The reputation of Colbert Hills as that really big course out in Kansas is attracting players from across the country that want to test their skills against one of the nation's toughest courses.

The dream of Colbert Hills goes back to 1994 when Senior PGA Tour great Jim Colbert, an alumnus of Kansas State, got involved with a project to help the school build a university-run course, a place where the Kansas State golf team could train and where the school could train golf course superintendents and managers and do research on turfgrass. The university's vision and that of Jim Colbert was that the project would also be a public daily fee course and one where disadvantaged children could learn the game of golf.

Colbert found the perfect site, 300 acres in the Flint Hills area on the northwest edge of Manhattan. An alumnus who was grazing cattle on this site donated the property, and Colbert donated a half million dollars. Soon other donors signed on. Jim Colbert combined with well-known Dallas architect Jeffrey Brauer to lay out the $11 million course.

“God built about 14 of the holes, and we built about four of them,” Colbert said. “I hope you can't tell the difference.”

Colbert Hills opened officially in May 2000 with a bevy of golfing celebrities on hand, including Lee Trevino, Raymond Floyd and Annika Sorenstam, who played in a Founders Pro-Am.

“What an unbelievable effort to attract the commitment and bring all these people together,” said PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem at the dedication.

“What they got (at Kansas State) is a big sprawling layout that rides comfortably on the Flint Hills outside Manhattan,” John Garrity, Sports Illustrated columnist, said. “From the seventh tee, you can see for miles in all directions and what you see is mostly sky and prairie, with a few ranches thrown in for rustic charm.”

What Kansas State had built is a huge links-style course that plays at 7,525 yards from the back tees, nicknamed the Black and Blue tees. It lies on a superb site of rolling hills with changes in elevation that most Americans had no idea could exist in the prairies of Kansas. Colbert Hills includes a temporary clubhouse, state of the art driving range and enough acreage for a nine-hole teaching course, as well as a host of research and academic opportunities for K-State researchers and students.

Colbert Hills has become the first PGA Tour collegiate licensed facility. With a world-class golf course, the university will restructure the turf program, making it one of the best in the world. Today, KState offers a specialized degree in turf management and has separated itself from all other turf programs in the nation by expanding its curriculum to include all aspects of the profession, including business administration and hospitality.

Graduates are now effectively prepared in the overall management of golf facilities.

"GCSAA is pleased to join Jim Colbert, the PGA Tour and Kansas State University in this endeavor that will benefit all who enjoy the game of golf," said GCSAA Chief Executive Officer Stephen F. Mona.

"The positive impact of this project will be far reaching - a golf management program to train tomorrow's leaders, a research facility to aid the golf industry and a first-class facility for golf enthusiasts to enjoy a game that is growing faster than any sport in America."

Now Playing: K-State Women's Golf talks about Colbert Hills Golf Course
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