LATEST NEWS
March 16, 2026
First Tee Community Meeting
Many thanks to the nearly 150 neighbors who turned out in a late-winter storm to react to First Tee’s development plans for the Schenley Park Golf Course.
The map at right, which was displayed at the meeting, highlights the location of a driving range, a six-hole par 3 course, golf cart paths, and a new parking lot and golf cart storage barn on Circuit Drive at Darlington Road.
View First Tee’s presentation here.
Golf Course Development Plans
Driving range, golf carts are out of bounds in a crowded city park and residential area
Since 2007 First Tee of Pittsburgh has operated Schenley Park’s golf course under a lease agreement with the City of Pittsburgh. In November 2025 First Tee hosted a community meeting to revive plans for a driving range, golf carts, and other alterations to the course.
Approximately 60 neighbors attended the meeting. Many expressed concern that such changes would increase car traffic and parking both in the park and on Squirrel Hill streets, and would diminish the park’s natural attributes through increased noise, additional lighting and other environmental impacts. Concern was also raised about a plan by the city to locate a Department of Public Works maintenance building in the park, across the road from the current golf course maintenance building.
Neighbors requested regular community meetings to learn more about First Tee’s proposal, and there was broad agreement that any development should strengthen Schenley Park’s stewardship and community use, not just golf programming.
1993 - About 200 people turned out to protest … plans to renovate the city-owned Schenley Park golf course.
They fear that additional traffic and driving range lights would disrupt the neighborhood.
In Context,
In the News
Local Dispatch: The battle of Schenley Golf Course -- and how the people prevailed
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
October 30, 2007
Trees cleared on golf course
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
June 6, 2008
Friends of the Pittsburgh Urban Forest are criticizing the cutting of oaks in Schenley Park to benefit golfers. "Shocked would be a better word," said Ken Stiles, a board member of the urban forest group. "Cutting down 100-year-old healthy trees? Because they were getting in the way of golfers?"
Mike Gable, deputy director of the city's public works department, said First Tee wanted many more trees taken down than the city agreed to.
Schenley Park golf course needs more business, councilman says
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
September 24, 2012
The course has no space for a driving range. But if some holes were eliminated, [Corey] O’Connor said, the space could be used for a practice area. … The annual operating deficit is now less than $70,000, down from $150,000 as recently as 2008, Marc Field, executive director of the First Tee chapter said.