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For roughly 40 employees, the claim was tested Feb. 27, as Pinnacle Development Group assigned layoffs from The Club at LochenHeath in Williamsburg.

Marketed as the first private residential development of its kind in the Grand Traverse Area, LochenHeath includes a private 18-hole golf course on more than 600 acres and contains approximately 400 luxury homesites.

John Lang, president of the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based group, said he hopes to put an end to the layoffs within next few months.

"It's very simple," Lang said. "We're working on refinancing the developments and the lender has taken longer than we anticipated."

Traverse City resident Jeffrey Grant said he relocated from southern Florida to take the position as director of golf at LochenHeath. The layoffs were "sudden," he said.

"I took my upper management team to a conference...and came back and found out by 3 p.m., Wednesday that we we're locking the doors on Friday," Grant said.

Feb. 29 was the last day of work for employees from several different departments. Grant listed the clubhouse and golf course, landscaping, security, administration, sales, upper management and accounting departments as those affected.

"Once we get refinanced, we'll move right along again," Lang said. Grant said he was concerned.

"They say hopefully it will be for the shortest amount of time possible,"he said. But he added that he and others have to consider their options.

"I have five kids, my benefits ended Saturday and I received no severance pay," Grant said. "I've got no choice but to look elsewhere."

Megan Taylor can be reached for question or comment at mtaylor@michigannewspapers.com or by calling 231-264-9711.