So here I am in the sunshine state of Florida. Surrounded by white walls in a new apartment, I’ve started to call “home.” But, the truth is, I am 1,113 miles from my real home… Wayne, PA.
After turning pro, I decided it was time to take that big leap of adulthood, pack up my life into a small sedan and move out from my childhood home to better weather and more golf in Florida. However, as I sit here surrounded by more palm trees and green bermuda grass, I realize there is no running from the fact that my roots will always be a part of me.
I can’t erase the memories of little league baseball with all “my boys”, scootering in the cold de sac of my first home, banging pots and pans after the Phillies captured the 2008 World Series, snow days with my siblings, walking to Wayne on a Friday after middle school, junior golf inter club, LM pep rallies, the many rounds at my home course (St. David’s) and most of all the abundant relationships and special people that have guided me in arriving at the person I am today. Truthfully, I would never want those memories to leave me.
In fact, I know without a shadow of a doubt that they will always be a part of me—a part of my story. And in my opinion, one of the neatest things about life is that no matter who you are or how “successful” you’ve become, we all have our own story. Each individual story is valuable and something no one can take away from you.
As I move on to this next phase of my life, I keep coming back to the foundation that I was built on. There is no denying that my seeds were planted in the many fields and dirt of Philadelphia’s suburbs.
I hit my first home run in boys Little League at Enke Park, scored my first touchdown on Radnor Elementary School’s playground, won a Central League Championship on the hardwood floor of Marple Newtown High School, and won my first state title on the 9th green of Heritage Hills.
Now, a long way from home, I will embark on creating bigger monumental moments and more championships on this journey ahead. When I entered the on-ramp of 476 south two weeks ago, starting my trip to Florida, I watched as the view of Radnor High School slowly dissipated in my rearview mirror. In that bittersweet moment, one thing brought me comfort… Cobbs Creek.
Just as I start on this journey and begin to write a new chapter in my story, so too does Cobbs Creek. Cobbs Creek Golf Club is a public course in Philadelphia designed by the same architect as the world-renowned Merion Golf Club. Hugh Wilson designed only five golf courses in his time as a course architect. He designed Merion East and West, Seaview Golf Course, Phoenixville Country Club, and Cobbs Creek Golf Club.
Led by a group of visionaries, Cobbs Creek is going through a major renovation to become more than just a golf course.
The Cobbs Creek foundation has set out to draw on the golf club’s rich history to create a groundbreaking new future.
Cobbs Creek has been ahead of its time in many ways and plans to continue on that path. Even before women had voting rights, they were welcomed to play at Cobbs Creek. After struggling to find places to play during the segregation era, Charlie Sifford left Charlotte, NC, and headed to Philadelphia to hone his craft on the grounds of Cobbs Creek. He would later become the first African American on the PGA tour and forever be named a son of Cobbs Creek.
In 1947, it hosted the men’s and women’s United Golf Association Open, which was won by Howard Wheeler, Lucy Williams, and Thelma Cowans, respectively. This rich history is something that Cobbs Creek hopes to reinvent in its future.
You may be wondering how Cobbs Creek brought me comfort in that bittersweet moment as I left home? Well, in many ways, the journey that lies ahead for both Cobbs Creek and me aren’t all that different. We are both grounded in history made in Philadelphia as we work toward a bright new future. Neither of the tasks is easy, but no one ever said anything great comes at a low cost. It will take hard work, passion, support and community involvement to have both of these dreams come to fruition. I am extremely excited to announce that I will be an ambassador for the Cobbs Creek Foundation. I have great confidence that the foundation will accomplish everything they have set their eyes on, and I look forward to helping in the process.
Before heading to Florida, I walked the grounds of Cobbs Creek with family and friends to see the course before it undergoes a major renovation.
To learn more about how the Cobbs Creek Foundation is setting out to create an all-inclusive, state-of-the-art golf campus that unites communities and educates and shapes the leaders of tomorrow, click here.
Of course had to get a few shots in before I left!
As always, thank you for following my journey, and I hope this blog gave you another exciting adventure to keep an eye on and support!