Efforts to keep the North Augusta Golf and Country Club in operation after an April 2007 fire seem to be waning.

Ron Perry, the club's vice president, said members would receive letters today detailing the future of the property.

"Once members are told of what's happening, we will notify nonmembers," Mr. Perry said.

On Friday a listing on the Web site of J.P. King, a Myrtle Beach, S.C., real estate firm, said more information about an auction is to come. Administrative personnel said Monday that the listing's project manager would hold a meeting this week to determine whether to auction the property.

Mr. Perry could not say Monday whether owners would auction the property, but he said J.P. King should not have posted the listing Friday.

Club owner and CEO Fred Layman purchased the property a few days before the fire destroyed the clubhouse. Investigators with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division were unable to determine the cause.

Since the fire, Mr. Layman has reassured members that a new clubhouse would be built.

The club secured a temporary building and opened the day after the fire. Eight months later, it broke ground on a 30,000-square-foot clubhouse valued at $5 million, which was to open this winter.

Longtime members say they maintained their membership because they believe in the club.

"We have stuck with it because we've been a member since 1981," said Bob Davison. "We live very close; we like the golf course; but I think hopefully in the not too distant future things will improve."

Mr. Davison said members were told that the owners had trouble getting the capital needed to secure loans because of the recent economic downturn.

Two-year member George Rettenmaier, however, said he's scared he'll drive by one day to find a chain across the entrance.

"They keep promising and promising, but nothing happens," Mr. Rettenmaier said.

In an interview with North Augusta Today in April, Mr. Layman said that insurance difficulties and the restructuring of the ownership group to add Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt as a partner slowed the process.

Mr. Layman and Mr. Whisenhunt did not immediately return messages seeking comment Monday.

Mr. Layman said in the April interview that he hoped bringing Mr. Whisenhunt, an Augusta native, on board would boost efforts to rebuild and develop the neighboring community.

Reach Julia Sellers at (706) 823-3424 or julia.sellers@augustachronicle.com.