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Cobb's Creek - Philadelphia

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John_Conley:
I am not familiar with golf around Philadelphia.  (Unfortunately  :( )  As a result, I don't read (m)any of the threads about their courses.  My apologies if this has been discussed.

I just got back from a business breakfast meeting where the speaker was Ron Jackson, Pres. and CEO of Meadowbrook Golf.  MGGI is a management company that operates some courses, provides maintenance to others, and distributes seed and chemicals to still more.  They evidently have the management contract for the Philadelphia area municipal courses.

Ron's background is in hotels where he made a career of buying a hotel, fixing it up, and rebranding it more upscale.  He intends to do the same with golf courses, and has the financial backing to do it.  Greg Norman is a key component, as he will provide some redesign services prior to the course relaunching as a Greg Norman Signature course.

So far nothing earth shattering.  What I found very interesting was his mention of a course called Cobb's Creek in Philly where they intend to make improvements on the order of Bethpage Black.  He noted a Hugh Wilson design and underappreciated facility.  Can anyone confirm the merits of the course?  Can it be wonderful and eventually the site of prominent tournaments, even if smaller in scope than the U.S. Open?

mike_malone:
If they use the other course there called Karakung,they could possibly do some dramatic things.If they only use the Cobb's space they cannot make too many big changes.Cobb's has some wonderful holes.

TEPaul:
Somebody told me within the last week (somebody from Merion) from newspaper reports from the teens that he'd researched around here that Cobb's Creek was not really designed by Hugh Wilson but by someone else who's an unknown name to me. He said the newspapers of that time only mention Hugh Wilson's connection to Cobb's Creek as the fact that Hugh Wilson was on the search committee for the site for Cobb's Creek.

Mike_Sweeney:
Briefly, I played many high school matches at Cobb's. It has been mentioned here before, and while the the first 6 or 7 holes (it has been a while) are very interesting as you play over and around Cobbs Creek (same creek as Merion). The back is more forgettable, or at least I have forgotten many of the holes.

Bethpage was a very good course before the renovation, Cobbs would have a long long way to go.

Mike_Cirba:
Tom Paul;

What name did the person give you as the "true designer"?  Do you recall?

I'd be most interested.  Thanks!

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