beat a dead horse, but we had a fun day, enjoyed by four players ranging from 4 to 14 index ( a 4 who has played the course 160 times, a 12 who was a long time member of nearby Tamarack and now plays PR 5 or 6 times a year (don't ask), a 7 who belongs to Lake Mohawk in Sparta and me, a 14 , both palying PR for the first time.) My view of the coure is closer to Tim G's article. Just a few obervations:
We paid $150 and although it's certainly not a bargain, we didn't feel ripped off. I think the rack $235 is a lot to pay but would have no problem once or twice a year playing at the $150 rate rate. We travel a lot and $150 is not outrageous comapred to many resort/destination courses. The guy who has played 160 rounds there pays less with some sort of pre-paid arrangment for multiple rounds. There are apparaently a bunch of players who do that as it is less than the cost of an area club, with no initaiation fees or minimums.
The parking lot had several dozen cars and I was surprised it was that busy on a chilly misty midweek morning. Most of the players must have gone out early, as we teed off after 11 am and had the course to ourselves, not seeing a group ahead of or behind us. The guy who is the regular there said that they had in excess of 16,000 rounds there in 2010. He also said that the fairway tree that has been discussed on GCA fell down in a storm earlier in the year.
Based on a couple of GCA threads I arrived with pretty low expectations and thinking I'd lose a lot of balls on very tight fairways. I lost only two for the day, one with a bad drive on #12 and the other on #13, which is the hole with the big rock in the middle of the view off the tee, where I drew it nto the natural area left of the fairway. I'd play #13 differently if I play there again. Only a few holes felt cramped or "crowded in" even for a driver like me who is directionally challenged.
I don't think that the 10-0 voting between PR vs Caledonia or True Blue is the right test. If I take a trip to Myrtle Beach or any destination, whatever my favorite courses are, I always play others in the area. If PR was in Myrtle Beach and I paid $150 for the round (which is what you pay for TB, Caledonia, Dunes Club, Barefoot and the other higher priced courses in that area at peak season) It would fit in well. The point is even if I think TB and Cally are much better couirses, that doesn't mean that this course dosn't provide for an enjoayable round of golf.
Here is a link to photos of each hole
http://sports.webshots.com/album/578848566MgVIkV