Charles Schwab Challenge DFS Stars

The Basics 

• Course: Colonial Country Club
• Location: Fort Worth, Texas
• Designer: Perry Maxwell & John Bredemus (1936) with a Gil Hanse restoration in 2023
• Par/Length: Par 70; 7,160 yards
• Hazards: Water comes into play on six holes
• Fairways: Bermuda-grass, measuring 27 yards wide
• Rough: Bermuda-grass, 3 inches
• Greens: A4 Bent-grass, measuring 5,000 square feet on average and running 12 on the stimp

Tournament History 

• 2023: Emiliano Grillo (-8) over Adam Schenk (-8) (Playoff)
  • Odds: Grillo (78/1)
• 2022: Sam Burns (-9) over Scottie Scheffler (-9) (Playoff)
  • Odds: Burns (29/1)
• 2021: Jason Kokrak (-14) over Jordan Smith (-12)
  • Odds: Kokrak (55/1)
• 2020: Daniel Berger (-15) over Collin Morikawa (-15) (Playoff)
  • Odds: Berger (70/1)
• 2019: Kevin Na (-13) over Tony Finau (-9)
  • Odds: Na (70/1)
• 2018: Justin Rose (-20) over Brooks Koepka (-17)
  • Odds: Rose (20/1)
• 2017: Kevin Kisner (-10) over Sean O’Hair, Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth (-9)
  • Odds: Kisner (33/1)
• 2016: Jordan Spieth (-17) over Harris English (-14)
  • Odds: Spieth (7/1)
• 2015: Chris Kirk (-12) over Jason Bohn, Brandt Snedeker, Jordan Spieth (-11)
  • Odds: Kirk (35/1)
• 2014: Adam Scott (-9) over Jason Dufner (-8)
  • Odds: Scott (18/1)

Course Preview

Colonial Country Club, one of the most historic and iconic venues on the PGA, got a major facelift this year, and it’s important to note how it will affect how we handicap the golf course going forward. Much of our data from prior years may need to be taken with a grain of salt, although we can truly only speculate how much the changes will alter the character of the course. Gil Hanse, who completed the restoration, is the master of subtlety, and his intention was not to create a new Colonial, but rather restore the venue to play closer to Perry Maxwell’s original intent.

The restoration began the second the final putt dropped in the 2023 tournament, and Hanse was essentially given 11 months to complete a restoration project that would normally take multiple years. With that being said, there may not be a better man for the job in the design industry right now. Over the last decade, Hanse’s resume of restorations includes Los Angeles Country Club, the Olympic Club, the Country Club of Brookline, Oakland Hills, Baltusrol, Fishers Island, Sleepy Hollow, Winged Foot, and Southern Hills. All of these are among the best golf courses in America, and every single one of his restorations have been received with glowing reviews. Colonial is in good hands. I’ve played two Hanse courses in the last couple of weeks, and I was overwhelmed by the variety and subtle complexities of the green contouring. It feels a fairly safe bet that Colonial will only improve, and what has been wonderful about Colonial is that it has stood the test of time to modern technology despite measuring just a hair over 7,200 yards. Hanse actually shortened the golf course, which will now play 7,160 yards, something you rarely ever see in a restoration. Yet this speaks to the challenge and intrigue that Colonial presents.

The biggest changes will be to holes eight and 13, both par threes. Number eight will be brought back to its former self, with the green shifted to the left bring the creek into play. Number 13 will also receive a makeover. Hanse called the changes on those holes “dramatic.” The fairway on number five will also be level on the left side. Trees will be removed on the right side, so by 2024, you’ll be able to watch your ball fly into the Trinity River.

In totality, Hanse removed some trees and bunkers, opening up the golf course and creating more playing options. My premonition is that Colonial will emphasize the second shot even further than it already does, with wider corridors off the tee, yet more challenging green complexes. I might give a slight bump to recent approach play in exchange for course history, but the bones of this golf course are still the same. As previously mentioned, Hanse is the master of subtlety, and his intent was not necessarily to make the golf course any easier or harder, but rather enhance shot values and intrigue.

In terms of what we already know about Colonial, the Maxwell design welcomes numerous styles of play. Former champion Kevin Na discussed, “This is a golf course where you play your game.” Another former champion, Chris Kirk, expanded, “The course appeals to more of a feel player. If you can kind of flight your shots and work the ball with the wind here and there, you’re going to have a big advantage out here because there’s a ton of cross-winds that you’ll play in on this course. So yeah, I would think that a feel player and being able to judge those distances and judge that wind just right is crucial here.”

Despite playing as the sixth-shortest course on Tour, Colonial has ranked in the top 10 in difficulty each of the last two years. This is largely because the course generally plays very firm and fast, and there is often wind. Colonial is the poster child for the fact that firm and fast conditions – not distance – is what challenges golfers in 2024. The beauty of Colonial is that it’s a second-shot golf course where power off the tee is completely neutralized, and the name of the game is controlling spin on short irons to small, firm targets. I expect Hanse’s restoration work to only enhance this.

Proximity Buckets 

• • Inside 100 yards: 8.4% (Tour average: 10.5%)
  • 100-125 yards: 13.1% (Tour average: 11.8%)
  • 125-150 yards: 20.5% (Tour average: 17%)
  • 150-175 yards: 22.6% (Tour average: 20.3%)
  • 175-200 yards: 15.9% (Tour average: 17.5%)
  • 200 yards-plus: 19.4% (Tour average: 22.9%)

The proximity buckets at Colonial that features more approach shots than Tour average are 125-150 yards and 150-175 yards.

• The best players in this field from 125-150 yards are Ryan Moore, Chris Kirk, Lucas Glover, Chandler Phillips, and Chesson Hadley. 
• The best players in this field from 150-175 yards are Scottie Scheffler, Sam Ryder, Sepp Straka, Keegan Bradley, and Lucas Glover.