As a member for 14 years at Beaver Lakes Country Club, Jim Manganello always thought the 18-hole golf course he played several times a week was a hidden gem.

Never mind that the club, less than three miles off Route 60 in Aliquippa, had played host to a number of Tri-State PGA and West Penn Golf Association championships over the years. Or that the layout was unique to Western Pennsylvania because 15 of the 18 holes were flat and only one had a sidehill lie.

Mr. Manganello thought most people weren't aware of Beaver Lakes. And he never understood when the club, like a lot of other older private golf facilities in Western Pennsylvania, began to endure a declining membership.

"Not too many people know about it," said Mr. Manganello, an Economy resident and bowling entrepreneur who owns lanes in Baden and Aliquippa. "Not too many people have had a chance to play here."

Mr. Manganello, 63, wants to change that. He bought Beaver Lakes from 103 non-equity members for approximately $2.4 million last month and said he plans to pump money and energy into the 76-year-old club in an attempt to attract new members and reinvent the facility as a social, entertainment and recreation attraction.

He has started by changing the name to Shadow Lakes Country Club, an attempt to create a new identity with people outside the Beaver County region. And he has hired longtime golf professional Sean Parees from Quicksilver Golf Club to oversee the golf operation and attract corporate and charity outings.

"The name 'Beaver' connotes that it's awfully far away when, in reality, we're only 35 minutes from Downtown and 25 minutes from Green Tree," Mr. Parees said. "We need to let people know we're here and that we're in close proximity to Moon, Robinson and the [Pittsburgh International] airport. Even Imperial and Oakdale are close now with the new road," a reference to Route 576 that connects the airport with Route 22/30.

Mr. Parees, 57, brings a cartful of experience to the new venture. He worked 14 years at a private facility -- Rolling Hills Country Club in McMurray -- and the last 17 years at Quicksilver, an upscale daily-fee facility in Midway that charged steep greens fees and featured country club-like conditions.

He will be entrusted with rebuilding the membership and attracting outside parties, something he thinks he will be able to do because of the quality golf course he has to offer and the extensive banquet facilities in the renovated clubhouse.

"It has a good membership base, but we have to expand into Allegheny County," Mr. Parees said. "Because of the quality of the golf course, we think we can do that. We want to create one of the best country clubs around that offer good conditioning with affordable prices."

According to one of the provisions of the purchase, Mr. Manganello has to continue to operate the club as a private facility until 2012. However, Shadow Lakes will offer a social membership that allows the public to play the course on a limited monthly basis, without paying any initiation or monthly dues.

Mr. Manganello left open the possibility the club could be converted to a public or semiprivate facility that allowed daily-fee play when the five-year period expires, depending on the growth of Shadow Lakes and the support of the members.

"We're going to evaluate each year as we go along," Mr. Manganello said. "It's up to the members. They will dictate what kind of club we have. If they support us, we'll stay the way we are. If they don't, then we'll explore our options."