Even though it snowed in NYC for the first day of spring, the golf gods smiled on players from the Tri-state area as old favorite, Richter Park opened for the season.
When Danbury, CT benefactor Stanley Richter passed on, he bequeathed an enormous and beautiful tract of land for a state park with one proviso…build a public golf course there that everyone can enjoy. Edward Ryder, a relative unknown in golf arhcitecture circles, brought Richter’s dream to life. Not only is Richter Park a warm, friendly, family oriented, and best of all affordable place to play, it offers a welcome relief to New Yorkers whose choices are otherwise limited to 6-1/2 hour muni rounds, or $125 rounds at lesser designs.  Holes tumble up and down rolling hills or require carries over scenic, idyllic lakes.
Proving that too much money can detract from design, the town didn’t have the where-with-all or inclination to bulldoze the property into something flat and vapid. Instead, happily, fairways slope dramatically (7 and 12), play through rugged swales (6 and 9) or traverse a hazard unique in American Golf: quicksand (15 and 16). You read that correctly, quicksand! A dismal, sinister pond guarding the fairway on both 15 and 16 has real quicksand hidden beneath it’s murky current, so don’t be stupid – it is dangerous, heed the warning signs. Course general manager Patrick Lucas confirmed a tale told by locals that builders discovered it when they LOST A BULLDOZER in it during construction! Give the quicksand a wide berth with both your ball and yourself.
Our favorite holes are A) number 6 – a terrific long par four with a semi-blind drive (hit it just left of the big tree) and a fairway metal or long iron approach uphill to a green which slopes off sharply to the left into nearby lake; B) number 12 – a great par five featuring a green set in the middle of the reservoir (see pic above), and framed by the beautiful tree covered hills; and C) the mighty 18th, a beefy par-4 that is a summation of all that has come before, requiring your best drive of the day and your best iron shot to reach the elevated green. On a summer evening as dusk is falling as good as its gets in suburbia…it’s a scene right out of a Norman Rockwell painting…Or a song by The Monkees…Another Pleasant Valley Sundaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay. Charcoal burnin’ everywhere…”
Morefar can have all the bronze sculptures of nudes in the bunkers it wants, but at Richter, friends play golf. That’s why New Yorkers love it, at twilight, you get a really good course – challenging without being overpowering – with a broad array of natural hazards, and goof strategic golf in great conditions at a fair price – $50 at twilight is a steal and the high rate of $85-95 is better than the prices charged by most public courses in the Tri-State area.
Moreover, the Mark Mungeum bunker restoration has been completed and members and patrons love it. “Most of last year we couldn’t go in the bunkers,” said Sam Yanson, Richter regular from Rocky Hill. “But it was worth the wait. I don’t know who the super is or who did the work, but they knocked the socks off me when I saw them. Great job.
That would be Rob Dorsch – the course super – who should get the credit. “We did a complete, stem to stern renovation of the bunkers and we couldn’t be happier,” explained a grateful ralph Salito, the head professionjal at the club. “People have no idea how difficult taking care of bunkers really is. It used to be awfully expensive when there was rain – it would wash out the bunkers, and it cost an extraordinary amount of $$ every year in upkeep. You can’t just don’t throw sand in. They literally rolled back each bunker on the course and also reshaped many.”
The results show. New Yorkers routinely flock to Richter as an alternative to the dreadful New York City munis or the overpriced daily-fee courses which charge scandalous rates, especially in a recession climate. With a terrific restaurant on site, plenty of TVs to watch whatever game you like, and inexpensive prices on both food and golf, it’s proving a worthy alternative even to Bethpage.
Sure, they may never host a major. But as Salito noted, “We have one of the most scenic golf courses in the area. Between the new bunkers, the reservoir, the creeks, and quicksand, the diversity of the hazards is terrific.”
He’s right. Golf season is back, and so is Richter Park. Go on up and spend the day. Say hi to Ralph in the pro shop and to Tracey in the Cafe on the Green. Tell ’em Jay and Patricia sent you. Then write us back and tell us how much fun you had. After all, isn’t that what golf is all about?
Jay’s ratings (all ratings out of seven)
Design: 3.5 stars. Good routing, great terrain. A little too much water for my liking, but what it lacks in strategy at times, it makes up for in price and friendliness.
Natural Setting: 5 stars. It’s a really pretty course.
Conditioning: Formerly a bit of a bugaboo, the bunkering renovation and some rain last year have done wonders for the course. Great job for a muni.
Price: 4.5 stars. It went up for non-residents, but the price still beats all its competition.
Overall: 4.5 stars. A great course at a fair price.
