The Easy Life In The Desert

Quiet and peaceful (until it ain't):

Resident Barbara Koltweit played her best round of golf ever on the course of Palm Desert Country Club on Monday afternoon, a 76. Then the club closed.

"I posted my score at 2 p.m. and no one said anything to me," said Koltweit, who lives on the fairway. "I'm kind of in shock."

Koltweit was one of many residents trying to make sense of the closing of clubhouse and golf course on Monday afternoon, when a notice was posted on the door of the clubhouse on California Drive.

...Kosmont, Randy Case, another developer, and Dahoon Investment filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on June 19 in Central District Court in Riverside, hoping to restructure debts of more than $1 million.

...“That's going to kill the property values,” said Paul Sturwold, who has lived at the club for more than 20 years.

The club, opened in 1962, closed its nine-hole executive course in early June, leaving its 18-hole course open for play.

Club members first asked the city for a financial bailout on June 8. Reception from council members was cool.

The owners “didn't put any money away for a rainy day,” Sturwold said.

...On June 25, the Palm Desert City Council rejected the idea of forming an assessment district for the club — levying a special fee on club residents to be used for maintenance of its two golf courses.

A long overdue water bill from the Coachella Valley Water District forced the club to go to the city in mid-August to request an interim loan to cover the annual reseeding of its courses. City officials agreed to review the request.