Michael Block shares his verdict on the new Colonial Golf Course hosting the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge

Michael Block has shared his views about the new Colonial Golf Course hosting the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge. The tournament is scheduled to be held from May 23 to 26 at the recently renovated Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

The Colonial Country Club was renovated on a budget of $20 million. Gilbert Hanse, the course designer, and Jim Wagner, his business partner, oversaw the project. The PGA Tour website states that the renovation of the scale intended usually takes 18 months, but Hanse and his team were tasked with completing the job before the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge.

Several golfers expressed their opinions about the renovations in a video that was uploaded to X (formerly Twitter) by the official page of the Charles Schwab Challenge. Block also gives his verdict about the renovated Colonial Country Club, saying:

"Ah! It's fantastic! It's firm and fast which I absolutely love."

He also talked about the greens and said:

"Greens put down to original shape here at colonial, which is really, really cool. Greens are absolutely perfect. They're super firm in general. It's gonna be one heck of a great weekend, and the best person's gonna win."

Ryan Palmer, 47, also shared his views in the video.

"The restoration of Colonial. It's great. It did a good job. I hope players are enjoying it as much as I am being a member here. So I'm really thrilled, really excited, what Gil Hanse did here at Colonial. So thank you. Guys are in for a treat," he said.

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The change at Charles Schwab Challenge's Colonial Golf Course due to renovations

The Colonia Golf Course is a par-70 course of 7,209 yards. The club has consistently hosted the tournament every year since it held its inaugural one in 1976.

The renovation work at the golf course commenced less than 24 hours after the 2023 Charles Schwab Challenge concluded. The course designer, Hanse, aimed to restore the 1936 Perry Maxwell design, and it was surely not an easy job, especially considering the deadline.

"When you have a deadline like this, you really can’t fail. There’s so much riding on it," he said.

Rich McIntosh, Colonial’s director of agronomy and project manager for the renovation, acknowledged the magnitude of the job and the challenges that it brought.

"It's one of the biggest and tightest timeline projects anywhere,” he said. “I haven't been a part of something where we've completely redone everything and moved the amount of dirt that we have. We couldn't miss," he stated.

The major changes included shifting the eighth hole green and reintroducing the creek. Another notable change has been made to the 13th hole, which has been readjusted to its original design, and a bunker has been added in front of the hole.

However, no changes have been made to the infamous "Horrible Horseshoe" over the third, fourth, and fifth holes. The concrete spillway that ran from the 16th tee to the 17th and 18th holes has been removed. It has been replaced with a natural creek bed to enhance Colonial's appearance.