Idaho Club shoots for public opening in June

SANDPOINT — The pending new owners of The Idaho Club are shooting for opening its 18-hole golf course to the public in June.

“We are very excited to get the course reopened and welcome the Sandpoint community back to The Idaho Club,” Bill Haberman of Valiant Idaho said in an email to the Daily Bee.

How public play will be managed is still being sorted out, as is the cost of greens fees, according to Haberman.

The Idaho Club conducted a soft opening of the Jack Nicklaus-signature golf course for homeowners and former club members on Friday.

Haberman said the club is working on getting the course presentable and playable, although those efforts have been complicated by the ongoing foreclosure proceedings and the fact that Valiant is not yet the owner of the development.

Haberman said it’s difficult to predict the timing of the resolution of the foreclosure process.

“We are hoping it will be later this year, but even that is uncertain,” said Haberman.

Valiant spared the majority of the club’s undeveloped parcels and golf course from going to public auction last July because of unpaid property taxes and interest. Valiant paid $1.7 million in overdue taxes and acquired the interest of a previous Idaho Club lender.

Valiant plans to continue to build out the club, which fell on hard times in the housing market collapse and the downturn in the national economy. The loss of the club’s iconic club house to a structure fire in 2008 didn’t help matters.

Valiant has experience in investing in distressed resort and golf course properties. The company focuses on large-scale real estate projects and have significant inherent value but are struggling with complex legal and financial issues.