Carmel Magazine

"When I think about what I ever did in my life to get where I am today," Koeppel quotes Haber, "any money I ever made was because I played golf." He was clearly obsessed with the game, and when he laid eyes on that 245-acre dairy farm, he didn't see silos and Guernsey cows; he saw sand traps and lush greens. The farm was the proper ty of retired Harvard professor Dwight Morrow, brother-in- law of Charles A. "Lucky Lindy" Lindbergh, one of the most famous men of his era. Haber learned later that Lindy had spent considerable time on the then-isolated property to avoid the public's prying eyes. A deal was struck and in 1960, Haber and four partners took ownership of the land. Shortly it became evident that two of his partners did not share his vision: they thought a golf course to be a losing proposition, believing that subdividing the land into home sites would be more profitable, so Haber and the other bought out the recalcitrant duo. Eventually, the development—originally named Carmel Valley Golf and Country Club, included both a world-class golf facility and one of the Monterey Peninsula's most desirable residential neighborhoods, and was known locally as Quail Lodge. It became the hub of Carmel Valley life. "This was a happening place," says Koeppel. In 1978, Koeppel was publishing a newspaper called the Big Sur Gazette. The tourism industry was in a serious slump; no one was driving here. "This was after the Mideast oil crisis had quadrupled gas prices," he recalls. "I read in the Herald about a guy who wanted to bring back the Del Monte Express train service from San Francisco. I was impressed by the sophisticated presentation of his campaign. He was Ed Haber." Thinking this would make an interesting piece for his Gazette, Koeppel sought him out. When speaking with anyone who knew Edgar Haber, the attribute that shines through is his selflessness. True to character, Haber's plan would have benefitted businesses throughout the Peninsula, not just his own. "He touched so many people in so many different walks of life," Architectural rendering of the original Quail Lodge. Improvements to the 50-year-old resort are ongoing: its golf course is currently being redesigned, removing some of its original small lakes and ponds in a move to make the property more environmentally sound. C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 4 125 Haber loved the game: "Everything good that's happened to me has involved golf." Photos: Courtesy of Quail Lodge

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