PGA Tour star Jordan Spieth makes significant Tiger Woods donation

Former world No. 1 golfer Jordan Spieth has committed a generous £195,000 grant for the renovation of Cobbs Creek Golf Club in West Philadelphia. The funds will specifically support the construction of a junior putting green, as part of a broader project led by Tiger Woods.

Cobbs Creek Golf Club, a public course, has been a key venue for Black golfers for over a century. It has welcomed players of all races, ethnicities, and genders during times of widespread segregation in America. In 2021, the club was inducted into the National Black Golf Hall of Fame.

Jeff Shanahan, President of the Cobbs Creek Foundation, expressed gratitude for the partnership with the Jordan Spieth Family Foundation. He stated, “We are grateful and thrilled to partner with the Jordan Spieth Family Foundation as we take another significant step towards providing a world-class and inviting public golf experience that welcomes players from every background and at all levels. The creation of a junior putting green represents a pivotal moment in our efforts to revitalize the Cobbs Creek Campus and provide transformative opportunities for the youth in our community.”

The 340-acre site, located on the western outskirts of Philadelphia, has been a vital resource for the Black community for nearly two centuries. Research by Friends of Cobbs Creek Golf Course and the Delaware County Historical Society revealed that the current greens are built over a significant stop on the Underground Railroad, owned by Quaker abolitionist Samuel Rhodes.

The “Olde Course” opened decades later, becoming a premier venue for golfers of color. It served as the home ground for the United Golfers Association and nurtured Charlie Sifford, the first Black athlete to join the PGA Tour full-time in 1961.

Sifford is a personal hero to Woods, who became interested in Cobbs Creek after years of mismanagement and a fire that destroyed the clubhouse in 2016.

State Senator Vincent Hughes highlighted the club’s historical significance: “Cobbs Creek was the place where Black and brown golfers could golf when they were not allowed to golf anywhere else. Its historical significance, because it fought against discrimination, it fought against racism and it opened its doors and its greens and its tees to Black and brown golfers requires us to make sure that we treasure it.”

After the venue’s temporary closure in 2019, the Cobbs Creek Foundation was granted a 70-year lease and committed to an £80 million renovation. Woods is financing a branch of his TGR Learning Lab at the facility, which will teach technical skills such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and robotics. An adjacent accessible short course will attract golfers of all skill levels.

The renovation will include state-of-the-art facilities, a complete 18-hole golf course equipped for PGA Tour events, a two-story driving range, a restaurant, and a heritage center. The full renovation of the golf course is expected to be completed by 2026.