FORT WORTH, Texas — Luke Donald, who was once the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world, made his debut in the Charles Schwab Challenge last week. And count Donald among the many golfers impressed by how well Colonial Country Club has aged over the years, continuing to test the sport’s elite in its 76th year.
It’s no surprise the last two golfers standing were top-10 players with No. 10 Sam Burns draining a long putt off the green to knock out No. 1 Scottie Scheffler in a playoff.
“Colonial is a good example of a course that isn’t long but is able to stand up against the modern game pretty well,” Donald said in a social media post. “Pretty tight, small, fast and undulating greens. Loads of options off the tee. I’m a fan.”
That post was approved by Justin Thomas, fresh off winning the PGA Championship.
“Very well said!” Thomas replied. “Length is not always the answer.”
No, it’s not. Colonial rewards accuracy and course management.
Tommy Fleetwood, who also made his debut in the tournament this year, raved about how Colonial tests the mental side of the game as much as the physical.
Sunday showcased that when no players who spent most of the afternoon in a five-way tie for the lead at 10-under prevailed. Instead, the 10-under crew all dropped to single digits with Burns emerging in the end.
Burns matched the low round of the day with a 5-under 65 to get to 9-under, and went on to tie Nick Price for the greatest comeback in tournament history by rallying from seven strokes in the final round.
As Burns described the conditions, he said: “It felt like somewhat of a major championship-type conditions where you’re just going to have those stretches where it’s really hard. But the way that we were able to get the ball in position and get it around here in 5-under par today I thought was a really good score.”
Colonial’s difficulty was on full display with wind gusts up to 30 mph, giving golfers fits off the tee and on the greens. Balls seemed to land anywhere but the fairway or in the cup down the stretch.
“Both days on the weekend the back nine played exceptionally hard,” said Brendon Todd, who finished third. “High winds, the back nine has a lot of holes where you’re kind of in between trees. Can’t always feel it but then the ball gets above the trees and it’s blowing around a little bit.”
On the redo
Colonial is set to undergo a $21 million renovation following the 2023 tournament. The redo is expected to take the course back to its roots that attracted the 1941 U.S. Open while keeping its DNA.
Again, Colonial has stood the test of time and doesn’t require an overhaul. Overall, the goal is to make the course more difficult for professionals and easier for the everyday members.
PGA Tour veteran and Colonial member Ryan Palmer described the project by saying, “Overall guys won’t see hardly any (significant changes) as far as the shape of the holes except for No. 8. When fans come out in ‘24, you may see a little darker tint on some bunkers, the type of sand, but the shape won’t change. The style of the golf course will be the same.
“I think it’s going to be a little tougher for us, which is what we’re looking for.”
The renovation project, which is being overseen by Gil Hanse, includes installing a modern irrigation system, new bunkers, tees and green complexes.
The greens — which will remain bentgrass — will have a state-of-the-art subterranean cooling and heating system that can adjust the temperature up or down 10 degrees. This will allow for superior growth and plant health as well as maximizing playability, aesthetics and consistency.
