With stellar credentials in agronomic leadership and master planning at some highly regarded Golden Age golf courses, Richard Tacconelli has been named as the new golf course superintendent at Raritan Valley Country Club. The private, member-owned club, located in Somerset County, N.J., is in the midst of implementing an extensive enhancement plan for its classic H.H. Barker-designed golf course.
RVCC completed a full greenside bunker restoration on its 18-hole, 6,808-yard parkland-style course earlier this year. Now with Tacconelli at the helm of the golf course maintenance department, work is underway to enhance the playability of the fairways and greens, upgrade the course’s irrigation system and incorporate more modern equipment into its agronomic practices.
Tacconelli comes to RVCC after serving for four years as head superintendent at the private Shackamaxon Country Club in Scotch Plains, N.J. Tacconelli was responsible for the restoration (bunkers) and maintenance of the club’s century-old A.W. Tillinghast-designed layout. Previously, Tacconelli spent five years as the superintendent of North Shore Country Club in Glen Head, N.Y., where he directed the maintenance program for the club’s Charles B. MacDonald and Seth Raynor-designed course.
Tacconelli’s resume also includes three years as an assistant golf course superintendent at the world-renowned Pine Valley Golf Club. He began his career in 1990, as a member of the agronomic team at Merion Golf Club, home of the 2013 U.S. Open Championship.
“I am excited to have Rich as a member of the Raritan Valley team. With such well-respected clubs as Pine Valley and Merion on his resume, I couldn’t think of a more qualified individual to spearhead the restoration of our greatest asset,” RVCC COO Ryan Dionne said. “Rich’s dedication and professionalism, combined with a hands-on, back-to-basics approach, will serve our course and club well.”
Tacconelli received his certification in turfgrass management from Penn State University.
