Hi again,
I've seen a number courses that fit the bill of the thread question, on the Northern trajectory (which means Westchester [NY] & Fairfield [CT] counties)
4. Stanwich (33 miles from Grand Central) - around these parts it is not low-profile, it is a desired spot; but I sense that nationally (even with the mid-am a decade back) it has drifted from the consciousness. It shouldn't; it's a big boys' course with remarkable greens and superb ambiance.
3. Tamarack - (22 miles from GCT) mentioned previously, has undergone continual resto-renovations starting about 10 years ago. The result is one of the best spruced-up, stand-alone Banks one can find. Great, memorable iterations of the template holes, all pleasingly laid out over a classic American parkland setting.
2. Apawamis (19 miles from GCT) - a vexing, tiny demon of a course that's like no other. Full of quirk, and arcane charm; it never fails to transport me to a fantasy-fiction time where the crude, and capricious steeple chase courses of the 1900s had modern agronomic practices. It's a rugged little fan of property which features rock ledge cliffs, volcanic mounds, blind faith approaches, and audacious views. Hogan called it the "toughest short course in America" One place where the cliche, "uses every club in the bag" is true...on EACH nine.
1. Siwanoy (12 miles from GCT), if there was a rational "Pritchard" scale for the value of course, Siwanoy would likely score the highest on both the excellence of the resto-reno'ed Ross course itself (a slo-process that started more than 22 years ago), and the relative anonymity of that excellence in architectural discussion. Siwanoy is the most frank, solvable yet least tolerant (of indifferent play)course that I can recall. I do not know if my extensive, multi-parted course tour made it over to our new platform, but you can look. I have not seen the final (and architecturally aggressive) iterations completed earlier this season, but this course was on an upward trajectory some years ago and the newest features seem invigorating (if controversial, b/c some represent entirely new design).
cheers
vk