Review: Packsaddle Ridge Golf Club (Part 2)

It's time to take a look at Packsaddle Ridge's back nine, go here to see the front.

The tenth hole is a pretty simple hole from the blue tees, playing just 340 yards to a fairly wide fairway. From the back, it's 410 yards and there's once again a narrow chute of trees to play through. But, so long as you avoid a hook and the right fairway bunker, this fairway's not terrible to find. The green has a bunker short right and left, and it's fairly long and narrow. It's a decent birdie opportunity.

The tenth hole.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole isn't very long, only just over 500 yards, but it plays very uphill. Also, trees crowd in on both sides, making this a pretty tight driving hole. You may be better off just trying to play this one as a full three-shot hole. For one, there's not much space for driver. Also, the green is tucked behind a bunker, making it extremely difficult to get close to the hole on your third if you're, say, 50 yards short. You're better off approaching the green with a full wedge so you can get height and spin. Also, it's going to be tough getting to this green in two; you'll be coming into a green that will only accept a hard draw from a stance with the ball below your feet. Not easy to pull off.

The eleventh hole.

Approaching the eleventh green.

The eleventh green.

The thirteenth is just flat out a bad hole. I can accept one ridiculously uphill par 3, Packsaddle Ridge, but not two. Especially not this one. It's bad enough that the hole plays 50 or 75 feet uphill. But then there's a bunker in front of the green. How exactly are you supposed to stop a golf ball on a green that high when you have to fly it the entire way? Sure, the green's pitched pretty hard from back to front, but it's also quite small. Hitting this green in regulation is basically pure luck.

The twelfth hole.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole doesn't look too long on the scorecard at just 340 yards, but it's uphill the entire way, and with dense forest lining both sides of a not particularly wide fairway, you feel every yard. Driver is almost certainly the wrong play, as accuracy is far more important. This means the second shot will be a full wedge, if not short iron. The green is semi-blind and tucked behind a large bunker (formerly two, but one is in the process of being grassed over. You'll be absolutely exhausted after walking up this hole (it's more uphill than it looks), but when you turn around, the view you're treated to from the green is worth the climb.

The thirteenth hole.

Approaching the thirteenth green.

The thirteenth green. Good thing about climbing a mountain, when you get to the top, there's usually a pretty decent view. It would have been even better without the Canadian wildfire smoke floating around, which hit its peak a day or two before this round.

The fourteenth hole is a sub-300 yard par 4, and while that's normally a green light for going for the green with the drive, especially on a downhill hole, there's a few obvious hazards in between you and green. Namely, trees. Also, a ravine 30 yards short of the green. The green itself is a small island amongst dense forest and that ravine, making it an elusive target. The safe play is a mid-iron (don't use too much, you'll go right through the fairway) followed by a little wedge. The green is not large, and it's narrow, with a single bunker right. Also, don't be like me and use a long iron off the tee, blowing the golf ball through the fairway into oblivion. At that point, I may as well have gone for the green. Next time I'll know.

The fourteenth hole.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is the final par 3 at Packsaddle Ridge, playing 160 yards over a pond. The back tee is 50 yards further back and up on top of a hill. I did not go and get a picture from there because my legs were still tired from climbing up 13. Sorry. Anyway, the green on this hole is massive, way bigger than anything we've seen so far, and it's also extremely tilted from back right to front left. Now, because the green speeds aren't fast, that tilt isn't a massive issue, but even still, be cautious if you end up above the hole (which is likely considering the pond is so close to the front of the green; long is the safe play). It's a shame more greens aren't like this one, it has some personality to it.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is a short par 5 in every possible way. It's under 500 yards, and it plays absurdly downhill. The fairway itself isn't massively wide, but it does spread out nicely if you can carry three bunkers in the corner of the dogleg. Which is not that difficult, considering how downhill the hole is. The second shot is also very downhill to a green protected by water in front and bunkers on each side. But even a remotely competent tee shot can take the water out of play. I hit an awful drive and was still able to go for the green in two. All in all, this is probably my favorite hole here. It's just fun to play.

The sixteenth hole.

Approaching the sixteenth green.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is fairly similar to the thirteenth in that it's a pretty short par 4 that plays steeply uphill. This fairway's a bit wider though, so you can use driver. Whether you want to is another question. If you end up, say, 60 or 70 yards short, you'll be left with a half-wedge to a green fronted by a steep slope and a bunker. The run-up isn't possible, and you'll be close enough that you won't get much height or spin. Giving yourself a full wedge may be the smarter choice.

The seventeenth hole.

Approaching the seventeenth green.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole is a mid-length par 4 that looks more claustrophobic than it actually is. Once you get past the initial chute of trees, the fairway is quite wide, and as the hole plays significantly downhill (not quite as dramatically as 16, but pretty close), you can get some big drives going off of this tee. Just steer clear of the fairway bunkers wide right of the fairway. The second shot will be just a wedge into a large green sloped from front to back, protected by three bunkers left and one right. Overall, not a bad way to end the round.

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green.

How do I feel about Packsaddle Ridge? It's an interesting question. On the one hand, it's set in a beautiful spot and the course's isolation and subpar maintenance meant I virtually had the course to myself. I can put up with a lot if I'm able to just play golf freely. It's also surprisingly walkable. Obviously, it's not an easy walk. There's a lot of elevation change, but the next tee is never too far away from the previous green. It feels cohesive, which I appreciate. And with these mountain courses, often the golf is almost secondary. You don't come out here for the golf, but to experience nature via golf. More of a hike than a round of golf. In that regard, Packsaddle Ridge succeeds. It was an adventure getting to the course and it was an adventure playing it. 

However, as a golf course, it's not great. It's not lacking in interest, no course with this much elevation change could be entirely devoid of strategy. But it's just not that interesting. The routing is good, but beyond that, it's pretty much a case of hit the ball, just don't hit it in the woods. And the greens, beyond the fifteenth, are very mediocre. Slow, bumpy, and with little interest. That's what really kills this course for me. In some ways, Packsaddle Ridge reminds me of Cacapon, but while Cacapon also had slow, small greens, they still managed to have some interest, and Cacapon is a much more challenging and thought-provoking course from tee to green. Also, Cacapon's closer and cheaper. Perhaps a better analog is Fore Sisters. Which is also closer. And much more adventurous and wild. Now that course was a hike.

Simply put, I didn't dislike the course and I generally enjoyed my round, but there are better and closer options for everything that Packsaddle Ridge provides.