It could be a case of Hart to Hart.
Stacey Hart, owner of Deer Creek Golf Club in Littleton and Plum Creek Golf and Country Club in Castle Rock, has packed up his clubs and moved to California in hopes of joining the PGA Senior Tour.
Stacey, who turned 50 last June, has left his Colorado golf-club interests in the hands of his older brother, Scott, who has leased both courses from Stacey for 10 years.
“I’m going to try to play tournament golf and try to break 80 again,” Stacey wrote in an e-mail.
What he and Scott didn’t explain was what prompted the sudden layoffs at Deer Creek on Dec. 20 — five days before Christmas. According to my spy, the only employee who was kept on the payroll was the superintendent, who maintains the golf course.
Scott declined to discuss the layoffs that he said were handled by his brother alone. Stacey did not respond to a text and e-mail question about employee reductions.
“I have hired other staff since I assumed control of the course the last few weeks,” Scott said. “We’ve added a couple more people to the maintenance staff, added more people to the restaurant staff, and I’ve hired two or three people to the golf shop.”
Scott took over Plum Creek last summer, and his son, Matt, is running the course, which, along with Deer Creek, is now “semi-private,” allowing public play.
“We’re going semi-private due to the economy,” Scott said. “We’re still trying to fill unused tee times.”
Scott also took Deer Creek out of the restaurant business by hiring the vendor that provides food service for Plum Creek to take over the Deer Creek restaurant.
Stacey, whose Colorado golf-course empire once included Cherry Creek Country Club on South Yosemite Street, has seen his fortunes fade recently. He lost Cherry Creek to his former wife, Karen, as a result of their divorce.
Fallbrook, a Stacey-owned golf course and surrounding undeveloped property in northern San Diego County, fell into a legal scuffle last year when the golf-course seller filed a lawsuit to force Stacey to pay the remaining $2.5 million owed to the seller.
Stacey paid $5 million cash for the course and surrounding undeveloped 40 acres. The $2.5 million promissory note signed by Stacey was still owed on the perimeter property.
When I last spoke to the seller’s attorney, Greg McAtee, both parties were trying to work out an amicable settlement. McAtee did not return phone and e-mail requests for an update on the Fallbrook case.
So is Stacey phasing out his golf-course ownership in favor of going after tournament money? Hard to say.
“Golf is a sport if you’re going to play you have to play every day, especially if you’re going to be competitive,” Scott said. “Stacey thought he could run a business empire and tee it up and shoot par. Golf is too competitive.”
Last-minute love.
Desperate for a Valentine’s Day gift for your much deserved valentine? You can still pick up a little sumpin’- sumpin’ today that says I love you — for five grand.
The Grand Hyatt Denver, 1750 Welton St., is offering the Diamond Valentine’s Package, which includes:
A one-carat diamond bracelet, privately catered dinner for two in the Pinnacle Club on the 38th floor.
A string quartet serenade during dinner, overnight stay in the presidential suite, bottle of Dom Perignon champagne and caviar, a dozen long-stemmed red roses, in-room breakfast the next morning and limousine service to and from the hotel.
Reservations: 303-603-4095.
Steak cape.
When the weather isn’t frightful, customers at Shanahan’s steakhouse, east of I-25 near Belleview, can cozy up to the outdoor fireplace and wrap themselves in chocolate.
Neiman Marcus had chocolate-colored blankets crafted with former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan’s signature “S” exclusively for the restaurant.
“There’s so much emphasis on that outside area because it’s so cool,” Neiman spokeswoman Nancy Sagar said. “We worked through our buying office and resources and came up with those fabulous chocolate throws.”
Neiman gifted 35 blankets — made of eco-friendly bamboo — to the upscale steak place. And, just so you’ll know, the blankets are not for sale.
EAVESDROPPING
A man to a hostess
at the Tilted Kilt:
“Is this a gay bar?”
“No, why?”
“There are only men here.”
Penny Parker’s column appears Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Listen to her on the Caplis and Silverman radio show between 4 and 5 p.m. Fridays on KHOW-630 AM. Call her at 303-954-5224 or e-mail pparker@denverpost.com
