Little Horse Tavern opens at the revived Cobbs Creek Golf Course

The long-awaited revival of Cobbs Creek Golf Course on the edge of West Philadelphia is taking shape not just on the fairways, but at the table.

Little Horse Tavern — a full-service restaurant, bar, and event space named in honor of Charlie “Little Horse” Sifford, the Black golfer who led the integration of the PGA tournament in the 1960s — opens Monday. The Fitler Club and Strother Enterprises are overseeing it.

The tavern, in a new building on Lansdowne Avenue called the Lincoln Financial Center, is next to a heated, 68-bay driving range, similar to a Topgolf. (Buckets of balls start at $10.) Nearby is a nine-hole short course designed for beginners and families, and — expected to open in 2027 — the renovated 18-hole championship-level course known as the Olde Course.

All told, the $180 million effort aims to transform Cobbs Creek into a premier public golf destination. The club, founded in 1916, offered access to players when the game was largely off-limits to anyone but white men who could afford memberships at private clubs.

Cobbs Creek was Sifford’s home course in the 1950s. Sifford — who got his nickname because of the horse pendant he wore — went on to win two PGA Tour events and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2006; he died in 2015 at age 92.

The course fell into disrepair in the 2000s and was closed in 2020. Shortly after, “a group of people who loved Cobbs Creek started asking, ‘What if this could be Philadelphia’s Bethpage Black?’” said Fitler Club president Jacob Smith, referring to the celebrated public course on Long Island that hosted the 2025 Ryder Cup.

That idea grew into the Cobbs Creek Foundation, which raised money and secured partnerships with Troon, the large golf-management company, and the Tiger Woods Foundation, which operates the adjacent TGR Learning Lab, aimed at teaching the game to schoolchildren.

In addition to its public dining room and bar, there’s a private event space upstairs that can host up to 200 people.

The tavern is decorated with murals; one depicts Sifford and fellow local sports figures Johnny McDermott, Dawn Staley, Kobe Bryant, and Wilt Chamberlain.

Fitler manager Clancy Smith oversees the restaurant as food and beverage director. Chef Adam Carson is putting out a something-for-everyone mix in his all-day menu, which starts at noon. (Light breakfast will be available from the 9 a.m. opening.)

There are tater tots, a basket of chicken tenders and onion rings, and wings (choice of six sauces). Sandwiches, accompanied by tots, onion rings, salad, or fries, include a double smash burger, turkey club, fried chicken, and truffle chicken salad.

He’s also aiming a bit higher with esquites guacamole; huarache pizza; yellowfin tuna ceviche dressed in leche de tigre and avocado mousse; and a mixed green salad including fennel, radish, compressed apple, golden raisins, Cabot clothbound cheddar, sunflower brittle, and lemon vinaigrette. Top price is $20 for the cheesesteak. (Michael Franco, Fitler’s vice president of operations, says he expects to lower it to $18 once beef prices drop.)

There’s a full bar, including beer, wine, and nine cocktails. Rose Is a Rose, named after Sifford’s wife, is a floral spritz featuring gin, honey, lemon, sparkling rose wine, and a dash of rose water, and it’s garnished with an expressed lemon twist and dehydrated rose buds.

Fitler’s involvement grew out of its interest in projects with civic impact. Though best known as a members-only club in Center City, Fitler wants to expand its hospitality expertise beyond its walls.

“We look for opportunities where we can contribute something meaningful to the city,” said Smith, whose golf handicap is 13. “This was at the top of the list.”

For Strother Enterprises, a family-run food service company that began as a catering business in West Philadelphia, the connection is deeply personal. Robert A. Strother and Natasha Strother Lassiter are first cousins whose fathers — Ernest Strother and Robert Strother Jr. — worked as certified caddies at Cobbs Creek when they were teenagers.

“This was one of their first jobs,” Strother said. “They carried bags here all day, multiple rounds a day. Cobbs Creek was part of their upbringing.”

Lassiter said returning to the course as partners in its rebirth brings the family’s story full circle. “Being from West Philly, seeing this space restored, and being able to contribute to it in a meaningful way — it’s emotional,” she said. “This isn’t just another project for us.”

Strother manages day-to-day operations and oversees the after-school snack program at the TGR Learning Lab.

“This project isn’t just about hospitality,” Lassiter said. “It’s about community, education, and access.”

Little Horse Tavern, 7403 Lansdowne Ave., 267-900-3740, cobbscreekgolf.org. Hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.