BREAKING NEWS:

North Strand Courses Sever Ties with Links Group

By Shane Sharp,
Contributing Writer

• Editorial: Links Group Gets Green Light to Expand
• Readers Respond to Links Group Editorial
• Links Group Receives an Extension (posted Nov. 27, 2001)
• Editorial: Links Group Stumbles Out of Bankruptcy Gate (posted Dec. 4, 2001)

CALABASH, N.C. (Dec. 5, 2001) – Farmstead and the Meadowlands Golf Clubs in Brunswick County have officially terminated their lease agreement with the Links Group, the Grand Strand’s largest golf course management company.

Teresa McLamb, who co-owns and manages the courses with her father, W.J. McLamb, told MyrtleBeachGolf.com Tuesday that the Links Group did not make a lease payment within 15 days of the agreed upon date, thus forfeiting the lease agreement.

“I am not sure what they (the Links Group) are saying that they are still with us, because as far as we are concerned, they are done here,” McLamb said.

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McLamb and her father reached an agreement with Burroughs and Chapin last week for the management of their North Strand golf courses. The McLambs originally signed a lease agreement with the Links Group in September, just a month after the troubled company emerged from Chapter 11 Bankruptcy.

McLamb said that Ken Folkes, Links Group President, failed to deliver a monthly payment, and the company was ultimately ordered to leave the property.

“Given their situation, we knew they would not be able to produce the money after the 15-day period,” McLamb said. “But we are so excited about Burroughs and Chapin. They are so organized, and we have already met all the people that we will be coming into contact with as they manage our courses.”

McLamb said that neither she nor her father were introduced to any of the Links Group staff prior to signing the lease agreement with them, other than Folkes and MemberTee Management President Cal Rogers.

MemberTee was named in court papers as the organization that would provide the $1.8 to $4 million in funding needed to execute the Links Group’s reorganization plan. The court recently granted the Links Group and MemberTee an extension to Dec. 17 to come up with the funding. McLamb said that she does not see them meeting the new deadline.

“I feel sorry for them, I really do,” she said. “If they can’t pay us for a month, how are they going to come up with that money. There is a company in Canada that was interested in helping, but some of their investors have already pulled out. A lot of people are going to get hurt in this thing. They owe people millions of dollars.”

Just last week, Rogers told MyrtleBeachGolf.com that the Links Group was still in control of the leases for both Meadowlands and Farmstead. McLamb said that is no longer the case.

“The deal with Burroughs is done,” McLamb said. “Now we are part of a network of great golf courses, and we’ll have more golfers guided this way.”

Shane Sharp is a Contributing Writer with TravelGolf.com. Contact him at sharp@travelgolf.com.