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.