By Rene Stutzman
LONGWOOD -- In small, discreet white letters, a sign near the guardhouse at the front of Alaqua, one of Central Florida's most prestigious golf communities, said it all: "Club is closed." The member-owners of Alaqua Country Club shut it down Wednesday. The club was more than $2.5 million in debt and needed a cash infusion right away. It didn't get one.
It was a plan that split the community and prompted three homeowners to file suit. Some country-club members Wednesday blamed those dissidents for the club's demise. Country-club President George Smith accused them of "trying to destroy the whole neighborhood." Others, though, said the end of the country club and its financial struggles would be a positive thing. "This is an opportunity for a new start, a fresh start," said member Harold Kaplan, "to wipe clean the slate." Golfers who arrived Wednesday found the club's 50 golf carts locked up, its course abandoned, and no one pouring drinks at the bar. During lunch hour, the office on the top floor of the clubhouse was abuzz as members stopped by to find out what had happened, what was going to happen and when they could get back on the course -- a tight, unforgiving 18-hole course laid out by Hall of Famer Gary Player. It was unclear Wednesday exactly what would become of the club with tennis courts, swimming pool and a clubhouse that sports, among other things, a fireplace in the women's locker room. A group of business people had already begun talks to acquire it, said Kaplan, a country-club member charged with finding a way to get the place reopened. "We're going to be back," Kaplan said. He could not say when, but he predicted it wouldn't be long. He was optimistic, though members tried to sell the club last spring and did not get a single credible offer, according to club officers. Also unclear Wednesday was whether new owners would open the golf course to day players -- outsiders with no ties to the exclusive community and no membership. The club had 36 employees. Those who arrived at work Wednesday were told they no longer had jobs, said Sue Dunnington, general manager. She, however, said she planned to stay. History of money problems Members bought the money-losing club in the mid-1990s from the neighborhood's developer, Westbury Alaqua, but they were never able to make it profitable. "We never had a positive cash flow," Kaplan said. Over the years, the club's board turned to members time after time, requiring new assessments to keep the club afloat. That prompted many to abandon the club. In the end, it had 52 "equity" or owner-members. About 35 attended Tuesday night's meeting. The vote against a new assessment was nearly unanimous, member Jim Tharp said. The outcome meant individuals would walk away empty-handed from an institution in which they had each invested from $26,000 to $50,000, Tharp said. "Sometimes, investments are good," Tharp said. "Sometimes, they are not." There are an estimated 100 golf courses within a 25-mile radius of downtown Orlando. Many have changed owners or gone out of business in recent years, largely because of a glut of courses, a drop-off in tourist play and a slow economy. Deer Run Country Club, a semi-private course in Casselberry, reopened last year under new ownership. The owners of Cypress Creek, a struggling public course near the Mall at Millenia, are trying to rezone the land so the property can be used for hundreds of home sites. Ironically, as Alaqua closes, another private course has broken ground about 10 miles away at Heathrow Country Estates, a high-end development. Its course is expected to open to players in November.
|
