Benton's Longhills Golf Course Closed with No Solid Future
By: Deedra Wilson, KARK 4 News
Updated: October 5, 2012
Investors believed that a golf course in Benton could thrive, but one of the owners now says he's closing the greens with heartache and a heated legal battle.
It's not the way Longhills Golf Course Owner Bud Busken wanted to go out swinging.
He says it's maybe time to retire, but he didn't want to do it through the courts so Busken hung up a closed sign on Thursday.
His last day was Sunday, but people have still shown up to the course, he said. "We've had some people show up on Monday and hit balls."
Longhills has been a longtime time staple in the golfing community for more than 50 years, but Busken and his wife Mary Jean have been wanting to sell the course for awhile, after business slowed down.
"It's been a good run, it's been fun, it's a great community," Busken said.
Busken said he tried to sell the golf course to the City of Benton, but they didn't want it.
Now he's forced to sell to Lindsey Management Co., which wants to build an apartment complex on the site, but still keep the golf course and swimming pool.
Much like the apartments the company owns on Mount Carmel Road, The Greens at Hurricane Creek.
"We're trying to save that for this community, there's a few folks that don't necessarily see it the same way we do," Busken said.
However, some people like Art Dunn, who's lived here for four years, didn't want the apartment complex in
Longhills at first, but without the complex, the outcome would be grown up weeds.
"My home value is gonna drop if this golf course goes away and the pool goes away, and I'm not going to be able to sell if I ever want to get out of here," said Dunn.
Mary Grace Kinder is getting ready for her garage sale this weekend, but nothing could have prepared her for the closing of the golf course.
"We really liked what they had decided and thought that was our only option, I mean we don't want it to grow up and close down," said Kinder.
Busken said because attorneys on both sides are deciding an issue regarding the course, he can't be sure what will happen.
"We are under a sales contract with Lindsey and we are hopeful as they are hopeful that all issues will be resolved," he said.
So that a beloved golf course that Busken said he and his partners have worked so hard for will remain intact for the community.
"Even though we want to retire, we didn't want to end it like this," said Mary Jean Busken.
If attorney's for both sides resolve the issues, Lindsey will come back to Little Rock for a planning and zoning meeting, to approve a new plan on where the apartments would be located in Longhills.
It's not the way Longhills Golf Course Owner Bud Busken wanted to go out swinging.
He says it's maybe time to retire, but he didn't want to do it through the courts so Busken hung up a closed sign on Thursday.
His last day was Sunday, but people have still shown up to the course, he said. "We've had some people show up on Monday and hit balls."
Longhills has been a longtime time staple in the golfing community for more than 50 years, but Busken and his wife Mary Jean have been wanting to sell the course for awhile, after business slowed down.
"It's been a good run, it's been fun, it's a great community," Busken said.
Busken said he tried to sell the golf course to the City of Benton, but they didn't want it.
Now he's forced to sell to Lindsey Management Co., which wants to build an apartment complex on the site, but still keep the golf course and swimming pool.
Much like the apartments the company owns on Mount Carmel Road, The Greens at Hurricane Creek.
"We're trying to save that for this community, there's a few folks that don't necessarily see it the same way we do," Busken said.
However, some people like Art Dunn, who's lived here for four years, didn't want the apartment complex in
Longhills at first, but without the complex, the outcome would be grown up weeds.
"My home value is gonna drop if this golf course goes away and the pool goes away, and I'm not going to be able to sell if I ever want to get out of here," said Dunn.
Mary Grace Kinder is getting ready for her garage sale this weekend, but nothing could have prepared her for the closing of the golf course.
"We really liked what they had decided and thought that was our only option, I mean we don't want it to grow up and close down," said Kinder.
Busken said because attorneys on both sides are deciding an issue regarding the course, he can't be sure what will happen.
"We are under a sales contract with Lindsey and we are hopeful as they are hopeful that all issues will be resolved," he said.
So that a beloved golf course that Busken said he and his partners have worked so hard for will remain intact for the community.
"Even though we want to retire, we didn't want to end it like this," said Mary Jean Busken.
If attorney's for both sides resolve the issues, Lindsey will come back to Little Rock for a planning and zoning meeting, to approve a new plan on where the apartments would be located in Longhills.
