Christopher Parker, General Manager of the Cobbs Creek Golf Campus
In December, the Cobbs Creek Foundation opened a new two-story driving range and golf entertainment center, along with a pro shop, inside the newly completed Lincoln Financial Center at Cobbs Creek in Philadelphia. The openings mark the completion of the three-story Lincoln Financial Center and represent the next major step in the long-term reopening of the Cobbs Creek Golf Course. The Cobbs Creek campus will continue opening in phases, with the championship 18-hole course set to reopen in 2027 and the nine-hole Karakung course set to reopen in 2028.
“The golf shop before was really limited—balls, gloves, hats—it didn’t have an extensive merchandise selection,” says Christopher Parker, General Manager of the Cobbs Creek Golf Campus. “We’ve tried to curate what we consider to be a world-class golf shop. That’s always our goal.”
The project was a collaborative effort, Parker says, involving multiple design teams and guidance from Troon’s corporate retail team.
“When we’re thinking about picking out brands and how we allocate the shop and how it displays, we look at trends from across the country, and we’ve got some of the best shops in the world, so we have extensive knowledge and people to pull from,” he says.
The new, 1,720-square-foot shop was designed with flow and accessibility in mind.
“Everything’s laid out to flow right,” Parker says. “We have an area dedicated to ladies’ apparel. We have youth apparel. We have house accessories, anything from a blanket to a tote bag. We have some books. We have scorecard holders. Really cool head covers, some footwear, teddy bears. You name it; it’s there.”
The space leans modern, with an emphasis on visual appeal and merchandising.
“It’s a cool shop,” Parker says, “lots of different displays and things to catch your eye. There’s something for everyone.”
Attention to detail extended to lighting and product displays.
“Lighting is a big thing for retail, so I think the time and effort that we put into picking out the right displays and picking out the lighting to highlight it was all well worth it,” he says.
Beyond retail, the shop also incorporates elements that reflect the history of the property.
“We have some t-shirts and hats that pay homage to Charlie Sifford and everything that he meant to these properties,” Parker says. “There’s artwork right outside that gives Hugh Wilson his flowers for everything that he meant to the design of the golf course. You see little touches like that throughout the building, and I think that’s one of the things that makes it really special.”
Early response from members has been strong.
“The shop turned out better than we imagined. I’ve seen all types of reactions—people crying when they walk into the building—so I think we nailed it,” Parker says. “It makes all the work that went into it worth it when you see people’s reactions.”
Some early merchandising results have also stood out, particularly around new branding.
“I didn’t know how well our short course logo would do, and I was very pleased to see that it’s moving well, and people are receiving it well; there’s a lot of excitement around it,” he says. “To me, clean logos are important, and it’s really clean; it stands out.”
As more parts of the facility come online, Parker expects the shop to continue to see new business.
“As we’re opening different revenue streams, it’s going to evolve. We anticipate that sales will continue to increase as we open the short course. … Once the 18 hole golf course opens, we’re looking at a different revenue model in that space as well, but we’re planning for it to continue to evolve,” he says.
However, he notes that maintaining a consistent core offering remains a priority.
“It’s important for us to keep it fresh, but also have some products that are staples that everyone wants,” Parker says.
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