Trying to Golf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckv-SMyl57M

On November 12, 2023, I was able to go to Harrisonburg, Virginia, to play a round of golf at the Packsaddle Ridge Golf Club. I have played a few courses all over Virginia, and I’ve even played at a neighboring course called Fair Oaks Golf Club, but I hadn’t heard about Packsaddle until a friend who goes to school in the area told me about it. This course has only one eighteen-hole course but the course’s meticulously maintained putting greens and spectacular views help to make up for it being only a one-course club. I booked a tee time through their website, which has information on the course, rules and regulations, and a FAQ page, all beginner-friendly features. Additionally, the course’s prices were more than fair, being only $36, whereas most courses I have played are closer to $50.   

The roads to the course are narrow, windy backroads, so when I was traveling there, I didn’t know what to expect. I got to the course in the early afternoon, which is often a prime time for many golfers to go out and play, especially in the colder months since the putting greens and fairways freeze overnight and make for difficult to hit on terrain. The staff warmly greeted me When I arrived at the clubhouse to check in for my tee time. They were highly knowledgeable about the course and what the conditions were, which was very beneficial to my game and performance since different conditions require you to play golf differently than you might typically need to. After checking in, I was given a golf cart key, and I made my way to their driving range to practice hitting each of my clubs and warm up. Packasddle’s driving range was on grass, which is, in theory, supposed to give golfers a better feel of how the course will be. Following the driving range, I made my way to the first hole. This course had a great variety of challenging yet fun holes to play on. Specifically, hole twelve on the course was something I had never seen before; it was a par three straight uphill, meaning that if you play the course perfectly, you only need three swings to get your golf ball into the hole. I hadn’t seen this kind of hole even in professional golf tournaments, which contributed to this special and unique course. 

Although this course is fun to play, there are better courses for a beginner or someone just taking up golf; I recommend Fair Oaks Golf Club for beginners if you are in the Harrisonburg area. This course would be better suited for intermediate to advanced golfers, but plenty of holes are still catered to beginner to intermediate golfers. Given how well-maintained and fun the course was to play, I was surprised that I wasn’t able to find out about this course sooner. I will definitely be returning next time I am in the area, and I want to encourage anyone looking to golf in the area to consider trying out this diamond in the rough.

Review of Golf Club Websites:

The Golf Club At Lansdowne. “Home: The Golf Club at Lansdowne – Lansdowne, VA.” Home | The Golf Club At Lansdowne – Lansdowne, VA, 2018, www.golfatlansdowne.com/Home.aspx. 

The Manor Golf Club. “Welcome to The Manor Golf Club.” Golf The Manor, https://golfthemanor.com/

Trip to Packsaddle Ridge Golf Club:

Packsaddle Ridge Golf Club. “Public Golf: Harrisonburg va & Massanutten Resort: Packsaddle Ridge Golf Club.” Packsaddle Ridge Golf Club, 2023, https://www.packsaddleridge.com/

Photo Essay of Playing a Round of Golf at The Golf Club at Lansdowne:

Company, The Greg Norman. “Norman Course at Lansdowne Resort.” Greg Norman Golf Course Design, 2017, https://gngcd.com/assets/img/lansdowne-resort/gallery/3.jpg?v3

Hancock, Bryan. “The Golf Club at Lansdowne.” Google Photos Community, Google, 2023, https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipOVKAi0HFyhngHyeLn0-pu0wruiQ-miOtUHzfAc=s1360-w1360-h1020

N., Tia. “The Golf Club at Lansdowne.” Google Photos Community, Google, 2023, https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipOMGhJeRkzfPI-6-VNvYqIVodQwsyI7ybEOd1yk=s1360-w1360-h1020

Ness, Michael. “The Golf Club at Lansdowne.” Google Photos Community, Google, 2023, https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipNZ3Gj3pIRv6FyNxfk-Cq47H6Wmd8YmFtUotxid=s1360-w1360-h1020

Ramamurthy, Bina. “The Golf Club at Lansdowne.” Google Photos Community, Google, 2021, https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipNAZGLy8a8j9mobgRCE_8B7q4KQ04d422KOja0b=w141-h176-n-k-no-nu

Sander, Eric. “The Golf Club at Lansdowne.” Google Photos Community, Google, 2019, https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipOPHTwXHoOjBDSXmP8lstarhzffJC-13GT0rmKl=s1360-w1360-h1020

Yolen-Cohen, Malerie. “Lansdowne Resort and Conference Center, Leesburg VA.” Getaway Mavens, 24 Mar. 2020, https://www.getawaymavens.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Golf-Shop-Lansdowne-Resort.jpg

I am comparing The Golf Club at Lansdowne’s website to The Manor Golf Club’s website and will focus their comparison on their ease of use for beginners and the information provided. For a beginner in golf, something as simple as making a tee time to play can be tricky, which is why it is of the utmost importance for golf clubs to have easy-to-use, beginner-friendly websites. I had initially assumed that the Golf Club at Lansdowne’s website could be more user-friendly and well-organized since it is a very prestigious and expensive club. I was surprised when I found the Manor’s Golf Club’s website significantly more straightforward to use. Both courses offer different golfing experiences; however, the ease of use of the manor’s website may attract more golfers because of the ease of creating a tee time. Beginner golfers need websites that are free of jargon and make the rules of the course clear and easy to find, as well as websites that make booking a tee time stress-free. 

The Golf Club at Lansdowne is a member-only course with the exception of hotel guests from a connecting resort. Their website looks very professional; it has pictures of the golf club throughout, and its text is clear and easy to read. The website has two options you can click, the first being a “Contact Us” button, which provides contact information for the club, and the second being a “Login” button for members. On the website’s main page, they boast three separate courses: two eighteen-hole courses and one nine-hole course. This website needs more information about how to make a tee time and isn’t the most user-friendly if you are looking for information about the courses and the golf club. Most of the information can be found by calling the golf shop staff, who can answer any questions non-members may have about the course and membership there. Notably, especially for a beginner in golf, calling a golf shop of a prestigious club can be daunting, which is where a good website with plenty of information would come in handy.

 The Manor Golf Club is a public course, meaning the club does not require golfers to purchase a membership in order to use the driving range or golf course. The website includes pictures of the course throughout each page, the text is easy to read, and the website looks clean and professional. This website has five different categories, which include “Home,” “Golf course,” “Memberships,” “Rates,” and “Book a Tee Time” pages. The website’s home page includes information about their one eighteen-hole course, the total yardage on the holes, when the course was built, and how it was named as one of the best new golf courses in 2007 by Golf Digest Magazine. The home page also includes general contact information and information about the golf shop and staff. The Golf course page displays the course’s hours and additional information about the facilities, golf staff, and lessons offered by the course. The membership page gives information about the pricing and benefits of purchasing a membership. They additionally have a rates page for non-members and an online tee time booking system along with their reservation policies. Overall, the Manor Golf Club’s website is highly user and beginner-friendly; it provides significant information, and the website is well organized. 

Out of the two websites reviewed, The Manor Golf Club website is significantly easier to use and provides significantly more information about the course itself. The Golf Club at Lansdowne’s website lacks enough information for beginner golfers, can appear daunting, has difficult-to-read text, and overall does not come off as an inclusive golf course for all levels of golfers. The Manor Golf Club’s website is easier to use and more beginner-friendly because the website allows you to book a tee time, fine rules and regulations of the course, and includes a description and map of the course and holes. The Manor’s website has easy-to-read text and overall promotes the stress-free attitude one should have when going golfing

Hello, my name is Sage Sowell, and the theme for my ePortfolio is “trying to golf” and learning more about the golf world. I will be posting a review of two golf courses, a video tutorial on how to swing a particular golf club, a travel experience to a golf course outside of Farmville, and a photo essay.