PGA Tour star Jordan Spieth makes significant Tiger Woods donation

Former world No. 1 golfer Jordan Spieth has pledged a generous £195,000 grant towards the renovation of the historic Cobbs Creek Golf Club – a project led by Tiger Woods. The funds are earmarked for the construction of a junior putting green.

The public golf course in West Philadelphia has been a hub for Black golfers for over a century, welcoming players of all races, ethnicities and genders during times of widespread American segregation. In 2021, it was nominated into the National Black Golf Hall of Fame.

Cobbs Creek Foundation President Jeff Shanahan expressed his gratitude for the partnership with the Jordan Spieth Family Foundation, stating: “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, situated on the western outskirts of Philadelphia, has been a vital resource in the Black community for nearly two centuries. Research from Friends of Cobbs Creek Golf Course, in collaboration with 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 its doors decades later, becoming a top-notch venue for golfers of colour. 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, sparking his interest in Cobbs Creek after years of mismanagement and a fire that destroyed the clubhouse in 2016.

State Sen. Vincent Hughes said: “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 temporary closure of the venue in 2019, the Cobbs Creek Foundation was granted a 70-year lease and has committed to an £80m renovation. Woods, on his part, is financing a branch of his TGR Learning Lab at the facility, teaching technical skills including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and robotics, and an adjacent, accessible short course designed to attract golfers of all skill sets.

The additional “state-of-the-art facilities” will include a complete 18-hole golf course equipped for PGA Tour events a nod to the history of Cobbs Creek, which accommodated such events in the 1950s, offering Black golfers a scarce chance at competing on the sport’s most prestigious level as well as a two-story driving range, a restaurant, and a heritage center. The extensive renovation of the full golf course is anticipated to conclude by 2026.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.