Commissioners tell staff to negotiate with Walters Group to build, manage golf course

Jeff Schweers

Wednesday, April 8, 1998 | 9:24 a.m.

Without discussion, the Clark County Commission Tuesday authorized staff to negotiate a contract with the Walters Group to build and manage a 104-acre golf course at Desert Breeze Park in Spring Valley.

The Walters Group was the sole respondent out of 88 companies that were invited by the county to submit proposals for the $14-million project.

Spring Valley is an unincorporated township covering the southwestern section of the Las Vegas Valley.

General Services Director Earl Hawkes said timing and location of the course at Spring Mountain and Durango Roads may have played a role in the lack of interest. Shortly after sending out the invitations for the Desert Breeze course, the county sent out requests for proposals for a golf course on the more desirable location at the corner of Russell Road and Las Vegas Boulevard.

Three companies responded to the Strip project request for proposals, including the Walters Group. The other two were Gary Player Golf Course Design and Rogich Communications Group.

The two projects are similar in that both involve the county subleasing property it currently leases from the Bureau of Land Management to a private developer.

The prototype for the arrangement is a public/private partnership approved by the BLM last week between the city of Las Vegas and developers of a $50 million sports complex on BLM property.