Golf superstar Jordan Spieth donates $250K to introduce young people to the sport at Cobbs Creek Golf Course

From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

The historic Cobbs Creek Golf Course in West Philadelphia, already undergoing a multimillion-dollar redevelopment by the Cobbs Creek Foundation, has added another golf superstar to its team.

The Jordan Spieth Family Foundation said last week that it donated $250,000 to build a junior putting green to help introduce more young people in that part of the city to golf. Junior putting involves a number of drills and skills that help young golfers develop confidence, skills and technique.

The 30-year-old Spieth, a three-time major golf champion, knows something about young people and golf. He turned pro at 19 in 2012. A native of Dallas, Spieth was 21 when he won the Masters and the U.S. Open.

In 2014, he founded the Jordan Spieth Family Foundation to raise awareness and provide financial support to nonprofit groups in four areas: junior golf, individuals with special needs, pediatric cancer and U.S. veterans and their families.

Jordan Spieth’s wife, Annie, head of their foundation, said in a statement, “We are very excited to support the Cobbs Creek Foundation in their mission to grow the game of golf and support the youth of Philadelphia.”

Cobbs Creek Foundation, a nonprofit created to redevelop the golf course, is already partnered with golf legend Tiger Woods and his TGR Foundation, which said in 2023 that it would bring its TGR Learning Lab to Cobbs Creek.

The TGR Lab manages the educational program at Cobbs Creek Golf Course. The program is modeled on its lab in Anaheim, California. TGR Lab focuses on science, technology, engineering, arts and math. The lab teaches high-tech subjects, including artificial intelligence, cyber security, robotics and video game design, along with golf course design and management.

In addition, the TGR Lab at Cobbs Creek provides tutoring and guidance for college applications and financial aid. The lab will operate out of a 30,000-square-foot building scheduled to open in 2025. In July, Meredith Foote, a former teacher who was principal of the nearby Overbrook Educational Center for about a decade, was hired as TGR Lab’s executive director.

Currently, the lab provides after-school math tutoring to second, third and fourth graders at two neighborhood elementary schools.

The 20,000-square foot Junior Putting Green will be built near the TGR Lab and is expected to be completed the same year.

“The Junior Putting Green will serve as an inviting space where young players can be introduced to the sport, develop their skills, and foster a love for golf,” Annie Spieth said.

Jeff Shanahan, president of Cobbs Creek Foundation, thanked the Jordan Spieth Family Foundation for supporting its mission to offer a world-class public golf experience for players of all ages.

“The addition of a Junior Putting Green on the Cobbs Creek campus will allow us to open even more doors to future players and provide transformative opportunities for players of all ages,” Shanahan said.

In the 1950s and ‘60s, the 340-acre city-owned golf course, which has a rich history, served as a home for many well-known African American golfers, such as the late Charlie Sifford, Lee Elder and former heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis.

African Americans were barred by law from playing at many golf courses in the U.S. until 1961.