The Pound Ridge Golf Club sitting on the New York side of the border between Stamford, Conn., and Pound Ridge, has built a following that ranges across seas and is clearing the path to prestigious public play by partnering with hotels.
“Our owners always wanted to do just a world-class golf course open to the public,” said Jason Ekaireb, director of sales and marketing at the Pound Ridge Golf Club.
Two years ago, developer and owner Ken Wang (brother of fashion designer Vera Wang), opened his Pound Ridge Golf Club, designed by legendary course architect Pete Dye and his son Perry. Enthusiasts travel all over the world to play Dye-designed courses.
The course sits on the New York and Connecticut line, a split that has drawn players in solid numbers from both states.
“From the beginning he (Dye) wanted to really give a first class golf experience to the public,” said Ekaireb. “You couldn”™t see anything like that near New York City. To play a really great golf course you had to go to a private country club.” He named several well-known golf venues, calling them “very nice golf courses, but they don”™t give you that same experience.”
Todd Leavenworth, general manager of the Pound Ridge Golf Club, said 65 percent of the course”™s business is spread between Westchester, Fairfield and New York City. The rest is here on travel or hunting down the Dye name attached to the course.
Ekaireb has begun to shake hands and create partnerships at Fairfield, Westchester and New York City hotels.
“It all comes back to how we want to market the course and sell it to the public,” said Ekaireb. “Our mission is to get people here; once they”™re here they can see this is a great golf course.”
Ekaireb has recently created partnerships with the Hyatt Regency in Greenwich, the Stamford Marriott Resort and Spa, the Ritz Carlton in White Plains, N.Y., and the Castle On The Hudson in Tarrytown, N.Y. The Manhattan-based Marriot Marque and Mandarin Oriental also have partnerships with the course. Ekaireb said the course has preferred to avoid aggressive advertising and instead rely on word-of-mouth.
“We want your buddy to who knows his golf to say, ”˜You”™re coming to New York; this is the course you have to play,”™” said Ekaireb. “Then we need to make it easier to come, by working with the car companies and hotels.”
“Pound Ridge Golf Club is the premier daily fee course in the region, and a destination that serious golfers should include on their must-play lists,” said Peter Griffith, director of marketing Stamford Marriott Hotel and Spa. “We are excited to be partnering with Pound Ridge; it should prove to be a value-rich stay-and-play experience.”
Leavenworth said partnerships were chosen with the Marriott, Hyatt, Castle On The Hudson, and Ritz Carlton, as well as the Manhattan hotels, because their demographics are similar to that of Pound Ridge.
There also is a new pricing model this year.
“We did want to make it more accessible for the golfer who couldn”™t afford $235, which is for the top level of play here,” said Ekaireb. “Depending on when and how you play us, you can play for $105, for the level of this golf course that”™s an exceptional deal.” Ekaireb said the course has seen an influx of local golfers as fallout of discontinued memberships from private clubs.
“They”™re doing the math, how many times they play versus how much they pay,” said Ekaireb.
