Two weeks ago, I stopped by Cobbs Creek to tour the property with superintendent Ben Dewan and the Cobbs Creek Foundation\u2019s Colby Roberts. After spending 90 minutes on the property, I could see that Cobbs Creek has the potential to be a world-class course. With varied topography, elevation changes, and its namesake creek, the land is a stunner. It has a mixture of brawny features and intimate stretches.<\/p>\n
Cobbs Creek under repair (Fried Egg Golf)<\/p>\n
The most dramatic area of Cobbs Creek will be at the convergence of Nos. 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 16, and 17, all of which will have at least a tee box or a green on the highest ridge of the property. Some of these holes, the par-3 12th and 17th, will play off the ridge; others, like Nos. 9 and 16, will climb up the hill in different ways; and the par-4 sixth will dogleg around the valley falloff. At the top of this ridge, you will be treated to a view of the Philadelphia skyline, a reminder of the land\u2019s connection with the city. The south side of the property, where Cobbs Creek itself is located, needs some work before the golf holes come into focus, but it will eventually feature some memorable shots. The creek is integral to Nos. 3-5 and Nos. 12-13, coming into play on every shot on each hole. If used well, the deep valleys surrounding the creek could remind golfers of the ravines at Shoreacres<\/a>. Finally, on the western edge of the site, there will be a pair of exciting short par 4s in Nos. 14 and 15.<\/p>\n I say this with no exaggeration: the renovation of Cobb\u2019s Creek could be the most important American public golf project of the decade. The foundation has raised more than $100 million and set huge goals for the future of the facility and its economic impact on the area. I\u2019m happy to report that the quality of the land justifies the ambition of these efforts. –Will Knights<\/a><\/p>\n \u2192 In the latest episode of my podcast Designing Golf<\/a>, historian David Normoyle shed some light on an issue that golf architecture nerds have debated for decades: who routed Cypress Point<\/a>? Does Alister MacKenzie<\/a>, the architect of record, deserve primary credit? Or did MacKenzie simply repurpose an initial routing created by Seth Raynor<\/a>, who worked on the project until passing away in 1926?<\/p>\n {{inline-course}}<\/p>\n