Welcome to the Family
REVITALIZING A PHILADELPHIA CLASSIC
Cobbs Creek Campus to Benefit Local Youth and Community
The Cobbs Creek Foundation (www.CobbsCreek.org) recently selected Troon to manage golf operations of the Cobbs Creek Golf Campus, currently under development in West Philadelphia, PA. Scheduled to be completed in phases over the next three years, the 350-acre campus will serve as a hub for education and golf opportunities for the Philadelphia community.
Opened in 1916, Cobbs Creek has a storied history. The Olde Course’s design is credited to Hugh Wilson, who laid out nearby Merion Golf Club’s famed East Course, across which several major championships have been contested. Along with Wilson, several members of the renowned “Philadelphia School” of golf course architecture — including George A Crump, Albert “Ab” Smith, George Klauder, J. Franklin Meehan, William S. Flynn, and A.W. Tillinghast — all left their mark on Cobbs Creek’s design.
From the day it opened, Cobbs Creek has welcomed all, including women and golfers of all backgrounds. At the peak of its popularity, the course was considered among the best public courses in the country and often referred to in the media as the “public sister” to Merion.
When a young Black golfer named Charlie Sifford arrived in Philadelphia in the late 1930s, he found a welcoming place to hone his game at Cobbs Creek. By the 1940s, the facility had hosted several events for the United Golfers Association (UGA), which provided professional competition for Sifford and other Black golfers. In 1961, Sifford became the first Black golfer on the PGA Tour, winning two professional events in 1967 and 1969 and paving the way for the next generation of minority golfers.
The course gradually fell into disrepair until the U.S. government took the land by eminent domain during the Cold War, and installed missile silos that were never used. The course, including the adjacent namesake creek, continued to deteriorate until a group of civic-minded Philadelphia citizens developed a plan to restore the course.
In 2022 the Cobbs Creek Foundation entered a long-term lease agreement with the City of Philadelphia to revitalize the Cobbs Creek Golf Course and create a new education and community center on the site. The Cobbs Creek Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit leading the $150 million project to restore the historic course into a state-of-the-art public space for all Philadelphians.
“We are looking to create a ‘big picture’ model of civic engagement, education, economic impact, sustainability, and a testament to public golf that can be followed in other communities around the country,” said Executive Vice President of Cobbs Creek Foundation Mike O’Neill. “The golf is primary, but the restoration of Cobbs Creek is also an integral part of the project. It’s part of what we call a ‘greener tomorrow.’”
As part of the redevelopment, the Cobbs Creek Foundation is committed to restoring the property’s landscape, focusing on three miles of Cobbs Creek, Indian Creek, and adjacent tributaries. The creeks’ restoration will include new wetlands for long-term sustainability and flood-risk reduction for the campus and most importantly, the surrounding community.
TGR Foundation
In March 2023, the Cobbs Creek Foundation and TGR Foundation, a Tiger Woods Charity, announced a partnership to build a TGR Learning Lab at the Cobbs Creek Campus. With the goal of reaching 4,500-plus local students per year, the TGR Learning Lab will provide free year-round access to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) education, as well as college access and career readiness programs.
The 30,000-square-foot facility is being launched through the generosity of the Smilow Foundation, the Woodland Family, and TGR Foundation. Benefactors at Cobbs Creek are proud to support local families, educators, and programs that serve the community’s 1st through 12th grade students.
In addition, TGR Design will create and develop a short golf course at Cobbs Creek. It will provide a world-class golf experience to the local Philadelphia community for all ages and abilities. Programming will be available at the short course for young golfers to build their skills and learn and develop values central to the game of golf. The TGR Learning Lab and TGR Design’s short course are scheduled to be completed in 2025.
A state-of-the-art golf entertainment venue — complete with temperature-controlled double-decker practice bays featuring Toptracer technology, food and beverage service, and social gathering spaces — will also debut on the Cobbs Creek Campus in 2025. The Driving Range facility will house a Heritage Center where community members can learn about the history of Cobbs Creek, as well as a golf retail shop, an indoor/outdoor bar, restaurant, and community event space.
Top of Class
Renowned golf architects Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner, who both have strong ties to the Philadelphia community, are leading restoration work on the 18-hole Olde Course and also building a new nine-hole course. The restored Olde Course is slated to open for play in the summer of 2026 in conjunction with the golf clubhouse, while the new nine-hole course will open in 2027.
The economic impact for the surrounding community will be felt for many years to come, with 650 full-time employees hired during construction, and more than 135 full-time jobs offered when the facilities are open. There’s even talk of a professional golf tournament being hosted at some point in the future.
“This is another exciting moment for Cobbs Creek,” said President of the Cobbs Creek Foundation Jeff Shanahan. “Troon will ensure top-of-class golf operations management, providing every guest with an immersive experience in our rich and inclusive heritage. Troon’s shared commitment to our vision to serve the academic, athletic, and social-emotional needs of the youth of Philadelphia was paramount in selecting Troon for this critical role. We are delighted to add them to our growing array of local and national collaborative partners.”
