BUHLER, Kan. — Lots of rumblings have been going on about the future of Cottonwood Hills.
The golf and housing development east of Hutchinson has been the subject of much speculation as to its future ever since a group of developers lead by Wichita banker Drayton Aldritt purchased the property from the Bank of Camden.
The latest talk was that the course is for sale. According to former owner and current partial owner Lane Neville, who was the leader in bringing the troubled development to Hutchinson, the course is not for sale. Neville said there was a time this fall that Aldritt considered a flip of the property after the course was resurrected. Neville says they were unable to reach a good enough offer on the property, so any sale of the property was taken off the table. The golf course is closed except for certain days when the weather is nice, and they do plan to open in March. Neville made his comments to Eagle Media in the wake of talk that the course was being sold, and likely would remain closed once spring arrived. Neville stressed that the course will be open.
The Nick Faldo designed course opened in 2010 but closed soon after when Neville could not find investors to fund the necessary infrastructure needed to get the housing portion of the development off the ground.
The development was also hampered by Reno County who were not willing to give concessions to Neville fearing a repeat of the Paganica golf development, now known as the Highlands, which financially collapsed, leaving Reno County holding the bill.