Harold Varner III ushers in new chapter at Cobbs Creek

Over the years, Cobbs Creek has hosted PGA tour players and renowned golf pioneers like Arnold Palmer, Thelma Cowans, former boxer Joe Louis, Lucy Williams, and Charlie Sifford. As this historic renovation project continues to take shape, there is no doubt that the modern-day golf luminaries will support the Cobbs mission as well. In fact, PGA Tour player Harold Varner, who was just recently on the cover of Golf Digest Magazine, is fast becoming one of Cobbs greatest modern-day ambassadors.

In September, Harold paid us a visit as we embark on this new chapter at Cobbs Creek. After hearing about our ongoing revitalization efforts, he became interested in the project, and we gave him the grand tour.

Vice President of the Foundation’s Executive Committee Chris Lange Jr. said, “Harold is a great ambassador for our project because his mission and our mission are so intertwined. He is the man he is today because some good people in his hometown provided him access to public golf at an early age. Now, because of his success, he is in position to provide access to kids who would otherwise not be exposed to this great game. Harold flew to Philly on short notice during one of the busiest moments of his life because of this shared vision and purpose of making the game less exclusive and more accessible. The Cobbs Creek Foundation looks forward to doing great work with Harold and the HV3 Foundation for years to come.”

Harold Varner III has been playing golf as long as he’s been walking – literally. He received his first set of clubs from his father at age 2. Twenty years later, he turned pro, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Today, Harold is a rising star on the PGA tour. His reputation as the “nice guy” on tour precedes him. As we set out to not only improve the physical state of Cobbs Creek, but also to implement new youth programming (scholarships, mentoring, tutoring, health and wellness workshops, and internship opportunities) it is paramount to have people like Harold involved who can serve as living testaments of what can be achieved with hard work, discipline, AND the right kind of community support.

“Cobbs Creek is going to be something special,” says Harold. “I am a believer it takes everyone to make the change and Cobbs Creek Restoration and Community Foundation seems up to the challenge. I am very thankful they reached out to my agent so that I could fly up to check out the grounds. It did not take long for me to see the beauty in West Philly and the passion driving this group to bring this project alive. I look forward to the partnership not only with myself but also my own nonprofit, the HV3 Foundation. Growing the game takes people from all backgrounds, I am glad Cobbs Creek Restoration and Community Foundation is taking the first step to providing affordable access to the youth of Philadelphia.”

 

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