Farmer's Market Old Town La Quinta

PGA West/La Quinta Resort Overseeding Schedule

2008 Overseeding Schedule
Water Off Close Open

RESORT
**La Quinta Resort Dunes Course Sep. 15 Sep. 29 Oct. 24
**La Quinta Resort Mountain Course Oct. 17 Oct. 31 Nov. 26
**PGA WEST TPC Stadium Course Sep. 22 Oct. 6 Oct. 31
**PGA WEST Nicklaus Tournament Course Sep. 15 Sep. 29 Oct. 24
**PGA WEST Norman Course Oct. 17 Oct. 31 Nov. 25

PRIVATE
La Quinta Golf Club Citrus Course Sep. 22 Oct. 6 Nov. 7
PGA WEST Nicklaus Private Course Sep. 29 Oct. 13 Nov. 7
PGA WEST Palmer Private Course Oct. 6 Oct. 20 Nov. 14
PGA WEST Weiskopf Private Course Oct. 13 Oct. 27 Nov. 21
***ALL COURSES CART PATH ONLY 30 DAYS AFTER OS***

PRACTICE FACILITIES
**La Quinta Resort Driving Range Oct. 13 Oct. 27 Nov. 14
**PGA WEST Resort Driving Range Sep. 19 Oct. 3 Oct. 24
**PGA WEST Norman Driving Range Oct. 17 Oct. 31 Nov. 25
La Quinta Citrus Driving Range Sep. 22 Oct. 6 Nov. 7
PGA WEST Private Driving Range Oct. 13 Oct. 27 Nov. 14
2008 Aerifying Schedule Estimated Date of

Resort Courses Closed Greens Recovery
**La Quinta Resort Mountain Course July 7-10 Jul. 24
**La Quinta Resort Dunes Course June 23-26 Jul. 10
**PGA WEST TPC Stadium Course July 7-10 Jul. 24
**PGA WEST Norman Course June 16-19 Jul. 3
**PGA WEST Nicklaus Tournament Course June 23-26 Jul. 10
**La Quinta Resort Mountain Course Aug. 25-28 Sep. 11
**La Quinta Resort Dunes Course Aug. 4-7 Aug. 21
**PGA WEST TPC Stadium Course Aug 18-21 Sep. 4
**PGA WEST Norman Course July 28-31 Aug. 14
**PGA WEST Nicklaus Tournament Course Aug. 4-7 Aug. 21

Estimated Date of
Private Courses Closed Greens Recovery
1 PGA WEST Weiskopf Private Course June 2-5 Jun. 19
1 PGA WEST Nicklaus Private Course May 27-30 Jun. 13
1 PGA WEST Palmer Private Course June 23-26 Jul. 10
1 La Quinta Resort Citrus Course June 9-12 Jun. 26
2 PGA WEST Weiskopf Private Course July 21-24 Aug. 7
2 PGA WEST Nicklaus Private Course Jun. 30-Jul. 3 Jul. 17
2 PGA WEST Palmer Private Course July 14-17 Jul. 31
2 La Quinta Resort Citrus Course July 14-17 Jul. 31
3 PGA WEST Weiskopf Private Course Sept. 2-5 Sep. 19
3 PGA WEST Nicklaus Private Course Aug. 11-14 Aug. 28
3 PGA WEST Palmer Private Course Aug. 25-28 Sep. 11
3 La Quinta Resort Citrus Course Aug. 18-21 Sep. 4

2008 Course Closures
Subject to Change Current as of 6/03/08
2008 Course Maintenance Schedule

Fore! Sale

Fore! Sale
By Robert Lockard
Reposted from LuxuryRealEstate.com

When was the last time you heard someone brag about the luxury of living near the finest basketball arena in the world? Or the most prestigious football field? Chances are you have not. Despite these sports’ popularity, they are rarely connected with luxury. However, there is one sport whose fairways attract the gaze and praise of luxury seekers around the world: Golf. Few sport grounds enjoy the peculiar prestige of golf courses. Why? Perhaps it is because no two golf courses are the same. Most sports require a flat, dry surface with specified dimensions, while golf distinctly includes hills, trees, sand traps, bodies of water and other features to provide challenge and variety for golf enthusiasts. Perhaps golf courses are special because they occupy much more land than a typical sports arena. Whatever the reason, golf is uniquely linked to luxury lifestyle.

There are many ways to enjoy a luxury golf lifestyle. Casual golfers might enjoy their own private putting green or small course on their property to use on special occasions. Dedicated golfers who are attracted to the competitive nature of the sport, on the other hand, might prefer owning a property in a dynamic golf community to enjoy all of the advantages available only to residents. “The significance of golf-course communities extends beyond the obvious appeal of the course itself, which should not be discounted by any means,” says Johnny Phelps, Associate Broker with Harry Norman, Realtors in Atlanta. “But while the ‘club’ atmosphere has long provided a platform for social as well as business engagements, golf communities also present a much-desired consistency of appearance, a factor that has the appeal of long standing. It should also be noted that most golf communities are gated, providing an additional level of security that is paramount for the homeowners.” Of course, golf communities have changed over the years to appeal to a wider group of people with changing tastes. They continue to satisfy many people’s desire for world-class courses while also providing ample activities for those less interested in the sport, including family members seeking a fun vacation experience.

Many private and public golf communities have sprung up around the United States to cater to these changes in golfers’ preferences. A spectacular example is the Promontory Club in Park City, Utah, east of Salt Lake City. “With not one but two world-class courses by highly renowned designers, members here can spend a lifetime mastering the challenges of these courses,” says Melissa Garland, Marketing Director of Promontory. “When Jack Nicklaus was first invited to Promontory to select the area for his members-only Signature course, he was immediately drawn to the wide spaces in the valleys in the southwest side of the property. Nicklaus blended long fairways with the stream that runs through the area to create one of the longest and most breathtaking courses in Utah.” Not to be outdone, Promontory’s Pete Dye Signature course offers beautiful and challenging elevation changes as it wanders through the canyons on the north side of Promontory. Both courses provide players with awe-inspiring views of the surrounding mountain ranges, even as players try to keep their eyes on the ball. “Golf that is unique in both beauty and play is what attracts enthusiasts to Promontory,” Garland says. “The customer service and member care provided by the Promontory staff is second to none in the luxury, private-club market. Top-quality teaching staff and an ever-growing list of family-oriented golf activities make golf at Promontory the experience that every golf-loving family is seeking today.” As noted before, golf developments are often designed to please not only golf enthusiasts, but their families and casual golfers who are looking for a resort lifestyle. “Today’s golf-community buyer is younger, often with young children and with a wide variety of interests within each family,” Garland says. “The opportunity to bring families together in an environment that has not only world-class golf programs, but also a wide variety of member programs and virtually every outdoor activity is the biggest factor contributing to the popularity of such communities. When you combine a beautiful mountain retreat location with top-notch golf and one-of-a-kind homes, it’s not too difficult to see why Promontory is a leader in this market.”

Another amazing golf development is the PGA West country club in La Quinta, California, 40 minutes east of Palm Springs. Many of PGA West’s high-end properties are represented by Sandi Phillips of California Lifestyle Realty. Established in 1984, PGA West is a recreational/resort development consisting of more than 2,200 acres of world-class golf, tennis and fitness. PGA West currently hosts six golf courses designed by five of golf’s top designers: Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman, Tom Weiskopf and Pete Dye. In fact, PGA West is the only private club in the world with two golf courses ranked in Golf Magazine’s 100 Greatest Courses in the World. This club is also noteworthy for hosting PGA Tour events every year since its inception in 1986. Beyond its world-class golf courses, PGA West offers members three expansive clubhouses, a health and racquet club, as well as plenty of social activities. Like a flower in the desert, PGA West’s lush green courses and vibrant bodies of water stand in stark contrast to the surrounding sea of sand. Both PGA West and Promontory have a unique challenge to maintain the green beauty of their golf courses despite their location in deserts. Golfers expect their golf courses to be kept in immaculate condition, so it is essential for luxury golf communities to be vigilant in this area. They meet this challenge by employing creative engineering tactics, investing a great deal of time and resources into the maintenance of their courses.

Moving beyond the desert into the Eastern United States, we find the one-and-only Pinehurst Resort, which is within walking distance of the Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina, west of Fort Bragg and Fayetteville. The Pinehurst Resort was originally designed in 1895 by Frederick Law Olmsted, the famed architect of New York City’s Central Park, and Donald Ross, an imaginative young man who went on to become known as “the father of modern golf architecture.” With a whopping eight golf courses on 2,000 acres of land, the Pinehurst Resort is a unique combination of old-fashioned charm and modern conveniences. While all eight golf courses in this resort are impressive in their own right, Ross’ Pinehurst No. 2 golf course, which was completed in 1907, is arguably the most prestigious in the country and certainly in North Carolina. This is quite a bold statement because the Village of Pinehurst is considered by many to be the traditional home of American golf, with 150 miles of fairway on 43 magnificent golf courses within a 15-mile radius. Pinehurst No. 2 is certainly worthy of this distinction, though. Maureen H. Clark, Broker with York Simpson Underwood, is representing an historic 1928 cottage located in a prime location at the 150-yard marker of the 5th fairway of Pinehurst No. 2. The 190 Midland Road cottage offered residents excellent views of both the 1999 and 2005 U.S. Opens hosted at Pinehurst and will do so again for the 2014 U.S. Men’s Tournament and many other upcoming high-profile events. It is currently listed for $2,350,000. In addition to golf, residents of the Pinehurst Resort can enjoy a variety of equestrian and other outdoor activities.

Opulent golf living is not solely found in luxury resorts. Those looking for a world-class golf experience on their own private course can find exactly what they’re looking for at Le Rêve, a 72-acre Atlanta estate inspired by King Louis XIV’s ineffable Château de Versailles, built in the 17th century near Paris. Le Rêve is being offered for $45,000,000 and is exclusively represented by James Simons, a top-ranked Agent of Jenny Pruitt & Associates, REALTORS®. This 47,000-square-foot, four-story palatial residence contains an astonishing 82 rooms, including a 27-seat movie theater, model train room, Brunswick two-lane bowling alley, 1950s-style diner and, most importantly, a virtual golf room. Imagine launching perfect drives down the fairway in the privacy of your own home. Simply amazing. Outside, the estate encompasses an impressive nine-hole golf course. Two of the course’s holes were modeled after the 11th and 12th greens at the Augusta National Golf Club, which hosts the Masters Tournament each year in Augusta, Georgia. The property also includes a 4.5-acre lake, horseback riding trails, amphitheater and lawn tennis court. All of these incredible features add up to a completely luxurious experience worthy of the finest golf resorts in the world.

Whether you desire old history or new innovations, privacy or prestige, challenge or fun, golf developments can provide exactly what you’re looking for. We’ve covered a small sampling of exceptional golf properties and resorts across the country, but there is no limit to the possibilities available. Returning to the question posed at the beginning of this article about why golf courses are considered so luxurious, perhaps the answer lies in the combination of their rich heritage, exclusive, coveted membership and serene locations. Take your best shot and discover for yourself why golf properties are such a stroke of genius!

Demolition is underway as the Stadium Clubhouse undergoes some major changes

Short Sales

A short sale is when a bank or mortgage lender agrees to discount a loan balance due to an economic or financial hardship on the part of the mortgagor. This negotiation is all done through communication with a bank's Loss mitigation department. The home owner/debtor sells the mortgaged property for less than the outstanding balance of the loan, and turns over the proceeds of the sale to the lender in full satisfaction of the debt. In such instances, the lender would have the right to approve or disapprove of a proposed sale.

Extenuating circumstances influence whether or not banks will discount a loan balance. These circumstances are usually related to the current real estate market climate and the individual borrower's financial situation.

A short sale typically is executed to prevent a home foreclosure. Often a bank will choose to allow a short sale if they believe that it will result in a smaller financial loss than foreclosing. For the home owner, the advantages include avoidance of having a foreclosure on their credit history and the partial control of the monetary deficiency. Additionally, a short sale is typically faster and less expensive than a foreclosure. In short, a short sale is nothing more than negotiating with lien holders a payoff for less than what they are owed, or rather a sale of a debt, generally on a piece of real estate, short of the full debt amount.

Creditors, their surrogates, and those who politically benefit from the mortgage industry -- especially those in the real-estate, mortgage servicing, and banking -- wrongly portray short sales as difficult to complete or morally questionable[citation needed]. This is simply untrue if the value of the underlying asset, a home, has fallen dramatically and the debtor has limited assets. Short sales are extraordinarily common in standard business transactions in recognition that creditors are not doing debtors a favor but, rather, engaging in a business transaction when extending credit. When it makes no business sense or is economically not feasible to retain an asset businesses default on their loans (called bonds). It is not uncommon for business bonds to trade on the after-market for a small fraction of their face value in realization of the likelihood of these future defaults.

Negotiatons
Lenders have a department (typically called a loss mitigation department) that processes potential short sale transactions. Typically, lenders do not accept short sale offers or requests for short sales until a Notice of Default has been issued or recorded with the locality where the property is located.

Lenders have a varying tolerance for short sales and mitigated losses. The majority of lenders have a pre-determined criteria for such transactions. Other distressed lenders may allow any reasonable offer subject to a loss mitigator's approval. "Red tape" is very common in short sales, requiring potentially multiple levels of approvals and conditions. Junior liens - such as second mortgages, HELOC lenders, and HOA (special assessment liens) - may need to approve the short sale. Frequent objectors to short sales include tax lieners (income, estate or corporate franchise tax - as opposed to real property taxes, which have priority even when unrecorded) and mechanic's lien holders. It is possible for junior lien holders to prevent the short sale.


Recent Changes to Federal Laws Affecting Mortgages
When the lender decides to forgive all or a portion of a borrower's debt and accept less, the forgiven amount is considered as income for the borrower and is liable to be taxed.

However, after the signing of The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007, amendments have been made to remove such tax liability and allow the borrower and lender to work freely together to find a common solution that is beneficial to both parties. This protection is limited to primary residences -- rental properties are ineligible for relief -- so consultation with a tax advisor is necessary to ensure that a borrower qualifies.[1]

More recent legislation provides for a specialized type of refinancing option, available for mortgages made after in 2006 or later, for owner-occupied homes. Under this program a debtor provides information similar to that necessary for a short-sale but rather than selling the house to a third-party an FHA guaranteed loan at a fixed-rate is available if the original lender is willing to write-off all but 85-percent of outstanding of the debtor's obligations (including principal, interest, late-fees, prepayment penalties, and all other fees). FHA-backed refinance packages are available beginning October, 2008, and carry a fee equal to 1.5% of the value of the house. Debtors who exercise this option must sacrifice 50-100 percent of equity that builds in a house, and may not participate in home equity loan programs. This program is only available to owner-occupied residences. This program requires consent from a lender: consent is not automatic and may be freely withheld, though withholding consent can result in a foreclosure with adverse financial results.


Credit reporting
A short sale does adversely affect a person's credit report, though the negative impact is typically less than a foreclosure. Short sales are a type of settlement. Like all entries except for bankruptcy, short sales remain on a credit report for seven years. Depending upon other credit information it is typically possible to obtain another mortgage 1-3 years after a short sale.

While it is frequent if not common for a lender to forgive the balance of the loan in question, it is unlikely that a lien holder that is not a mortgagee will forgive any of their balance. Further, it is common for a lender to omit updating mortgage balances to reflect a zero balance after a short sale. However, willfully misrepresenting information on a credit report constitutes libel in many states, and lenders may be sued in civil court for engaging in this behavior.

Sid Kirkland donating kidney to friend and co-worker

Sid Kirkland, who turns 43 today, is donating a kidney to his friend and co-worker Betsy Justice.


“When we were first beginning to talk about this, I kept asking him why he wanted to do this for me,” Justice said. “I mean, I've got friends that I've known 25 to 30 years, and none of them stepped up and offered me a kidney.”

The two were scheduled to be wheeled into the operating room at Loma Linda University Medical Center this morning to undergo kidney transplant surgery.

Justice, 48, who was diagnosed with chronic end-stage renal failure — kidney failure — last August, has been on the transplant list for less than a year.

The two have been friends for just as long.

“Most people have to wait five to seven years for a match,” Justice said. “But I am one of the lucky ones. I waited less than a year to get well from this disease.”

Kirkland and Justice, both Realtors and La Quinta residents, met casually through mutual friends during the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic golf tournament about two years ago.

Then in November, Kirkland joined California Lifestyle Realty and began to work side by side with Justice.

He soon learned of Justice's condition and by January Kirkland decided he wanted to do something about it.

“I was with a client at the time, and Sid came over and said, ‘Hey I need to talk to you.' And I said, ‘Really? What about?'”

Imitating Kirkland at that moment, Justice patted her lower back and recalled Kirkland saying: “‘About one of these.'”

Justice said she remembered laughing and saying, “‘That's funny. What? You got an extra kidney you want to give me?' And he says, ‘Matter of fact, I do.'

“I was really taken aback by that. I wasn't sure if he was serious.”

Astonished, baffled and a bit skeptical, Justice said said she found herself constantly asking why he had offered. Then she received her answer.

“I looked at him and said, ‘Seriously, why are you doing this for me? I need to understand your reasoning because this is such a big deal,'” Justice said, crying. “And he said to me, ‘It gives me the opportunity, as a human being, to do something in this lifetime that is bigger than the sum of who I am.'”

She paused again to wipe a tear as it tried creeping down her cheek.

“I thought that was really, very profound,” she said.

A match is found
Justice, who has had a history of high blood pressure but was healthy otherwise, said she began feeling a change in the spring of 2007.

“I didn't have any energy, I had bad skin. ... I had a lot of weird symptoms,” Justice recalled. “I had a rash on my back that was itching all the time — just weird stuff. I knew something was wrong, but I just thought that I was deficient.”

Then when $200 worth of vitamins didn't do it for her, she thought maybe she was “just hormonal.”

But one day last August, she had to figure out what was happening to her body.

“I was shaking all the time. I mean, I could really feel something was wrong inside of me,” she said. “I had a splitting headache, and this was ongoing for several months, so I checked into emergency.”

After a quick blood sample, the wondering was over and a nephrologist on call that night came to her bedside to tell her she had hypertensive nephrosclerosis — which wasn't a surprise because she had a history of high blood pressure — and was suffering from chronic end-stage renal failure.

“I said, ‘What does that mean?' And he answered, ‘Your kidneys are functioning at about 8 percent of 100 (percent) and we need to put you on dialysis immediately' — and then I threw up,” she recalled.

Two days later, a catheter was inserted into her chest — “my rubbery little port where I can get cleaned up” — and has since been taking dialysis treatments three to four times a week for the past year.

During the six months after her diagnosis, she began the screening process to become a transplant candidate.

She ended up on the transplant list for a cadaver donor by January.

Shortly after, Kirkland stepped up to be her living donor.

“The more and more I found out about it, the more and more it just felt right,” he said. “I don't know why I wanted to at first, really. I guess it was just a calling.”

In California to date, 9,831 living donors have given their kidneys to people in need of transplants, according to The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.

Of that number, there have been 266 living kidney donors in the state so far this year.

“You can make that 267, thanks to my friend, Sid,” Justice said.

Prepping for the day
Sid says he has had no reservations.

“I've been kind of gung-ho with the whole thing the entire time,” Kirkland said, beaming.

His family initially wasn't as comfortable, though.

“I was nervous about it at first. In fact, I thought he was crazy,” said Kirkland's wife Laurie Kirkland, laughing. “I was concerned about his well-being because if something happened to him, I mean, we have kids.”

The Kirklands have two teens, 14-year-old Curtis who has an autistic related disability and 12-year-old Stephanie.

“But he did a lot of research and that helped with coping,” Laurie said.

As part of Kirkland's preparation for today's surgery, he said he's watched two kidney transplant surgeries via the Internet.

How did Justice prepare for her big day?

“I've just been on my knees, thankful to the good Lord every night,” she said.

Prodding and poking
The screening process to ensure living donors and those receiving the organ is a rigorous one, Kirkland and Justice said.

“She's been pricked, prodded and probed and I've been pricked, prodded and probed,” Kirkland said.

But even after the relief of knowing they were a match in March, Justice and Kirkland had to undergo one more hurdle last week — their last cross-match test.

“It freaked me out,” Justice said. “Up to the very last minute, it could have gone wrong. And I thought this whole time, once you're a match, you're a match.”

Kirkland received his final medical bracelet Aug. 5 and Justice put hers on Aug. 6 to confirm they are matches for the surgery.

The two can't take off their “friendship bracelets” until after the surgery.

“I'm happier than I could ever be knowing I'm going to give her my kidney on my birthday,” Kirkland said. “It's better than a T-shirt or anything I could ever get.”

For Justice, whose birthday isn't until October, this will forever be the greatest gift she'll ever get to accept.

“It's a bit of an overwhelming gift to receive on my part,” Justice said, “knowing that this generous person wants to do this generous deed for me.”

Bob Hope Chrysler Classic Announcement PGA West

As you may have read this morning in the Desert Sun, we are delighted to announce The Club at PGA WEST has been selected as the host site for the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic! The Club has locked in the host site honors for years 2009 through 2013.

New this year, and equally exciting, the Jack Nicklaus Private will be added to the rotation, in addition to the Arnold Palmer Private. This means PGA WEST will host two of the four courses for this prestigious event, during its 50th Anniversary! Finally, Arnold Palmer will serve as the celebrity host to add to the prestige. Tell all your friends, family and neighbors; PGA WEST will have the final round played on the Palmer once again!

For those of you that have attended this tournament in years past, you know how exciting this PGA TOUR event is. For those new Members, consider this:

· David Duval's stunning "59" on his final round for the win on the Palmer
in 1999.

· Phil Mickelson's final round, final hole "monster flop shot" for the win in
2004.

· A clubhouse full of your favorite celebrities & PGA TOUR stars.

· Or, simply the Members' house parties plum full of your friends, enjoying
great golf, drinks and a few laughs along the way.

These are life's great moments, and an opportunity that other Clubs rarely have. Events of this nature are truly great for our community.