I was recently looking into this myself. There’s not a whole lot on the foundation’s website where all the friends of Cobbs Creek updates were supposedly going to migrate to. Their Facebook page has recent posts but it’s all just photos from back when there was play on the course about a year or so ago or earlier. It’s all kind of strange. I’m really excited about the plans for that facility but one commenter on the Facebook posts who lives in the area complained of the “overgrown field” the community now has as its backyard. There’s not much out there about progress. I’m out of town this week and this weekend but I may go take a look myself at some point soon out of curiosity.
I took a drive around there a couple months ago and it is just entirely overgrown and untouched currently. The stakes are out for tees and greens but construction hadn’t started at all as of the end of August.
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Radio silence and a year without shovels in the ground isn’t a great sign, is it?
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I just reached out to a guy I contacted who was involved with the Friends of Cobbs Creek and hooked me up with the historical compilation of the course a bunch of people involved put together. I’ll report back with any response I get, I last corresponded with him in July of last year.
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Yeah I’ve noticed the same lack of progress on my recon trips over there. It’s gone to meadow and there are tee/hole markers.
It’s a bummer that we went a whole year not being able to play Cobbs and there’s no progress to show for it. I assume maybe they’re stuck in the permit process and maybe creek work. But it’s still disappointing.
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Actually drove past today. Grass has been mowed as opposed to a couple months ago when it was about shoulder high. Not sure if that means any work is imminent, but
A: I saw no equipment or trucks
B: I imagine they wouldn’t start work on the cusp of winter but I am not expert.
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Been almost 2 months since announcing on social media that there would be an update on the project and there don’t seem to be any signs of one forthcoming.
Grew up in the city. Worked at Cobbs through the early-mid 90’s.
There’s nothing I want more than to see that place restored and thriving. There’s also no entity on earth more likely to screw it up than the Philadelphia city gov’t. Their collective incompetence and decades of neglect (and corruption) destroyed that place (I’m talking about the golf course, but I guess that all applies to the city in general).
Unless one or more politicians, union leaders, campaign donors, or corporate benefactors somehow reaps huge financial rewards, this project aint getting done. That’s the truth, and it’s a shame.
Not much of an update; but a small comment in Chris Lange’s GAP HOF speech that they are close to starting work. Very brief, but starts around the 2:40 mark.
Chris is the CEO of the Foundation
https://cobbscreek.org/about-us/
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Thanks for bringing this to us, certainly little more than a bread crumb of info but better than what is currently on any of their various informational outlets right now. Hopefully it’s a true “very, very close” and not the vague, non-committal end of that spectrum. It seems like the group surrounding this has the firepower and desire to get this done, hopefully going to see some progress soon though as 2023 is not so very far away!
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The lease with the City ensures they stay out of construction, management and everything else. That was something that was delaying things in the past but has been resolved. The lease was a big deal for the very reason stated before here; no one wanted to go through all this work only to hand over control to the City, who would assuredly not manage things correctly.
Take it for it’s worth but on what I find to be a reliable source, apparently the Engineer Corps has been the reason for the current delay. While the environmental permits have been obtained, apparently the EC needs to be involved in some of the work near the water and that has been difficult to make happen.
My understanding, however, is that almost all of the funding is there, the permits are there and the City’s approval and lease is there. So hopefully this gets resolved and we see shovels in the ground soon. Once shovels are in the ground, I think it’ll be at least a year.
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I’m ready to book my first tee time already. Excruciating not seeing anything done on site yet.
Adding this to each of the Roll Call’s as we work to migrate them.
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Question for Philly folks—my brother lives in Wissahickon and is pretty new to the game. I’m thinking about getting him a lesson gift card for Christmas. Can anyone recommend a teacher down there that does indoor lessons over the winter? Not gonna do a package or anything—just want him to take a lesson and hopefully he sees the value in it. Cheers!
Highly suggest Mike Paukovitz.
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I would be very interested in joinging in on these events.
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Sounds good to us! If you’d like, check out our page for the Philly Roost, we’re going to be planning a season-long series of events from March through July. There’s a google doc there for you to sign up and put your info in.
Roll Call / Roost Sign-up — Philly / DE — The Electric Phactory
Very exciting news then “will open to the public in 2024” womp fucking womp haha:
But hey, at least ground will finally be broken.
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This is great news! I have to imagine that they have adequately secured the funding needed. A little more patience should be worth the wait.
I’m curious if they will do a local vs. non local model similar to Bethpage/Torrey Pines. And if so, how will they define local.
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