Alright folks, grabbed my clubs before sunrise last Tuesday because honestly, I’d heard whispers about this Richter Course and needed to see it for myself. Heard it wasn’t your typical Connecticut flatland stroll. Hopped in the car fueled by some seriously strong coffee.
First Glance & Getting Started
Pulled up just as the morning fog was lifting. First thing that hits you? It’s hilly. Like, seriously hilly. My car practically groaned finding a parking spot on the incline. Checked in at the pro shop – simple, no frills place – grabbed a cart (walking this? Maybe in another lifetime), and headed to the first tee. Air smelled damp, like pine needles and wet grass. Good sign.
The Scenic Stuff Hits You Early
Standing on the first tee box felt… different. You look out and instead of just more fairway, you see layers:
- Rolling hills stretching out forever, some fairways tucked right into little valleys.
- Patches of thick woods popping up right in the middle of things, or framing holes perfectly. Not just decoration – they mean business.
- Water! More ponds and little streams than I expected, catching the early light like glass. Pretty? Absolutely. But you instantly know they’re gonna cause trouble.
That mix kept happening. You’d be lining up a shot and suddenly there’s this killer view downhill or across some water. Felt less like a golf course and more like hiking through nice woods with clubs. Tried snapping a few pics mid-round near the big pond on the back nine, nearly dropped my phone reaching for it while the cart wobbled on the slope. Classic.
Now, About That “Challenging” Part…
The hills weren’t kidding around. This wasn’t just slight slopes. We’re talking:
- Blind shots where you couldn’t even see the landing zone. Sent my drive on 6 flying over a crest praying, honestly. Felt like blind faith golf.
- Uneven stances, constantly. Your feet never felt flat. Hit one ball where my front foot was way higher than my back. Felt ridiculous, swung anyway.
- The water felt magnetized. Aimed left on 12, thought I was safe. Watched that ball curve right like it was on a string. Plop. Course swallowed it, didn’t even blink. Gotta respect the accuracy needed here.
The greens weren’t flat pancakes either. Subtle breaks, tricky reads. Misjudged one on 15 bad, saw my putt dive downhill like it was chasing something. Spent way too much time walking around greens, squinting.
Wrapping Up The Adventure
Sun was getting low by 18. Felt that slight burn in the shoulders – partly from lugging the bag, mostly from concentrating so hard all day. The course definitely pushes you physically and makes you think about every single shot. No autopilot here. Played okay? Lost more balls than I’d like to admit, scored worse than usual.
But honestly? It was worth every tough hole. Finished with a cold drink outside the clubhouse, looking back down over the hills turning gold in the late sun. It’s a unique spot. Beautiful? Definitely. Tough? Oh yeah. Makes other courses feel a bit… simple afterwards.
Is it for everyone? If you want an easy, relaxing day of just bombing drives? Probably not. But if you want somewhere that feels different, makes you work for it, and throws some genuinely nice scenery at you while it tests your game? Yeah, Richter’s got something special going on. Might need a week to recover before I try conquering those slopes again though.
