Pittsburgh, PA – The Pittsburgh community is known for its tight-knit relationships, which are often embodied through some of the region’s most popular businesses and organizations. 

Cool Springs is one of those. The popular sports and entertainment complex located in Bethel Park, Pa. has been a staple in the region for over 40 years. Known for its diverse mix of athletic activities, including its ever-popular miniature golf courses, Cool Springs has always offered experiences fit for families across Pittsburgh. Still, years after its introduction in 1977, the complex started to lose some of the features that made it special. 

Enter Penn Cove Group (PCG), a Pittsburgh-based real estate and capital investment firm. Founded in 2006 in part by the late Brian Shanahan, the organization focuses on land acquisition and development, intending to create a lasting impact in the region. The firm leads with integrity, constantly seeking projects that contribute to the region’s economic development and identifying investments that create meaningful positive changes. 

Shanahan was passionate about philanthropy and development in Pittsburgh. He dedicated his life to revitalizing the region and breathing new life into it by utilizing land for projects. Shanahan was particularly passionate about the South Hills community. 

In the early 2010s, Shanahan realized what had become of Cool Springs. The beloved driving range was showing its age and the surrounding community was changing as younger families moved to the area. Shanahan and his team at PCG soon stepped in, but none of them could have imagined what kind of impact their work would have. The project became game-changing for not only PCG and Cool Springs but for Pittsburghers who would soon get back what once was a beloved part of the community. 

A Much-Needed Facelift

Before Shanahan and his team approached the Cool Springs project, the complex remained unused for a long time. Then, in September 2013, a fire destroyed the existing Cool Springs facility. News outlets called the facility “struggling,” and the fire didn’t help its plummeting reputation. In fact, earlier that year, Cool Springs had cut back its hours and even closed for several months due to financial constraints, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. 

Shanahan saw the potential in the facility. As a born Pittsburgher, former football player, and avid golfer, he was passionate about sports, making it hard for him to watch Cool Springs continue on a downhill trajectory. For him, Cool Springs was special. Shanahan recalled fond memories of going to the batting cages or playing golf as a child. Cool Springs was a place for athletes to practice and golf lovers to relax, but it also united families and helped new generations discover a love for sports and fitness. 

Shanahan had a bold vision to both restore what made community members fall in love with Cool Springs and to expand the facility into a dynamic hub for health and wellness that can both entertain and better the region and its people. 

In Oct. 2013, just a month after the fire broke out, Shanahan purchased the facility for $1.66 million. This marked PCG’s first major multi-use land development project, and it’s safe to say this was no small undertaking. Shanahan and his team now had 56 sprawling acres of land in front of them, and it was their job to transform the aging facility into an unrecognizable, modernized sports complex.

An Ambitious Process Guided by a Bold Vision 

When Shanahan approached the project, he knew he needed to deliver outstanding results. The people in the region spent years watching Cool Springs turn into a lesser version of itself. It was key to strike the balance between nostalgia for what made the complex great in the late 20th century and a modernized, expansive facility that expands beyond its original purpose. 

PCG’s ultimate goal was to create a “sports destination mecca,” as Shanahan called it. He wanted to grow all of the features in the facility related to golf and create something the community could take pride in. Additionally, he wanted the new and improved Cool Springs to attract neighboring community members who shared the same passion for golf and sports that he did. 

Just a few months later, that vision was realized, and the new and improved Cool Springs opened its doors to the public. Now known as the Cool Springs Golf and Sports Complex, the facility turned from a shell of its former self into a revitalized complex. 

Phase I of the project was revealed in July 2014 and included an updated mini-golf course, a refurbished driving range with a new building next door for concessions and restrooms, a bar and grille, a pavilion for hosting parties, and a clubhouse with televisions and patio that overlooks the driving range, reported Mt. Lebanon Magazine. 

Then, just a few months later, phase II was underway: The Allegheny Health Network Sports Complex at Cool Springs. The second phase expanded even more upon what phase one established. It includes a football field, basketball courts, and a soccer field. Overlooking all of the fields is the 170,000-square-foot AHN Sports Medicine Center, complete with doctors’ offices and training facilities. The facility opened in November of 2015. 

Opening the AHN facility made Cool Springs a place to practice and learn new sports while also training community members to practice taking care of the people who use the facility. Pittsburgh’s thriving medical scene was only advanced through this addition to the sports complex. 

A Continued Realization of Shanahan’s Vision

In 2024, Brian Shanahan sadly passed away. Still, his vision for a sports mecca in Cool Springs lives on. 

Today, Cool Springs Golf and Sports Complex once again thrives as a staple in Pittsburgh. In August 2024, NEXT Pittsburgh named its mini-golf course one of the best in the region. Local sports teams use the fields for games, including a recent February soccer match between the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University’s teams. 

PCG remains committed to investing in Cool Springs, with plans to renovate the driving range in Spring 2025. The updates aim to expand the target practice area and enhance the overall experience and appearance of the hillside facilities within the sprawling Bethel Park community.

Meanwhile, PCG continues to grow. Now led by Karen Shanahan, the organization recently moved into impact investing – a continued mission inspired by Shanahan’s original vision for the firm.