Colbert Hills facts for kids
| Club information | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°12′42″N 96°38′36″W / 39.21167°N 96.64333°W |
| Location | Manhattan, Kansas United States  |
| Established | 2000 |
| Type | Public |
| Total holes | 18 |
| Website | Colbert Hills Official Site: http://www.colberthills.com/page/64-1611.htm |
| Colbert Hills | |
| Designed by | Jeff Brauer and Jim Colbert |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 7525 Yards |
| Course rating | 77.50 |
Colbert Hills Golf Course is a public golf course in Manhattan, Kansas. It uses the natural beauty of the Flint Hills around it. This course is a "links-style" course, which means it has very few trees. It feels more open and natural, like older courses in Scotland.
From when it opened until 2011, Colbert Hills was named the best public golf course in Kansas by Golfweek magazine. Since 2012, it has been ranked as the second-best. Another magazine, Golf Digest, has always put it in the top eight courses in the state, including both public and private ones.
Colbert Hills is special because it is home to the men's and women's golf teams from Kansas State University. The university also uses the course to study the environment and how to manage grass. It is also where The First Tee Academy and the Earl Woods National Youth Golf Academy are located. These programs help young people learn golf and important life skills.
The course was designed by a professional golfer named Jim Colbert. He actually went to Kansas State University! You can even see a statue of him at the golf course. Colbert Hills also has a shorter Par-3 course, which is great for practicing or for beginners.
History of Colbert Hills
The Colbert Hills Golf Course officially opened on April 30, 2000. It started with a special tournament where professional golfers played. Some famous golfers who were there included Jim Colbert, Lee Trevino, Raymond Floyd, and Annika Sörenstam. A new building for the clubhouse was finished in May 2010. This was ten years after the course first opened.
Big Tournaments Held Here
Colbert Hills has hosted important golf events. For example, it was the location for the Big 12 Conference women's golf championships. This big college tournament took place from April 19 to 21, 2002.
Course Layout and Special Holes
Every golf course has a "signature hole" that is very famous or unique. At Colbert Hills, the signature hole is number 7. This is a very long hole, about 600 yards, and it is a Par 5.
When you start playing hole 7, the tee (where you hit the ball) is about 90 feet higher than the fairway (the main playing area). This means your first shot drops a long way down! There are three sand traps, called bunkers, near where your ball should land first. This makes it tricky to hit your shot just right. The second part of the hole also has many bunkers. To get to the green (where the hole is), you need to aim your ball carefully from the right side of the second landing area.
