“It’s a renovation, not a restoration,” Frank Cordeiro, general manager of Colonial Country Club, said of the course changes in advance of the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge.
The 1941 US Open, golf’s first major hosted south of the Mason-Dixon line, was held at Colonial and served as the inspiration for the $20 million renovation of the course. Famed golf course architects Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner began working with the country club several years ago — and the actual construction began literally hours after the 2023 PGA Tour event ended.
“The architects create a sense of place and interest via natural features,” Cordiero said, further noting that the course wasn’t forced on the land, but laid on the land. Cordeiro is especially proud of the fact that the renovated course harkens back to “The Golden Era” of golf course construction, roughly in the period between the two world wars.
The most dramatic changes to the course are on par-three holes No. 8 and No. 13. The eighth green has been shifted to golfer’s left, with a creek on the left side rather than a river on the right. The 13th green has also moved left, with bunkers added in front of the hole.
“This event marks the renewal of the era in which Colonial began to have its impact,” he said. “The members and community that have supported this for 78 years have an opportunity to celebrate that milestone together.”
Most Hanse-designed courses have gone on to host a major + Colonial has hosted the 1941 US Open, 1975 Players Championship, and 1991 Women’s US Open. One question lingers — could another tournament be on tap?
“It’s a powerful question to ask,"Cordeiro responded. “I’m just very proud of how we’re able to show Fort Worth to the world from here.”
