Colbert Hills
Colbert Hills is the course traveling golfers detour for in Kansas, a Jeff Brauer design shaped with PGA Tour champion Jim Colbert and opened in 2000 on the tallgrass prairie of the Flint Hills. A par 72 of about 7,525 yards and the home of Kansas State golf, it pairs genuine championship length with public access and prairie scenery you find nowhere else.
Photo: Colbert Hills Golf Course via Google.
The verdict
Colbert Hills is the standout public course in Kansas, and it earns the title with land and length rather than gimmicks. It was designed by architect Jeff Brauer in association with Jim Colbert, the Kansas State alumnus and PGA Tour and senior tour winner whose name it carries, and it opened in 2000 just west of Manhattan in the rolling tallgrass prairie of the Flint Hills. As the home of Kansas State University golf, it is built to a championship standard and kept that way.
The course plays as a par 72 that stretches to about 7,525 yards from the back tees, one of the longest layouts in the state, yet it never feels like a slog because the prairie corridors are wide and the multiple tee sets bring it back to a sane length for everyone else. For a visiting golfer crossing the plains, it is a memorable, big-country round at a price the resort names cannot match.
Colbert Hills at a glance
- Opened
- 2000
- Designer
- Jeff Brauer, with Jim Colbert
- Type
- Prairie, links adjacent
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- About 7,525 yds
- Green fee
- From about $65
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from Colbert Hills and leading course databases. The course was designed by Jeff Brauer with Jim Colbert and opened in 2000, a par 72 of about 7,525 yards on the Flint Hills prairie west of Manhattan, and is the home of Kansas State golf. Indicative 2026 green fees with cart run roughly $65 on weekdays and $80 on weekends and holidays, with discounts for Kansas State students, alumni and staff, Manhattan residents and active-duty military, plus twilight and shoulder-season value. Fees move with season and demand, so always confirm current rates and availability directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The Flint Hills do the heavy lifting. Brauer routed the course across big, tumbling prairie with real elevation change, so blind crests, downhill drives and uphill approaches keep club selection honest all day, and the views over the tallgrass stretch for miles. It plays firmer and faster than the typical inland course, which gives it a links adjacent feel that sets it apart from anything else in the region.
Native prairie grasses line the holes rather than trees, so the corridors are generous off the tee but the penalty for a real miss is severe; a ball that leaks into the deep tallgrass is gone. That trade keeps the round strategic without making it claustrophobic, and from the right tees there is plenty of room to swing freely and chase the par 5s.
At about 7,525 yards from the tips it is a genuine championship test, the kind of length a college program needs and most public players will admire from a tee or two forward. The bentgrass greens are the finishing touch, well contoured and well conditioned, and they ask for a steady putter to score on what is otherwise a big, bold and rewarding layout.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Public course open to all; Kansas State students, alumni, staff, Manhattan residents and active-duty military receive discounted rates |
| Green fee | Indicative 2026 range with cart about $65 on weekdays and $80 on weekends and holidays; twilight is the best value; confirm at booking |
| Booking | Reserve online or by phone; weekend tee times and the prime spring and fall windows fill early, so book ahead |
| On the day | Cart or walking; the rolling prairie terrain and the length make a cart the easier choice for most visitors |
| Getting there | West of Manhattan, Kansas, about two hours from Kansas City and close to Manhattan Regional Airport |
| Best months | May to October, with late spring and early fall the most reliable for prairie conditioning and lighter wind |
Access and fee details verified June 2026. Pricing moves with season and demand, so always confirm directly before booking. See our United States green fees guide for the wider picture.
Where to stay nearby
Manhattan, Kansas, sits minutes away with a full spread of hotels around Kansas State University and the Aggieville district, an easy and lively base for a golf weekend that mixes Colbert Hills with the city's college-town dining and game-day energy. It is the natural place to stay before or after a round.
For a wider Kansas trip, the Flint Hills give you the scenery and the open road, and the state's other great courses are within a comfortable drive for a multi-day plains itinerary. It suits a buddies trip that wants real golf and big country without resort prices.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Colbert Hills.
Build a Kansas golf trip
We book the Colbert Hills tee times, pair them with the best of the Flint Hills and Kansas golf and arrange the lodging around them. Tell us roughly when and who is traveling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Colbert Hills questions
Who designed Colbert Hills and when did it open?
Colbert Hills was designed by architect Jeff Brauer in association with PGA Tour champion and Kansas State alumnus Jim Colbert, and opened in 2000 in Manhattan, Kansas.
What is the par and length of Colbert Hills Golf Course?
It plays as a par 72 of about 7,525 yards from the championship tees, one of the longest courses in Kansas, with multiple tee sets that bring it back to a fair length for every standard.
Can visitors play Colbert Hills?
Yes. It is a public course open to all. Indicative 2026 green fees with cart run roughly $65 on weekdays and $80 on weekends and holidays, with discounts for Kansas State students, alumni, staff, Manhattan residents and active-duty military; always confirm directly before booking.
What makes Colbert Hills special?
It is routed through the native tallgrass prairie of the Flint Hills, with big elevation change, generous prairie corridors and bentgrass greens. It is the home course of Kansas State golf and a benchmark for public golf in the state.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.