Man, lemme tell you about my day trying to hit up Richter Golf Course in Danbury, Connecticut. It sounded easy on paper, right? Just drive there and play. Hah!
First thing, I knew I had to book a tee time. Went hunting online for their website. Had to poke around a bit – searching “Richter Golf Course Danbury website” finally got me there. Found the online booking system, clicked around dates. Man, weekends are packed! Ended up snagging a Tuesday morning slot around 10 AM. Figured it’d be less crowded. Got that confirmation email, printed it out like it was gold.
The Drive Down There
Okay, Tuesday morning rolls around. Jumped in the car, plugged “Richter Golf Course” into the GPS. Easy drive mostly, route 84, exit 7 I think? Pay attention to the exit sign for Richter Park though, that’s the key one! GPS kinda fumbled a bit near the end, tried to take me somewhere weird, but saw the big signs for the park entrance. Drove past a bunch of picnic areas, fields… started wondering if I missed it. Then, boom, there’s the clubhouse off to the right. Parked up near the bag drop.
Figuring Stuff Out At The Course
Got my clubs out. Cart kid grabbed ’em. Went inside the pro shop. Place was clean, nice vibe. Guy at the counter was chill. Handed him my printed tee time. He gave me the rundown:
- Cart fee included? Yup, for this rate it was.
- Range balls? Extra cost, small bucket was like $7. Grabbed one.
- Scorecard, pencil? Handed ’em over.
Paid up, no hidden fees messing with me. Asked about water on course – he said “Yeah, but bring more, it can get hot out there.” Solid advice!
Head out back to the practice range. It’s alright, decent grass tees. Wind was real bad though! Practiced mostly half-shots trying to keep it low. Short game area nearby? Looked small, didn’t bother. Putting green is right next to the first tee. Nice surface, faster than I expected. Rolled a few, trying to get the speed down.
Time to Play!
Tee time hits. Starter guy waves us up. Group ahead was moving slow, but he kept things cool. Hole number one. Gorgeous view! Downhill par 4. Felt awesome until… sailed my drive right into the trees. Classic Richter welcome. Course was way tougher than it seemed online! Lots of elevation changes – steep downhill, then steep uphill par 3s. Fairways were pretty narrow in spots. Wind never stopped. Had to use every club in the bag. And sand. Found every single bunker, I swear. Greens were slick! Tough to read the breaks.
Survival Mode & The Finish
The back nine felt longer. Sun came out hard, drank all my water before hole 15. Lesson learned! Finished up. Course layout? Honestly fantastic. Challenging but fair if you hit it straight (which I often did not). Conditions were real good, especially for a public course. Staff everywhere – course marshals, cart guys – super friendly. Saw a deer near hole 14!
Stuff I Figured Out The Hard Way
So yeah, how to actually visit Richter without the screwups I almost made:
- Book ahead online for sure. Way easier than calling.
- Double-check your exit/directions. Look for Richter Park signs.
- Bring twice as much water as you think you need. Seriously.
- Expect wind and hills. It ain’t flat. Pack a game that handles that.
- Plan for extra time. Some holes will take you longer.
- Pro shop folks & marshals are your friends. Ask if unsure about anything.
- Respect the bunkers. They see way too much action.
Man, what a track. Beat me up good, but I loved it. Worth the trip if you want a proper challenge without being impossible. Hope this helps ya avoid my early-morning “where is this place?!” panic! Totally doing it again, just gonna drink less coffee first.
