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Errol benefactor speaks up

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It would probably be fair to call Larry Klein the savior of Errol Estate Country Club. After the then-owner of the course ran out of money in 2014, Klein stepped-up with an infusion of money and operations continued. He built a management team, changed the name to Apopka Golf and Tennis at Errol, and wrote a lot of big checks to keep the golf course in good shape and operating.

But it was never meant to be a permanent fix. The 91-year-old Klein has been looking for a buyer/developer almost as soon as he took over, and a few months ago, he found one.

Last week representatives from Signature H Property Group met with the Errol residents who would be most directly effected by their development plans. Use this link to read about those meetings. The Signature H representatives indicated that, while they now controlled the Errol golf course, Klein was still involved. And while it was comforting to know their benefactor was still a part of the ownership team, there was significant pushback on the plan presented by Signature H.

So why did Klein sell to them?

After the meetings, The Apopka Voice reached out to Klein to get his perspective on the new venture. He provided us with this statement:

"Apopka Golf & Tennis at Errol has been in financial distress for many years, losing on average of $60,000 per month. It was clearly heading in the direction of closure like other courses such as Rock Springs Ridge and many others that have recently closed down.

After funding over $3,000,000, I decided I could not continue funding the losses, so I began searching for developers with ideas. After considering several other developers, none of who were willing to participate in the financial requirements, I chose to joint venture with Signature H Property Group because their professional team brought creative ideas and offered a partnership that also includes their financial participation.

For the past 9 months we've worked together to develop the right plan to save the club. During this time, Signature H has proven to be a hard working partner by continually developing the plan, bringing in top quality consultants, and holding public meetings. One of the first decisions they made was to introduce Paul Fisher, a member of Signature H, as the new GM of the club, which is a move that has been widely praised by the members.

I couldn't be more confident that we have found the best partner to not only save Errol Estate, but create the most iconic development in the NW quadrant of Orlando."

Tomorrow, The Apopka Voice will report on the presentation that Signature H laid out last week to Errol residents that details its plans for the community.

 

Apopka Golf and Tennis at Errol, Errol Estate, Larry Klein, Signature H

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