Well we have made it past the 4th of July and Mother Nature is still playing a pretty good game of poker.  This week we went out with 1/4" venting tines on all the greens to help them survive this little hot spell we are experiencing.  Venting will allow for oxygen to incorporate into the root zone and release any gasses trapped beneath the surface. This process will also allow for some potential root growth and better penetration of water  This process will in no way affect the performance of the greens, other than being a little bumpy for a day or so.  You will also be more likely to see us out cooling or syringing the greens during the day.  While we would love to not bother you during your round it is required, especially now that we have had more 90 degree days than all of last year combined.

On a different topic you might notice that #8 pond is extremely low of water.  We are in dire need of rain and the pond next to 8 green will probably run dry in the next few days. There is pretty much nothing we can do to prevent this from happening.  If it goes 100% dry we might attempt to install a pond liner and minimize this from happening again.  We are monitoring the situation daily and trying to remove the dead fish as soon as they surface.  The death of the fish is a combination of oxygen depletion and heat.  I am sure you would all like to join us in a rain dance, not asking for every day, just one nice storm that drops a few inches.

Other than that we are really doing a good job at holding our own.  The roughs are beginning to really brown out, but other than than the playable areas of the golf course are weathering this little hiccup extremely well.  Thanks for continuing to make Richter your place to enjoy a round of golf.  We truly appreciate the business and will continue improving the course to increase your enjoyment.

Now that Mother Nature has decided that Summer is officially here I thought it would be a good time to talk about some changes you might notice while playing a round at Richter.  Our second heat wave of the season is knocking on our doorsteps and with heat and lack of rain comes turf stress.  Currently we are able to irrigate our Greens, Tees and Fairways.  The roughs on the other hand are at the mercy of Mother Nature.  During the next few weeks you will notice that they will start losing color and thinning out.  Aesthetically they will be a sharp contrast from our fairways, but playability will not be affected, in fact with the roughs a little thinner it is easier to hit a shot due to an errant tee ball.

You might have noticed on a recent round at Richter all the construction going on between 17 Green and 18 Fairway.  This is the installation of the new septic system.  We have had ongoing problems with the old system for several seasons now and after meeting with city officials and engineers it was decided upon that a long term repair was required to minimize long term problems down the road.

# 4 Green, Divot Taken on 6/15

The season is in full swing and we are off to a fabulous start.  Mother nature has somewhat been cooperating and the next week looks like summer will arrive.

With the increase in play we also see more issues with vandalism and abuse of the course.  Recently we have had problems with divots being taken from the greens.






Another issue that is happening on a regular basis is the ropes and stakes we use to detour traffic have been knocked down allowing free range of all carts.  These stakes are strategically placed to allow for recovery of turf. While we understand the inconvenience the ropes preset we ask for your understanding in realizing that this will allow Richter to thrive throughout the rigors of the long golf season we still have ahead.

Memorial Day is traditionally the official start to the craziness of the golf season.  At Richter, we are quickly approaching 14,000 rounds year to date.  This time last year we were barely at 6,500.  As you may have already figured out, having opened on March 14th, the season is already several weeks longer than anticipated.  Comparing this spring to last is like comparing apples and oranges!  What a welcome change to the never-ending challenges we faced last year.  By all accounts it looks to be a great season and now I am asking for a little help.

With the recent heavy rains, the greens are softer than usual and because of that, along with all the play, ball marks really are more pronounced for this time of year.  I am asking every golfer to make the effort to repair their ball mark (plus one more!) during their round. This will go a long way toward helping us maintain smooth, consistent putting surfaces throughout the entire summer.

Bunker raking is another area we can all work together to further enjoy the course.  While nobody enjoys playing in the bunkers - which are technically hazards - they are an integral part of the golf course.  The turf crew rakes the bunkers every morning ahead of play and as a courtesy, every golfer should rake the bunkers smooth after hitting their golf shot.  It’s upsetting to find the traps with footprints in them late in the afternoon.  A little effort goes a long way and helps everyone have a more enjoyable experience.

The last way we can all work together is replacing your divots in the fairways.  This is the time of year when the carts are equipped with a sand/seed bottle and the goal of the golfer is to use the entire bottle and then find a player assistant and ask for another.  My goal is to be playing "summer rules" before the official start of summer and this is another way to help preserve the experience.

Thanks for playing at Richter Park and for pitching in to make it even better.  We are without a doubt the best public course in Connecticut; nobody can beat our layout, our scenery and our picturesque backdrop.  With a little more teamwork across the board we can work toward making it even better.

One last request is when applying your insect repellant and bug spray please attempt to apply on a cart path or in the rough.  The application has a tendency to severely injure or kill putting surfaces.  

This week we were lucky enough to have Richter Park chosen to be used as a location for a special light hearted feature to run during the US OPEN in June.  The taping took place on Wednesday the 23rd and should be a great little plug for Richter.  The pictures capture some of the day, without divulging the main topic.  Once the exact run time is released I will update the blog for all to enjoy.

#6 Green with Sun Angles

Richter has tree lined fairways that play a very important part in the aesthetic qualities of the golf course.  Unfortunately trees and grass do not always get along.   Trees compete for nutrients, water and most importantly hog the sunlight.  Last season we started looking at morning shade patterns to come up with a tree removal / thinning program that will help our problem areas.  Over the next several weeks and months you might see ribbons around some select trees throughout the course.  These ribbons are only going to be for internal record keeping and will allow the Greens Committee and authority to access our program and recommendations that will be presented during next years budget process.

It is easiest to determine what trees are causing the problems during the season when the leaves are on the trees causing the problems.  We are trying to locate old photographs to restore the course to more of an original state of when the course opened.  On the turf crew we are looking ahead to minimize and correct future problems that are in our control.

It must be stated that we are not going into this plan with the goal of cutting down trees.  We are using GPS and other programs to selectively target the trees causing the problems.  Trees are extremely important to a golf course and we plan on highlighting the important trees while eliminating the problem ones.