The last public golf course in Fairfield Harbour was closed at the end of rounds Sunday, less than a year after the golfing community's other fairway was closed.

A residents' committee is working to reclaim the golf course and to buy the other amenities owned by the company that owns the greens.

Harbour Pointe Golf Course was closed within 72 hours of a notice given to a residents' committee that has been negotiating with Midsouth Golf LLC, the company that owns the course and all the amenities in Fairfield Harbour.

Joe Riojas, the operations manager at the New Bern course, confirmed that it is closed, but said little more than that Monday.

"I can't really say any more than that without talking to the investors," Riojas said. "If they want to talk, they'll talk later."

Fairfield Harbour's other public fairway, Shoreline Golf Course, was closed in March.

Grady Shumate, an on-site manager for Midsouth, said in March that Shoreline didn't get enough business to keep it open and that most golfers preferred the links at Harbour Pointe.

Riojas did not give a reason for the more recent closing of Harbour Pointe.

Along with the two golf courses, Midsouth owns two swimming pools, two clubhouses, four tennis courts and two marinas in Fairfield Harbour.

A residents' committee that is working with the Fairfield Harbour Property Owners Association is structuring a multimillion-dollar deal to buy the rest of the amenities from Midsouth Golf LLC.

Tom Quarrie, the chairman of the Amenities Resolution Team, said the committee has about 90 volunteers. The team has also formed an organization called Amenities Resolution LLC. Quarrie said the team is working in conjunction with Midsouth and said there is "an open line of communication" with the company.

Quarrie said he was alerted of the planned closing of Harbour Pointe either Friday or Saturday.

"Obviously, if the amenities are allowed to fall into disuse and you close the two courses in a golfing community, property values will suffer," Quarrie said. "We are working on a business solution to the problem - a buyout of all the assets owned by Midsouth."

Quarrie said that if the deal goes through, the amenities will be owned directly by the residents of Fairfield Harbour, a golfing and boating community about eight miles east of New Bern.

His committee, which calls itself ART, has been working on "a business solution" since February, Quarrie said.

"Midsouth is very much interested in selling its assets and we hope ART will be a part of that process," Quarrie said.

He said he hopes the deal is done in time to "prevent next spring's growth cycle from destroying the turf."

"The acquisition and renewal of the amenity facilities will run something over $7 million," he said.

Shumate said in March that the decision to close Shoreline was not related to a lawsuit between Midsouth and Fairfield Harbour timeshare owners.

The N.C. Court of Appeals ruled about a year ago that Midsouth cannot force condominium owners at Fairfield Harbour to pay higher amenity fees.

Midsouth had sued the condominium owners, arguing that it could collect fees under a covenant made by previous owners. Midsouth asked for more than $1.8 million from the timeshare owners for the  period from 2000 to 2004.

The Court of Appeals upheld the Superior Court ruling, which was in favor of the timeshare owners.

Midsouth's attorney, Eric Remington of Ward and Smith, could not be reached Monday.