After winning in his second straight start at the PGA Championship, Scottie Scheffler looks to make it three in a row in the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club.
Colonial is an old Perry Maxwell design from 1936, the Golden Age of golf course architecture. A restoration was completed a year ago to return the course to its original design, and the result is a solid test with tricky green complexes and gorgeous par-3s.
Colonial Country Club is a charming old-school layout with the character and variety to present a fair test
Memorable Holes: 7.0
There are a number of gorgeous holes at Colonial Country Club framed by beautiful white-sand bunkering and a few magnificent water hazards.
The 413-yard ninth is one of the prettier holes on the course. This par-4 doglegs gently to the right before reaching a green framed beautifully by trees, bunkers, and a little pond that guards the front-right side.
A small stream and a barranca also run through the property and come into play on numerous holes, adding to the overall aesthetic.
Interest: 7.5
Colonial keeps the golfer's attention throughout the round with strategic bunkering and difficult greens. Several greens, especially on the par-3s, are sharply pitched or feature an unkind false front.
The par-4 seventh is one of the more interesting holes on the course; measuring 480 yards, this hole is very narrow off the tee with a green shaped like a triangle with a narrow back section.
The front-left part of the green is guarded by two bunkers, and the front-right side is protected by a much larger bunker which bleeds into the rugged barranca.
Par-3s: 7.5
The par-3s at Colonial are varied and well-designed. They begin at the 248-yard fourth, which has an elevated green surrounded by rough but no bunkers, an uncommon trait for a one-shot hole.
The eighth measures 194 yards to a well-bunkered green with a difficult back-left section that sits directly against a small ravine with a stream at the bottom.
The 199-yard 13th may be the most uncomfortable par-3 at Colonial, as the green is shallow with a very small section on the right side. It is protected by three bunkers in front and two behind, and the hole plays over a beautiful lake.
Lastly, the 16th plays 197 yards and is also without bunkers. A pond short and right is not really in play, though the barranca and creek to the left most definitely are as they sit just a few paces away from hole locations on the left.
Difficulty: 7.0
Colonial Country Club is not intensely difficult, but it's not a course players can sleepwalk through, either. There are a number of short and easy par-4s, but there are some brutally long and difficult ones as well. The restoration completed in 2024 added difficulty to the course.
The Horrible Horseshoe, the nickname for Nos. 3-5, is the toughest stretch on the golf course. It begins with a tough driving hole at a 475-yard dogleg-left par-4. Next comes the 248-yard par-3 fourth hole.
The stretch finishes with the most difficult hole on the course, the 476-yard fifth. This par-4 has no bunkers but is extremely narrow from tee to green and is surrounded by dense forestation and the barranca. Any tee shot that misses the fairway by more than a few yards is likely to lead to a double bogey.
Finish: 7.0
The final three holes at Colonial provide difficulty while rewarding good shots with scoring opportunities. The aforementioned par-3 16th is a manageable hole with stiff penalties for missing in the wrong spot.
The 17th is an interesting par-4 at 399 yards. The hole is very narrow and plays much longer than the yardage because less than driver is required off the tee to stay short of the barranca and creek that cut through the hole.
The 442-yard 18th is a solid finishing hole. This par-4 bends slightly to the left, and the narrow green is protected by three gorgeous bunkers and a pond to the left. Back-left hole locations sit only a few paces away from this water hazard, making for a stressful finish to the tournament on Sunday.
Overall: 7.20
For the criteria used to determine these ratings, please click here.