Lamberson ends negotiations with Vaubel, closes Fallbrook Golf Club

Negotiations between owner Jack Lamberson and prospective buyer Harold Vaubel regarding the purchase of Fallbrook Golf Course, Inc. came to an abrupt end Tuesday morning when Lamberson demanded that Vaubel, who had been operating the course since July 1, leave the property immediately.

Lamberson then informed workers that Vaubel had employed that he was closing the course.

"The golf course is closed due to negotiations," said Lamberson when contacted at the course Tuesday.

Lamberson has been trying to sell Fallbrook Golf Course, Inc. for more than two years and this is the third time this year he has announced he is closing the course. On March 5 he had signs posted stating he was closing the course on March 14. A few days later, he changed his mind. He most recently closed the course on June 25.

On June 28 Vaubel, who does business as HGM Golf Enterprises, LLC, announced that he had reached an agreement with Lamberson to purchase Fallbrook Golf Course, Inc. Vaubel reopened the course on July 1, stating that Lamberson had allowed him to do so while lawyers on both sides worked out the details of completing the sale.

Lamberson said Tuesday that he never told Vaubel that he could reopen the course – "only that he could water the greens and tee boxes" – and that he broke off negotiations with Vaubel due to financial concerns.

"We have terminated all negotiations with Harold Vaubel," said Lamberson. "He's been under orders to quit operating illegally here and has failed to do it. He had no authority to run it at all. The only thing we allowed was for him to resume watering.

"I broke off the negotiations because he's not solvent," continued Lamberson. "He can't verify funds."

Lamberson said Vaubel told him during their meeting on Tuesday, June 28, that he would have the money on Friday, July 1.

"He was supposed to have everything together – the agreement – and pay us off by Friday and he didn't," said Lamberson. "Then he was going to pay us the next Friday, then the next Friday, and then the next Friday. He hasn't got the money."

The employees that Vaubel hired reportedly had to wait several days after the scheduled payday to receive their paychecks, and a consultant said he has yet to be paid for services rendered.

Cary Lee, owner of the golf construction company Candylgolf Group, Inc., was hired by Vaubel to work on repairing the course. Lee said he worked on the course for two weeks and then ended his relationship with Vaubel "about two weeks ago" when he became concerned about getting compensated for his work.

"My relationship with Harold started to go south when I asked him when I was going to get paid," said Lee when contacted by phone Tuesday. "Harold owes me money. He said he was going to send me a check and I still haven't received it."

Vaubel reportedly headed back to his home in Arizona after being ousted by Lamberson Tuesday morning. At deadline time for this article (2 p.m. July 26), Vaubel had yet to return a morning phone call from the Village News.

Lamberson now finds himself in a familiar position – looking for a buyer for Fallbrook Golf Course, Inc.

"I have alternatives, a couple or three alternatives," said Lamberson. "I have another client that's interested and I'll immediately go back into negotiations with them. I also have to negotiate with the people that have the paper."

The "paper" is the note on 116-acre golf course property. D-Day Capital, LLC, a debt purchasing company owned by Beverly Hills attorney Ronald Richards, purchased the note from First National Denver bank on June 28 – the same date the ill-fated agreement between Vaubel and Lamberson was made.