Key Takeaways
Tiger Woods launched the Smilow | Woodland TGR Learning Lab, a 30,000-square-foot facility serving students in grades 1-12 with free educational programming
The center is part of a $150 million renovation of historic Cobbs Creek Golf Course in West Philadelphia
Approximately 2,000 students in the surrounding area have access to tutoring, STEM programs, and golf education
This marks Woods’ second learning lab facility, following his first location in Avalon, California
The project represents what Gov. Josh Shapiro called “the largest urban renewal of a creek in the country”
Expanding Youth Access Through Facility Investment
Tiger Woods officially opened the Smilow | Woodland TGR Learning Lab on Monday at the renovated Cobbs Creek Golf Course in West Philadelphia. The 30,000-square-foot facility offers free educational programming for students in first through 12th grade, combining traditional academics with golf instruction.
The learning lab operates within the broader $150 million renovation of Cobbs Creek Golf Course, located on the 7400 block of Lancaster Avenue. After a soft opening in April, the facility began its first full session of year-round programming this week.
Woods founded the TGR enterprise, which includes both a golf course design company and his foundation. Revenue from the renovated golf course will fund the STEM learning programs housed in the new facility.
Educational Programming and Community Impact
The center provides multiple educational services including tutoring, after-school classes, and college and career readiness workshops. Woods estimates that approximately 2,000 students in the surrounding area could access the facility’s programs.
“I don’t know if you realize this, but there are about 2,000 kids in the area that could come here,” Woods said during Monday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. “You’re impacting all their lives just by you being there.”
The facility was built through partnerships with the Cobbs Creek Foundation, with primary funding from the Smilow Foundation and the Woodland family. This collaborative model mirrors the structure Woods used for his first learning lab in Avalon, California.
Historical Significance and Personal Connection
Woods emphasized the location’s connection to Charlie Sifford, the first African American golfer to participate on the PGA Tour during the 1960s. Cobbs Creek served as Sifford’s home course during that era.
“Ironically enough, Mr. Sifford became the grandfather that I never had,” Woods explained. “There’s no greater respect that I can give the man than to be able to build something, a home, a safe place, an innovative place that all children should be able to have access to, that they don’t and now they do.”
This historical context adds significance to the facility’s mission of expanding access to both golf and educational opportunities for Philadelphia youth.
Government and Community Leadership Support
Monday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony included Mayor Cherelle Parker and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who toured the facility and met with participating students. Shapiro characterized the broader Cobbs Creek renovation as “the largest urban renewal of a creek in the country.”
Additional speakers included Bill Smilow, president and CEO of Smilow Foundation and board member of Cobbs Creek Foundation; Len Brown, chief of Global Business Ventures to the PGA Tour; state Rep. Morgan Cephas; state Sen. Vincent Hughes; and City Councilmember Curtis Jones Jr.
“The city gets an opportunity to see our legacy of innovation and the belief and power of something bigger than any of our individual statuses come to fruition out of a 15-year journey,” Parker said during the ceremony.
Strategic Implications for Youth Sports Investment
The Cobbs Creek project demonstrates a funding model that combines private philanthropy, corporate partnerships, and revenue-generating facilities to sustain youth programming. By integrating golf course operations with educational services, the TGR Foundation creates a self-supporting structure for long-term program delivery.
The 30,000-square-foot scale and year-round programming schedule indicate significant operational capacity. With 2,000 potential participants in the immediate area, the facility addresses both access and scale challenges that affect many urban youth sports and education initiatives.
Woods’ expansion from one learning lab in California to this second location in Philadelphia suggests potential for additional facilities using similar partnership models. The combination of historical significance, community partnerships, and sustainable funding creates a template for youth sports organizations seeking to develop permanent educational facilities.
via: Philly Trib /
photo: Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer Philadelphia Inquirer
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