Tiger Woods brings talents, resources to West Philly's Cobbs Creek Golf Course

Tiger Woods is bringing his talents, celebrity and resources of his foundation to the historic Cobbs Creek Golf Course in West Philadelphia.

On Tuesday, Wood’s TGR Foundation and TGR Design said they are partnering with the Cobbs Creek Foundation, a nonprofit group that is investing $65 million to redevelop the golf course, to help it create more access to golf and education to the community, especially for young people.

As part of the agreement, Wood’s TGR Foundation will make an investment in the foundation’s efforts and bring its TGR Learning Lab to the Cobbs Creek 30,000-square foot educational facility.

The TGR Lab will offer a wide range of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) courses, such as robotics, cyber security, artificial intelligence (AI), multimedia design and more. The lab will also offer college prep and career readiness programs.

“We are excited to be partnering with Cobbs Creek [Foundation] to make an impact in the Philadelphia community,” Woods said in a video statement.

Woods said his TGR Lab plans to duplicate what it has done in Southern California for the past 25 years and now bring it to Philadelphia, like making education and golf accessible to underserved communities.

“Having access to education is something that we have done an incredible job over the years,” Woods said. “To have a facility that is safe, that is public, so they can learn the different STEM programs and have the ability to find their passion and chase after their passion and for us to support them throughout that process. It‘s something that we are all very proud of.”

In addition, TGR Design plans to create and develop a new nine-hole short course at Cobbs Creek, which will provide a world-class golfing experience to the Philadelphia community and be accessible to golfers of all ages and abilities.

Enrique Hervada, Cobbs Creek Foundation Chief Operating Officer, said the TGR Foundation has been working with young people for 25 years to bring them access to golf and educational opportunities, which is also the mission of his organization.

“They wanted to expand and we are very excited,” Hervada said. “It’s a very big deal.”

In February, the city council approved a zoning exemption sought by the foundation, which some community members opposed.

In the 1950s, Cobbs Creek Golf Course, was home to several prominent African American golfers such as Charlie L. Sifford Jr., a Black man known as the “Jackie Robinson of golf,” Lee Elder and legendary boxer and heavyweight champion Joe Louis. Elder was the first African American to win the Masters Tournament. PGA events remained segregated until 1961.

Woods cited Sifford as an inspiration to him, saying he inspired his father, Earl Woods, to want to play golf, who later taught his son the game. Earl Woods died in 2006.

A California native, Tiger Woods, 47, is considered one of the greatest golfers of all times. He is No. 1 in PGA Tour wins and second in major tournament wins and holds numerous golfing records.

Councilmember Curtis Jones, D-4th District, and other supporters of the development, said it will provide an economic benefit to the community, by creating jobs and generating money for the city.

Jones represents the Cobbs Creek area.

Last year, Cobbs Creek Foundation signed a 30-year lease with the city for $1 a year and raised $65 million in private funds to restore the famed golf course to its past glory.

The foundation plans to build a 30,000 square-foot educational center, which will offer financial literacy, science technology, engineering and math courses, career mentoring, along with golf lessons to about 500 neighborhood students. And the nonprofit plans to teach golf course management to neighborhood students. It will now house the TGR Labs.

According to Hervada, the group has been working diligently with the state Department of Environmental Protection to create a plan to restore Cobbs Creek.

The creek has often flooded over the years due to neglect, he said. In 2016, a fire destroyed the club house and it closed in 2020.

Under the terms of the lease with the city, the Cobbs Creek Foundation must restore the golf course and create a three-tiered rate structure for local, regional and national players that will be affordable for local golfers. The foundation also plans to construct a permanent exhibition to honor the heritage of Black golfers who played there.

The mission of the foundation is to provide an affordable golf experience for the community, an educational component for neighborhood children and provide a state of the art golf course suitable for national tournaments.

The redevelopment is expected to be completed in 2025.

“We are honored to be working with TGR Foundation to create new opportunities for local youth to learn, grow and thrive,” said Chris Maguire, chairman of the Cobbs Creek Foundation. “Together we will celebrate this course’s historic past and create a bold and bright future for the city of Philadelphia.”