Colonial Country Club
0 of 14
Colonial Country Club
One of most storied events on the PGA Tour, the Crowne Plaza Colonial Invitational, is conducted at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth. Mike Bailey/GolfAdvisor
Colonial Country Club - No. 1
1 of 14
Colonial Country Club - No. 1
Right away you get a sense for the bunkering at Colonial Country Club on the par-5 first hole. Mike Bailey/GolfAdvisor
Colonial Country Club - No. 9
2 of 14
Colonial Country Club - No. 9
One of the signature holes at Colonial C.C. is the par-4 ninth. Mike Bailey/GolfAdvisor
Colonial C.C. golf course - 5th
3 of 14
Colonial C.C. golf course - 5th
The end of Colonial's Horrible Horseshoe is the 481-yard par-4 fifth, which runs along the Trinity River to the right. Mike Bailey/GolfPass
Colonial Country Club - 6th hole
4 of 14
Colonial Country Club - 6th hole
It's easy to find the fairway bunkers on the par-4 sixth hole at Colonial Country Club in Forth Worth, Texas. Mike Bailey/GolfAdvisor
Colonial Country Club - No. 3
5 of 14
Colonial Country Club - No. 3
The 483-yard par-4 third is the start of Colonial Country Club's "Horrible Horseshoe," the hardest three-hole stretch on the golf course. Mike Bailey/GolfAdvisor
Colonial Country Club - No. 11
6 of 14
Colonial Country Club - No. 11
The 635-yard par-5 11th at Colonial ends with a small green surrounded by bunkers. Mike Bailey/GolfAdvisor
Colonial Country Club - No. 12
7 of 14
Colonial Country Club - No. 12
The 445-yard 12th is the no. 4 handicap hole at Colonial Country Club. Mike Bailey/GolfAdvisor
Colonial Country Club - No. 15
8 of 14
Colonial Country Club - No. 15
There's trouble left and in front of the green on the par-4 15th at Colonial Country Club. Mike Bailey/GolfAdvisor
Colonial Country Club - No. 16
9 of 14
Colonial Country Club - No. 16
The par-3 16th, which plays over a couple of water hazards, has a two-tiered green. Mike Bailey/GolfAdvisor
Colonial Country Club - No. 17
10 of 14
Colonial Country Club - No. 17
The par-4 17th at Colonial Country Club isn't long, but it does require precision. Mike Bailey/GolfAdvisor
Colonial C.C. golf course - no. 18
11 of 14
Colonial C.C. golf course - no. 18
The picturesque finishing hole at Colonial Country Club is also a good test, especially on the approach. Mike Bailey/GolfAdvisor
Colonial Country Club - Hogan's office
12 of 14
Colonial Country Club - Hogan's office
Inside the Colonial clubhouse next to the golf shop, Ben Hogan's office has been preserved. Mike Bailey/GolfAdvisor
Colonial Country Club - Hogan statue
13 of 14
Colonial Country Club - Hogan statue
Ben Hogan's presence is ever present at Colonial Country Club. Mike Bailey/GolfAdvisor
14 Images

Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas: An old-fashioned test of golf in a beautiful setting

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Colonial Country Club, which was designed by John Bredemus of Texas and Perry Maxwell of Oklahoma, has been the site of the Charles Schwab Challenge on the PGA Tour since 1946.

Also known as "Hogan's Alley," because the legendary Ben Hogan won there five times, the course is steeped in tradition and history. It was founded by in 1936 by Marvin Leonard, who brought bentgrass greens to his hometown of Fort Worth and landed the U.S. Open in 1941 (won by Craig Wood).

Over the years, the Colonial Invitational became one of the favorite stops on the PGA Tour. In addition to the U.S. Open, the course, which was renovated by Keith Foster in 2008, also hosted the Tournament Players Championship in 1975 and U.S. Women's Open in 1991.

Mike Bailey is a former Golf Advisor senior staff writer based in Houston. Focusing primarily on golf in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America with an occasional trip to Europe and beyond, he contributes course reviews, travel stories and features as well as the occasional equipment review. An award-winning writer and past president of Texas Golf Writers Association, he has more than 25 years in the golf industry. He has also been on staff at PGA Magazine, The Golfweek Group and AvidGolfer Magazine. Follow Mike on Twitter at @MikeBaileyGA and Instagram at @MikeStefanBailey.
Now Reading
Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas: An old-fashioned test of golf in a beautiful setting