In the unusual event that I go for a run, my route at the southern end of Spokane Valley takes me past University High School, around Chester Elementary School, and down to the back side of Painted Hills Golf Course.

Or what once was Painted Hills Golf Course.

Painted Hills, a privately held, nine-hole course with a small Chester Creek Par 3 at its southern end, never opened for the 2013 season, following a bankruptcy filing by previous owners John and Linda McElhinny and their family.

Those runs had a different feel this summer than they have had in past years. Rather than seeing golf carts rolling across lush fairways and golfers tapping in on well-manicured greens, the course sat empty, save for an occasional deer. The nice greens have had a brown tint to them at times, and the fairways often look rough.

Last week, Dave Black bought the 91-acre site at a public auction for $1.1 million.

With his first bid, the prolific Spokane developer beat out an investment group led by Spokane oral surgeon Dr. Mark Paxton, which had planned to operate it as a golf course.

Black bought some of the golf course equipment as well and has indicated a willingness to talk with the unsuccessful bidders about working together to operate it as a golf course. However, he hasn't decided yet whether a golf course is the best use for the space.

The city of Spokane Valley had looked into buying the property and possibly converting it into a park, but the city's leaders backed off of that idea at the request of private investors who stepped forward.

The council's decision was sound. While Painted Hills would make a great public park, it makes more sense for the city and the community to allow at least one last strong look at continuing to operate a private course there.

As a nearby resident, I would like to see it remain a golf course. Painted Hills is a gorgeous backdrop for a round of golf, and while some enthusiasts thumb their nose at a nine-hole course, I always enjoyed the shorter round the course offers.

Also, there isn't a public course or another private one within the city limits of Spokane Valley. Sure, the city of Spokane's Esmeralda Golf Course nearly borders Spokane Valley, and Spokane County's Liberty Lake courses aren't so far away, but the fact remains that Painted Hills has been the only neighborhood option for those in the Valley, especially at the southern end.

That said, Painted Hills rarely appeared to be packed, and the most recent owners appeared to struggle to keep it open—and at times, well maintained.

On top of operational challenges, the southern end of the site essentially is a floodplain. Thorpe Road, which run along the south end of the golf course, frequently is covered in water after a heavy rain or runoff, and while improvements have been made to avoid flooding in the future, parts of the course have ended up under water repeatedly in the past.

The fact that the golf course is in the hands of a well-capitalized owner once again is good news for those in the Valley. I'm hopeful that when I run along the backside of the course next spring, I'll see golfers on lush fairways and well-manicured greens once again.

If not golf, it will just be good to see something happening there once again.