Cobbs Creek Foundation
Cobbs Creek Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that restores and operates a 350-acre public golf and education campus in West Philadelphia under a long-term City lease, providing free youth STEAM programs and public-access golf facilities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersMontgomery, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Cobbs Creek Foundation does
Cobbs Creek Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2018 to restore and operate the historic Cobbs Creek Golf and Education Campus, a 350-acre site in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, held under a long-term lease with the City of Philadelphia. The foundation pursues a dual mission: re-establishing a 100% public-access golf destination on a site that originally opened in 1916 as one of America's first integrated golf courses and the home course of Charlie Sifford, and delivering free year-round STEAM education, college preparation, and youth development programming to students in grades 1-12 from under-resourced West Philadelphia neighborhoods.
The foundation's open and planned facilities include the 42,000-square-foot Lincoln Financial Center (opened December 2025) with a 68-bay Toptracer driving range, The Little Horse Tavern restaurant, a retail pro shop, and the 200+ person 1916 by Fitler Club event space; the 30,000-square-foot Smilow Woodland TGR Learning Lab (opened April 2025) with nine classrooms, a podcast studio, a makerspace, a music recording room, and a Full Swing golf simulator; the 9-hole Q School short course (opened 2025) designed by TGR Design; and the planned 18-hole championship Olde Course (Gil Hanse/Jim Wagner, expected 2027) and 9-hole Karakung Course (Gil Hanse, expected 2028). Ancillary infrastructure includes three miles of Cobbs Creek restoration and 25+ acres of new wetlands, and an on-site scholarship program benefiting HBCU-bound students via the Dr. Charles L. Sifford Scholarship Fund.
The foundation funds educational programming through a hybrid nonprofit model combining earned recreational revenue with philanthropic capital. Earned revenue streams include public green fees, driving range fees, pro shop merchandise sales, food and beverage operations, event venue rentals, golf instruction, and the 1916 Club premium annual membership at $1,916 per year; Learning Lab programming is provided free of charge to students. Capital funding is sourced from a $180 million capital campaign with disclosed major contributions from Lincoln Financial as founding partner, the City of Philadelphia ($9.1 million for creek restoration, March 2026), Essential Utilities ($1 million), NRG Energy and Vivint ($500,000 combined, April 2026), the Smilow Foundation, Kohler Co., and PECO. Golf operations are managed in partnership with Troon and educational programming is delivered through a flagship partnership with the TGR Foundation (Tiger Woods).
Cobbs Creek Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cobbs Creek Foundation
- Legal name
- Cobbs Creek Foundation
- Website
- https://cobbscreek.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cobbs Creek Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that restores and operates a 350-acre public golf and education campus in West Philadelphia under a long-term City lease, providing free youth STEAM programs and public-access golf facilities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cobbs Creek Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Golf & Community Recreation Campus
- NAICS
- Golf Courses and Country Clubs (713910), Golf Courses and Country Clubs (71391), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200), Retail-Eating Places (5812), Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ), Golf Clubs & Tournament-Host Clubs (Professional/Elite Golf Clubs) (MPAKABAE), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Golf Bags, Carts & Travel Gear Retail (CRAMAGAC)
Keywords
Where Cobbs Creek Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Montgomery
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Cobbs Creek Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Public Golf Operations: Daily fee public golf green fees, driving range fees, and golf cart rentals for the general public
- Pro Shop Merchandise Sales: Retail merchandise sales including golf equipment, apparel, and accessories
- Food and Beverage Operations: Little Horse Tavern restaurant and banquet/catering services for events
- Event Venue Rentals: Private event space rentals including weddings, corporate events, and community gatherings
- 1916 Club Membership: Premium annual membership program at $1,916/year providing exclusive benefits and access
- Golf Instruction and Programs: Youth and adult golf instruction, camps, and clinics through the Learning Lab
- Donations and Grants: Philanthropic contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations supporting the nonprofit mission
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | 1916 Club Premium Membership |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Public Golf Green Fees |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Food and Beverage |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Cobbs Creek Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cobbs Creek Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates a 350-acre golf and education campus in West Philadelphia. It offers public-access championship golf facilities, a free youth education center (TGR Learning Lab), food and beverage operations, event venue rentals, and a premium membership program, with all recreational revenue reinvested into its youth and community programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Lincoln Financial Center at Cobbs Creek: The 42,000 square-foot, three-story complex at Cobbs Creek housing a double-decker golf practice facility with Toptracer technology, The Little Horse Tavern restaurant, a retail pro shop, and a 200+ person community event space named 1916 by Fitler Club.
- Smilow Woodland TGR Learning Lab
- The Little Horse Tavern
- Q School
- Dr. Charles L. Sifford Scholarship Fund
- 1916 Club
Products and services
- Lincoln Financial Center
Quantifiable outcome
- 7,000+ students already served through Learning Lab programs
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Cobbs Creek Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cobbs Creek Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Cobbs Creek Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- TGR Foundation (Tiger Woods Foundation)flagshipFlagship strategic partnership with the Tiger Woods Foundation to operate the TGR Learning Lab, bringing proven youth development curriculum and programming to underserved Philadelphia communities. The Learning Lab provides free STEAM education and college preparation for youth grades 1-12.
- TrooncoreTroon manages golf operations at Cobbs Creek, providing professional golf course management, agronomy, and hospitality services. This partnership ensures championship-quality golf facility operations.
- Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP)corePartnership with GAP to host youth access programs and golf championships, including the Philadelphia Amateur Championship. GAP supports the foundation's mission of making golf accessible to all.
- Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM)coreEducational partnership with PCOM to support learning lab programs and provide students with exposure to healthcare and medical career pathways.
- Jordan Spieth Family FoundationcoreYouth golf partnership focused on making golf accessible to young people, aligning with both the foundation's and Jordan Spieth Foundation's missions of youth development through golf.
- Eagles Autism FoundationminorPartnership to create a sensory-friendly room at the facility, supporting inclusive access for children with autism and sensory processing needs.
- Thurgood Marshall College FundcoreCollaboration on leadership development and career programming, with a focus on supporting students interested in attending historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
- City of PhiladelphiacoreLong-term lease agreement with the City of Philadelphia providing the foundation rights to operate the 350-acre facility for public benefit.
- Upper Darby TownshipcoreThe 350-acre campus spans into Upper Darby Township, with municipal support for the community development project.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cobbs Creek Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TGR Foundation (Tiger Woods Foundation): TGR Foundation is the direct strategic partner operating the TGR Learning Lab at Cobbs Creek and shares the youth-golf-meets-education nonprofit model. Both organizations combine golf programming with STEAM education for underserved youth.
- First Tee: First Tee is the leading youth development organization introducing golf to young people, with a similar mission of making golf accessible. Both Cobbs Creek and First Tee blend golf instruction with character education and life skills for under-resourced youth.
- National Links Trust: National Links Trust restores and operates municipal golf courses for public benefit, with a similar model of preserving accessible public golf infrastructure. Both organizations restore historic public courses with community-benefit framing.
- PGA Reach: PGA Reach is the PGA's charitable foundation supporting golf accessibility and youth programs. Cobbs Creek Foundation shares the model of using golf as a vehicle for community impact, scholarship support, and youth development.
- The Bridge Golf Foundation: The Bridge is a youth golf development nonprofit hosting tournaments and funding college scholarships for underrepresented golfers. It parallels Cobbs Creek's combination of competitive golf access, HBCU scholarships, and youth pipeline programs.
- Evans Scholars Foundation: Evans Scholars Foundation provides full college scholarships to caddies, paralleling Cobbs Creek's Sifford Scholarship Fund for HBCU-bound students. Both blend golf access with higher education funding as the central social-impact vehicle.
Broad incumbents
- Philadelphia Foundation: Philadelphia Foundation is a much larger community foundation serving the same West Philadelphia geography. Cobbs Creek Foundation is a specialized, mission-driven community foundation focused on golf and youth education rather than broad philanthropic grantmaking.
Others
- Troon: Troon is the third-party golf operations manager partnering with Cobbs Creek Foundation, providing agronomy, hospitality, and course management services. As the operator of hundreds of courses globally, Troon provides a relevant operational benchmark for premium public golf facilities.
Emerging players
- Boys & Girls Club of Philadelphia: Boys & Girls Club of Philadelphia is a youth development nonprofit serving under-resourced Philadelphia youth with similar target demographics. Cobbs Creek's Learning Lab programming competes for the same participant pool and donor mindshare for youth services funding.
Regional players
- Meadowbrook Golf Foundation: Meadowbrook and similar restored historic Philadelphia-area clubs represent regional peers in the historic public/private golf restoration space. They compete for the same regional golfer base, tournament hosting opportunities, and corporate outing dollars.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cobbs Creek Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceCobbs Creek Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cobbs Creek Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Cobbs Creek Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cobbs Creek Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cobbs Creek Foundation
What does Cobbs Creek Foundation do?
Cobbs Creek Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates a 350-acre golf and education campus in West Philadelphia. It offers public-access championship golf facilities, a free youth education center (TGR Learning Lab), food and beverage operations, event venue rentals, and a premium membership program, with all recreational revenue reinvested into its youth and community programs.
Is Cobbs Creek Foundation a public or private company?
Cobbs Creek Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Cobbs Creek Foundation founded?
Cobbs Creek Foundation was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Cobbs Creek Foundation based?
Cobbs Creek Foundation is headquartered in Montgomery, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cobbs Creek Foundation make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Public Golf Operations are the primary driver. The others are pro Shop Merchandise Sales, food and Beverage Operations, event Venue Rentals, 1916 Club Membership, golf Instruction and Programs and donations and Grants.
Who are Cobbs Creek Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TGR Foundation (Tiger Woods Foundation), First Tee, National Links Trust, PGA Reach, The Bridge Golf Foundation and Evans Scholars Foundation. Philadelphia Foundation is listed as a broad incumbent. Troon is listed as an others. Boys & Girls Club of Philadelphia is listed as an emerging player. Meadowbrook Golf Foundation is listed as a regional player.
Does Cobbs Creek Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cobbs Creek Foundation.
What industry is Cobbs Creek Foundation in?
Cobbs Creek Foundation's product category is Public Golf & Community Recreation Campus. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAB, Community Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGADAJ, Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 713910 and its SIC code is 7997.