Seven Oaks Golf Course

The Colgate University Seven Oaks Golf Club is located on campus and is home to the Colgate Raiders golf team. It was named for the village in the English County of Kent, where the Colgate family lived before emigrating to the United States in the late 18th century.

With its sweeping views and challenging holes, Colgate University’s Seven Oaks Golf Course, designed by famed golf course architect Robert Trent Jones, has consistently earned national acclaim as one of Golfweek’s best campus courses (2013) and one of the best public courses in New York State (2010). The Club hosted the NCAA Division I Golf Championship in 1977.

Jones graduated from Cornell University in 1930 and immediately set about his love and subsequent life's work designing golf courses. He designed the course in 1934, but because of the great depression and other factors the plans sat idle until the 1950s. Ground was broken for the first nine holes in May 1956. The course was completed and open for play July 4, 1958. The second nine was completed and open for play Sept. 4, 1965. The course is characteristic of all Jones' courses, which include strategic deployment of water along with extensive tee areas and large, expansive greens.

Significant upgrades to the golf course and clubhouse were wrapped up in July 2022. The University developed a strategic plan to ensure that the award-winning course continues to be recognized as one of the nation’s finest collegiate venues. Thanks to a lead gift from Brion ’76 and Sabrina Applegate, and substantial contributions from Joe ’85 and Christine ’84 McGrath P’15’20, Thomas McInerney ’78, P’12, and Alan ’63 and Jean Heuer P’91’99, more than $8.3 million was raised for the fully donor-funded project.

In addition to creating a new short-game facility, course improvements included an elevated first green to provide a better playing surface and more pin placement; a rebuilt second green, renovated bunkers, new tees for various holes, new chipping and putting areas, and landscaping upgrades with new trees.

Seven Oaks’ renovations also include necessary upgrades to the clubhouse, such as new locker rooms, a new pro shop and lobby, a new second-floor gathering space, an enlarged bar area, increased outdoor seating, and a relocated cart barn, equipped with infrastructure that will allow for the use of electric carts.

More information is available at sevenoaksgolf.com.