Discover Our History

THE PIONEER OF COBBS CREEK

The Legend
Who Led the Way

From the day Cobbs Creek opened in 1916, countless golfing enthusiasts—some of whom couldn’t yet cast a ballot, or were not welcome at other courses—found a home at one of the nation’s best public links. We remain committed to this proud legacy of inclusion.

Charlie Sifford Sr., as much as any golfer, is emblematic of this history. The winner of six United Golf Association National Opens (including five in a row) before breaking the color barrier on the PGA Tour in 1961, he called Cobbs Creek home. Even with his Tour card, Sifford faced tremendous prejudice. But he chomped down even harder on his trademark cigar, and went on to win two PGA tournaments after age 45 and the 1975 PGA Senior Championship, before induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004. Tiger Woods named his son Charlie in Sifford’s honor.

OUR HERITAGE CENTER & MUSEUM

A Permanent Home for Our Legacy

When it opens later this year, our Heritage Center & Museum will become the last major addition to the Lincoln Financial Center. This important space will teach about our storied past, even as we plan for the most inclusive future.

Here visitors will discover the groundbreaking role Cobbs Creek has played, for more than a century, in knocking down barriers and making public golf open to all genders, races, and creeds. They will come to know Cobbs Creek as a home to true pioneers of the game—and they will likewise understand the full story history of our land, dating to indigenous peoples.

We still are offering significant naming opportunities associated with the Heritage Center & Museum.

Heritage center at Cobbs Creek campus in Philadelphia

A Partnership
We Cherish Deeply

We work with many partners to change young lives, none more important than the Dr. Charlie Sifford Scholarship Fund. This collaboration supports an annual cohort of graduating high school students who will be attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

The Sifford family echoed our own sentiments about this particular expression of our legacy: “Dr. Sifford is looking down at all these wonderful students and wishing them the best in their future career paths.”

To find out more about this program and how to apply, please visit the Sifford Scholars site.

“Just like my dad, I admire the legacy Tiger Woods is creating for young golfers of color. He is following in Charlie Sifford’s footsteps and changing the game for generations to come.”

CHARLIE SIFFORD JR.

Charlie Sifford with a young Tiger Woods in 1998 at Nissan Open

Cobbs Creek History

  • Water mill from 1810-1850 that Cobbs Creek began as

    Cobbs Creek began as

    a humble water mill outside of Philadelphia.

  • Hugh Wilson the golf architect who was appointed by golf association of Philadelphia and city of Philadelphia in 1913 to design course

    Golf association of Philadelphia and city of Philadelphia

    appoints Hugh Wilson & The Philadelphia School of golf architecture to design the course.

  • Female golfer in 1916 who golfed at Cobbs Creek b before women could even vote

    Cobbs Creek breaks barriers

    by welcoming female golfers before they even had voting rights.

  • Charlie Sifford in 1939 breaking barriers at Cobbs Creek

    Cobbs Creek served as

    the home course for barrier-breaker Charlie Sifford.

  • trophy for the United Golf Association open hosted at Cobbs Creek in 1947

    Cobbs Creek hosts the United Golf Association

    the men’s and women’s Open, won by greats; Howard Wheeler, Lucy Williams, and Thelma Cowans.

  • 15% of Cobbs Creek was annexed by U.S. military during Cold War and effected course in 1950's with anti-aircraft battery

    Anti-Aircraft battery

    15% of the course was annexed by the U.S. Military for an anti-aircraft battery during the early years of the Cold War. This loss of acreage significantly re-routed the course, adversely affecting a third of the holes, most of them among the most renowned and iconic on the golf course.

  • Arnold Palmer in 1955-1956 at Cobbs Creek where Daily News Open was hosted

    Cobbs Creek hosts

    the Daily News Open played by legends like Arnold Palmer.

  • Charlie Sifford first black folder in PGA Tour in 1961

    Charlie Sifford becomes

    the first Black golfer on the PGA Tour, winning two official events in 1967 and 1969, and paving the way for a new generation of minority golfers.

  • 1990s-2020, golf course slowly demises due to lack of funding and damaged facilities

    The slow demise of the golf course

    and facilities due to fire, flood, and lack of funding.

  • Cobbs Creek inducted into the National Black Golf Hall of Fame in 2021

    For its role in breaking down barriers,

    Cobbs Creek is inducted into the National Black Golf Hall of Fame.

  • Renderings of Cobbs Creek campus redesign from 2022-2025

    Restore the course to its original design,

    build a new clubhouse, and create a championship golf destination to open in 2027, with the Smilow Woodland TGR Learning Lab and Driving Range opening in 2027.