Kansas
Topeka & Manhattan Golf Courses & Tee Times
Topeka has had golf since the late 1890s. The Kansas Historical Society says the city built its first course three years after one of the first country clubs west of the Mississippi went up in Kansas City in 1896. Today most public golf in Topeka belongs to Shawnee County. In Manhattan, Colbert Hills is home of the Kansas State golf teams, and Jim Colbert put a wildcat paw print bunker on the fifth hole.
Good weekend tee times in Topeka & Manhattan go fast, and the ones that come back later (cancellations, groups that shrink) aren't announced. Yoink watches the tee sheets at 16 public courses here, from Topeka, Manhattan, Abilene, Holton and Chapman, and tells you the moment a time you want opens up.
The longest layout here is Rolling Meadows Golf Course at 6,879 yards; there is one nine-hole course.
Who runs public golf in Topeka & Manhattan
Shawnee County Parks + Recreation runs three courses in and around Topeka. Lake Shawnee is a par-70 layout of more than 6,300 yards along the lake, designed by Larry W. Flatt in 1972 and later updated by Craig Schreiner. Cypress Ridge plays about 6,200 yards on the city's west edge off Urish Road. Forbes, in southeast Shawnee County, is a par-36 links-style nine at 3,253 yards that also has an 18-hole FootGolf course.
Public courses worth knowing in Topeka & Manhattan
- Lake Shawnee Golf Course: County-run par 70 designed by Larry W. Flatt in 1972 and updated by Craig Schreiner, with holes along Lake Shawnee, a WPA-built lake finished in 1939.
- Colbert Hills: Jim Colbert and Jeff Brauer design in Manhattan, home of the Kansas State men's and women's teams and First Tee of Manhattan with the Earl Woods National Youth Golf Academy.
- Forbes Golf Course: Shawnee County's links-style nine, par 36 at 3,253 yards, with an 18-hole FootGolf layout.
- Cypress Ridge Golf Course: Shawnee County course on Topeka's west edge, about 6,200 yards.
Booking tee times in Topeka & Manhattan: the local rules
Lake Shawnee recommends reservations and takes them four days ahead, with online tee times opening at 6 a.m. under a rule dated January 1, 2025. Booking windows for Cypress Ridge and Forbes weren't on the county page.
Yoink
Know the rules. Let Yoink do the waiting.
Booking windows decide who gets first pick. After that, times come back one at a time as plans change. Yoink watches all 16 courses in Topeka & Manhattan and tells you when a time that fits comes back, so you're not refreshing the page all week.
16 courses in Topeka & Manhattan
Abilene
Chapman
Holton
Lawrence
Topeka
Berkshire Golf Course (GreatLIFE)
Cypress Ridge Golf Course
Shawnee County's course on the city's west edge: 6,188 rolling yards to a par 70, with a warm-up bucket of range balls included in the green fee.
Forbes Golf Course
Shawnee County's links-style par 36 at 3,253 yards, with three sets of tees, unlimited twilight golf, and an 18-hole FootGolf course on the side.
Lake Shawnee Golf Course
Larry Flatt's 1972 par 70 on the shore of a WPA-built lake, with zoysia fairways and bentgrass greens. Many holes play right along the water.
Shawnee Country Club (GreatLIFE)
Western Hills Golf Course (GreatLIFE)
Wamego
Why tee times in Topeka & Manhattan are hard to get
Golf in Topeka & Manhattan follows the seasons: spring openers and fall weekends are the busiest stretches, and summer mornings fill before afternoons.
Each course releases its tee times on its own schedule, commonly a week or two out, with residents of town and county courses often booking first. Leagues, outings and members claim chunks of the sheet in advance, and whatever prime weekend times are left tend to go on release day.
When tee time cancellations happen
Booked-up doesn't mean gone. Plans change: groups cancel ahead of the course's cancellation deadline (often 24 to 48 hours out), players drop when the forecast turns, and a group that shrinks leaves an open spot. Those times quietly come back on the booking page, usually for minutes, not hours.
How to get a tee time in Topeka & Manhattan
Yoink
Watch all 16 courses in Topeka & Manhattan. Hear the moment one opens.
Pick the courses you'd play and Yoink keeps an eye on all 16 courses in Topeka & Manhattan. You see what's open in one place, and you hear about it the moment a time that fits your day, window and group turns up, cancellations included.
Doing it by hand? Here's what works.
- Know the booking window. Find out how many days ahead each course releases times, and whether residents get an earlier window. Be ready the morning it opens.
- Look again 24 to 48 hours out. That's when most cancellation deadlines pass and spots come back.
- Be flexible on group size. Singles and twosomes fit into gaps a foursome can't.
- Try twilight and weekday afternoons. They're the last to fill and often cheaper.
- Keep a quicker course in your back pocket. Nine-hole and executive courses are easier to get on and play faster. Around here that includes Forbes Golf Course.
Read the full guide to getting a tee time when everything's booked
Tee times in Topeka & Manhattan: questions
How do I get notified when a tee time opens up in Topeka & Manhattan?
Set a watch in Yoink for the courses you want, the days you can play, a time window and the number of players. Yoink checks those tee sheets every few minutes and sends a notification as soon as a matching time appears, cancellations included. You book it directly with the course.
When do tee time cancellations usually show up?
Mostly in the 24 to 48 hours before the tee time, as golfers cancel ahead of the course's cancellation deadline, and whenever the weather forecast changes. They appear without notice and tend to be rebooked quickly.
How far in advance can you book a tee time in Topeka & Manhattan?
It depends on the course. Many public courses open bookings 7 to 14 days ahead, and town or county courses often give residents an earlier window. Each course's own booking page has its policy.
When is golf busiest in Topeka & Manhattan?
Demand is highest on spring and fall weekends. Weekend mornings are always the hardest tee times to get.
Which courses in Topeka & Manhattan are quickest to play?
Nine-hole and executive courses such as Forbes Golf Course take less time and are usually easier to book.
Does Yoink book the tee time for me?
No. Yoink tells you when a time opens; you book it with the course on its own booking page, at the course's price, with no extra fee.
More golf in Kansas
- Wichita · 22 courses
- Kansas City · 17 courses
- Western Kansas · 6 courses
- Springfield, Branson & Joplin · 1 courses
Sources
Facts on this page come from these pages, checked 2026-09-28. Rates and booking rules change, so confirm with the course.
- parks.snco.us · government
- lakeshawneegolf.com · official
- en.wikipedia.org · media
- colberthills.com · official
- kansashistory.gov · government
- centrallinksgolf.org · association
Tee times in Topeka & Manhattan, without the refreshing
Watch as many courses as you like. When a time opens that fits your day, window and group, Yoink tells you first.