Colonial Country Club

The Colonial Golf Course is one of the best known courses on the PGA Tour and chances for the average golfer to play at the highly exclusive Fort Worth club are slim. If you are ever invited to play by a club member, you'll want to jump on the opportunity.

At 7,010 yards and with a course rating of 74.7, it's no surprise that the back tees at Colonial are built for the pros. The par-70 course boasts one of the toughest stretches of holes on the Tour, a three-hole challenge known as the Horrible Horseshoe.

The Horrible Horseshoe includes the third, fourth and fifth holes. The third hole is a long 465-yard, par-4 with a sharp dogleg left. You tee shot must be played accurately to avoid the multiple fairway bunkers on the left and to leave any chance for a clear shot to the green in two.

Next is the 247-yard, par-3 fourth hole which requires a tee shot longer than most average golfers can drive just to reach the green. The green is elevated, too, so there is no rolling your tee shot onto the green.

The last leg of the horseshoe is the toughest of them all. The fifth hole is another long par-4 with a slight dogleg right. The Trinity River runs alongside the entire length of the hole on the right side so any errant shot on that side is a lost ball. A thick line of trees lines the left side of the fairway as well as a large ditch that has claimed many balls. The green is well protected by trees and bunkers.

The fifth hole is so challenging that it consistently ranks as one the 50 toughest holes on the PGA Tour.

While it is sure to sock you in the jaw at some point during your round, the Colonial Golf Course will also undoubtedly woo you with its beauty. The course is immaculate with soft fairways and well-cut greens. The greens are what made this course a hit from the time it opened in the late 1930s. Bentgrass greens were seldom found on courses in the Southwest during that time.

The course has hosted both the U.S. Open (1941) and the Women's U.S. Open (1991) and is the host venue for the PGA Tour's Charles Schwab Challenge each May. It's known for being the longest running tournament at the same venue on the PGA Tour. Ben Hogan had such great success at the tournament – winning five times – that the course was dubbed Hogan's Alley.

Colonial Golf Course has won numerous national awards from top publications like Golfweek, Golf Digest and Golf Magazine, including being named among the Top 100 Courses in the U.S., Top 100 Holes in the World and America's 100 Greatest Public and Private Golf Courses. It is a real gem that most golfers can only hope to play.