Cobbs Creek Foundation and Nike Team Up for Cobbs Creek Campus and Annual Junior Golf Event
Philadelphia, PA. (May 22, 2024) – The Cobbs Creek Foundation today announces a foundational partnership with Nike, the global leading brand in athletic footwear and apparel. Nike will serve as an official retail supplier and apparel partner of the Cobbs Creek Campus, in addition to co-designing an annual junior golf special event. Scheduled to be completed in phases over the next few years, the Cobbs Creek Campus will serve as a hub for education, community, and golf opportunities in Philadelphia.
In 2022, the Cobbs Creek Foundation entered a long-term lease agreement with the City of Philadelphia to restore and revitalize the Cobbs Creek Golf Course and create a new education and community center on the site of the storied public course. With Nike’s shared interest in supporting both access and growth of the game of golf, the partnership will include opportunities for moments like a junior tournament and other community engagement opportunities through goods and services.
“The story of Cobbs Creek continues its upward trajectory into the future. Having a global leader like Nike see our vision and understand the capacity of this campus will power our program in a magnificent way,” said Jeff Shanahan, President of the Cobbs Creek Foundation. “In addition to what it means for our campus to have best-in-class apparel, we share a commitment to access and events that are meaningful to the people in the local community. Our partnership is rooted in a vision for access that draws in juniors to the sport of golf. It’s clear that this is a partnership that will be brought to life for years to come, as we work in lockstep toward a more inclusive and active community. We are honored to join the long list of Nike partnerships around the world dedicated to leveling the playing field through sport.”
Renowned golf architects Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner, who both have strong ties to the community, are leading restoration work on the 18-hole Olde Course and building a new championship 9-hole course. The restored Olde Course is slated to open for play in the summer of 2026, while the new 9-hole course will open in 2027. The Driving Range facility will house a Heritage Center where guests can learn about the history of Cobbs Creek as well as a golf retail pro shop featuring Nike products, a restaurant, and community event space.
Cobbs Creek’s future is still being written, but it has a storied history. Opened in 1916, the Olde Course’s design is credited to Hugh Wilson, who laid out nearby Merion Golf Club’s famed East Course, and several of the game’s most decorated course architects from the Philadelphia School of Golf Course Architecture. From the day it opened, Cobbs Creek has welcomed all, including women and golfers of all backgrounds. When a young Black golfer named Charlie Sifford arrived in Philadelphia in the late 1930s, he found a welcoming place to hone his game. By the 1940s, Cobbs Creek became a home for the United Golfers Association, 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. In scripting the future of Cobbs Creek, Nike’s partnership with the Cobbs Creek Foundation represents a pivotal chapter, merging heritage with innovation to forge a bright path forward for golf, steeped in inclusivity and community engagement.
About Cobbs Creek Foundation
The Cobbs Creek Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established in 2018 to restore the Cobbs Creek Golf Course and to return the site to its status as one of Philadelphia’s historical landmarks. In partnership with the City of Philadelphia and local schools and community members, the Foundation’s mission is to create a state-of-the-art, economically sustainable golf, and educational campus that provides opportunity for the youth of Philadelphia by serving their academic, athletic, and social-emotional needs. To learn more about the Cobbs Creek Foundation, visit www.cobbscreek.org.