LeBron James made what he called his “last decision” Friday. Philadelphia golfers can now start arguing about his next one.
James announced that he will join the Philadelphia 76ers for his 24th NBA season, returning to the Eastern Conference on a reported two-year, $8 million contract with a player option. The 41-year-old joins Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown as the Sixers make one more aggressive push toward their first NBA championship since 1983.
There will be plenty of time to debate lineups, minutes and whether Philadelphia can survive the health questions surrounding its suddenly fascinating roster. There is also another matter to settle.
Where is LeBron going to play golf?
James went public with his new pursuit in the summer of 2025, posting videos from what he said was only his second full round. By April, he had played with Bob Does Sports and moved well past the curious-celebrity stage. Golf has become a legitimate part of his life, complete with the swing work, public frustration and full-blown fascination familiar to anyone who has fallen into the game.
Philadelphia is a remarkable place to arrive as a new golfer. The region has major-championship venues, architectural treasures, discreet private clubs and one of the most ambitious public-golf projects in the country.
One disclaimer matters: There has been no public indication that James is pursuing membership at any of the clubs below. Private-club admission is not an NBA transaction, regardless of the applicant’s résumé.
This is a golf fit board, not a membership report.
The Philadelphia Golf Fit Board
Where LeBron Fits Best
Each option offers something different for a golfer balancing improvement, privacy, history and a demanding NBA schedule.
Best Overall Fit
Philadelphia Cricket Club
Three courses, 45 holes and the most useful variety for a developing golfer.
Best Legacy
Merion Golf Club
One of championship golf’s defining venues, with another U.S. Amateur arriving in August.
Best Test
Aronimink Golf Club
A Donald Ross major venue fresh from hosting the 2026 PGA Championship.
Best Network
The Union League
Three golf properties paired with a prominent Center City social and business base.
Best Privacy
Gulph Mills Golf Club
A quiet, highly regarded golf environment built around the game rather than spectacle.
Ultimate Invitation
Pine Valley Golf Club
The bucket-list round and the most intimidating classroom for a relatively new golfer.
Philadelphia’s Heavyweights Offer Three Different Challenges
Merion Golf Club: The legacy choice
Merion is the obvious answer when reputation and history carry the most weight.
The East Course has hosted 19 USGA championships and will stage its 20th when the U.S. Amateur returns Aug. 10-16. Its record includes Bobby Jones completing the Grand Slam at the 1930 U.S. Amateur, Ben Hogan winning the 1950 U.S. Open and Justin Rose capturing the 2013 U.S. Open. Merion is also scheduled to host the U.S. Open in 2030, 2040 and 2050.
There is no easing into Merion. Its East Course demands positional golf, precise iron play and an acceptance that a seemingly reasonable shot can leave an unreasonable next one.
For a developing golfer, that can be exhausting. It can also be valuable. Great courses show players exactly where their games are deficient, and Merion rarely takes long to deliver the diagnosis.
Aronimink Golf Club: The major-championship test
If James wants the venue with the freshest major credentials, Aronimink has the trophy marks.
Aaron Rai won the 2026 PGA Championship there in May, finishing at 9-under 274 and beating Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley by three strokes. Donald Ross designed the Newtown Square course after Aronimink acquired its current property in 1926.
Aronimink is the best full-game examination on this list. The broad presentation can look inviting, but the angles, bunkering and green complexes steadily punish misses.
That makes it a tremendous championship course and a demanding place to learn. James would not be the first gifted athlete to discover that speed and coordination only get a golfer so far. Eventually, the ball has to be started on the correct line with control over distance, curve and trajectory.
Pine Valley Golf Club: The ultimate invitation
Pine Valley is not in Philadelphia, but leaving it off this list would be dishonest.
Located across the Delaware River in South Jersey, Pine Valley has spent decades at or near the top of America’s course rankings. Golf Digest placed it first again in its 2025-26 ranking of America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses. Access is limited to members and their invited guests.
This is the dream round, not necessarily the sensible home club.
Pine Valley asks a player to carry hazards, select exact targets and accept severe consequences for poor decisions. For someone still building a golf game, it would be the equivalent of handing a rookie point guard an NBA offense and skipping the walkthrough.
James will probably have no shortage of invitations. Getting a locker is a different conversation.
The Better Everyday Fits May Be the Smarter Choices
Philadelphia Cricket Club: The best overall fit
A developing golfer needs something different than a collector of famous courses. He needs repetitions, variety, practice options and places to play when 18 holes on a championship layout are not practical.
That is why Philadelphia Cricket Club may be James’ best overall choice.
The club offers 45 holes across three courses. Wissahickon is an A.W. Tillinghast design that opened in 1922 and later underwent a major restoration. Militia Hill, designed by Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry, provides a more modern 18-hole counterpoint. St. Martins is a historic nine-hole course that hosted the U.S. Open in 1907 and 1910.
That range matters. James could test himself on Wissahickon, play a different style at Militia Hill or squeeze in nine at St. Martins when an NBA schedule makes a full round unrealistic. Full membership also includes the club’s fitness center, athletic facilities and dining operations.
Philadelphia Cricket Club is the option most suited to helping James become a better golfer, rather than simply giving him access to a famous course.
Best Overall Fit
Philadelphia Cricket Club Gives LeBron What a New Golfer Needs
45
Total Holes
Enough variety to keep practice and regular play from becoming repetitive.
3
Distinct Courses
Wissahickon, Militia Hill and the nine-hole St. Martins layout.
2
Design Eras
Classic Tillinghast architecture alongside the modern Hurdzan-Fry design.
The coaching verdict: Famous courses are appealing, but improvement comes from accessible repetitions, varied challenges and the ability to practice without turning every visit into an event.
The Union League: The complete network
The Union League presents a different kind of value.
Its members have access to three golf properties: the Union League Golf Club at Torresdale, Union League National Golf Club near the Jersey Shore and Union League Liberty Hill in Lafayette Hill. Torresdale features an 18-hole Donald Ross course only 12 miles northeast of Center City, while Union League National offers 27 holes and a large practice facility.
The golf is only part of the package. The Union League also provides a prominent Center City base and an established social and business network.
For James, whose interests stretch through sports, entertainment, media, education and investment, the Union League would be the most comprehensive choice. It is less one home course than an entire Philadelphia operating system.
Gulph Mills Golf Club: The quiet choice
Gulph Mills is the selection for someone who wants serious golf without making every trip to the course a public event.
Located in King of Prussia, the club began with a Donald Ross routing before William Flynn rebuilt its greens in the 1920s. It remains one of the region’s more discreet private golf environments and was ranked among Golf Digest’s top 10 courses in Pennsylvania in its most recent state list.
There is no sprawling collection of properties or constant championship spotlight here. The appeal is concentration.
Arrive, practice, play and leave with more answers than attention. For a globally recognized athlete who cannot enter many places unnoticed, that has real value.
The Most LeBron Choice May Not Require Membership
The most meaningful Philadelphia golf connection for James may not be Merion, Aronimink or any private club.
Days before announcing his move to the 76ers, James described a larger plan for his involvement in golf. He said he wants to “open doors for kids that look like me growing up in the inner city,” giving young people opportunities to caddie, obtain equipment, receive coaching and experience country clubs.
That mission points directly toward Cobbs Creek.
The historic West Philadelphia public course was known for welcoming Black golfers and women during periods when many clubs excluded them. Charlie Sifford, who broke the PGA Tour’s racial barrier, developed his game there. The property is now undergoing a sweeping revival that includes a restored championship course, a public practice facility and the Smilow Woodland TGR Learning Lab.
The learning lab opened in 2025 and provides local students with free educational programming, mentorship and career preparation. Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner are leading the restoration of the historic course, while the broader campus is being built around golf, education and community access.
Cobbs Creek is not somewhere James would join.
It is somewhere he could help build.
On golf alone, Philadelphia Cricket Club is the strongest fit. It offers the variety, facilities and flexibility a newer player needs while still providing world-class architecture. Merion has the legacy. Aronimink has the major test. Pine Valley has the mystique. The Union League has the network. Gulph Mills has the privacy.
James has already suggested, however, that his future in golf will eventually become larger than his own scorecard. Should he follow through, the most consequential Philadelphia golf decision may not involve which locker carries his name.
It may involve which doors he helps open.
Bigger Than a Membership
Why Cobbs Creek Could Be LeBron’s Most Important Philadelphia Golf Connection
James has said he wants to create golf opportunities for children from inner-city communities. Cobbs Creek is already combining public golf, education and access in West Philadelphia.
Historic Public Access
Cobbs Creek welcomed Black golfers and women when exclusion remained common elsewhere in the game.
Education Already Underway
The Smilow Woodland TGR Learning Lab provides free programming, mentorship and career preparation for local students.
A Golf Campus Being Rebuilt
The wider project includes course restoration, practice facilities and a renewed commitment to Charlie Sifford’s legacy.
A private club could give James a home course. Cobbs Creek could give his golf journey a purpose.
PGA of America Golf Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer who serves as Athlon Sports Senior Golf Writer. Read his recent “The Starter” on R.org, where he is their Lead Golf Writer. To stay updated on all of his latest work, sign up for his newsletter or visit his MuckRack Profile.
