Agassi lends name to plan for south end of Strip

Gary Thompson

Wednesday, Aug. 26, 1998 | 10:38 a.m.

Gary Player Design and Club Corp. of America have added Las Vegas tennis star Andre Agassi to their "best and final" proposal to build a golf-and-tennis complex on about 160 acres at the south end of the Strip.

The last-minute addition of Agassi is designed to garner local support for the Player-CCA bid, which is considered a big underdog to two competing proposals.

The Clark County Commission is scheduled on Tuesday to select from one of three plans to develop the parcel, which it leases from the Bureau of Land Management.

The Player/CCA/Agassi proposal calls for a $16.3 million investment that includes an 18-hole golf course and tennis courts.

A bid by US/GP-LV Partnership calls for spending $60 million to build an 18-hole golf course and 2.9-mile Formula 1 race course, while The Walters Group has offered to spend $33 million on an 18-hole course and a 9-hole par three course.

A statement from the publicists for Player, the legendary senior golfer, indicated Club Corp. would finance the development while Player and Agassi contribute mainly their names and reputations.

The Player-Agassi group said its project would be called Desert Legends Golf & Tennis Club and that both Player and Agassi have committed to "take an active personal involvement with the project." Club Corp., a large international owner of private clubs and athletic clubs, said it brings management expertise to the facility.

The group also said local junior golf and tennis enthusiasts would benefit from its proposal because Agassi's Foundation will use the facilities for boys and girls clubs' at-risk youth programs.

Player, who last week won the Northville Long Island Classic Senior PGA Tour event, said he will set up a golf academy at the site providing structured learning and supporting development of junior golf in Las Vegas and at-risk youth programs. UNLV will be offered use of the course for its golf team.

The other two bids propose similar programs for juniors, seniors and UNLV golfers, as well as periodic discounts, guaranteed tee times and other benefits for local residents.

Each proposal calls for about half of the golf tee times to be reserved for Clark County residents.

The Player offer includes year-round cart and greens fees totaling $50 for 18 holes for locals.

The Walters bid projects $53 cart and greens fees for local residents -- who must also spend $20 for an identification card -- for its 18-hole course.

The US/GP-LV plan calls for summer fees ranging from $40 to $50 and winter fees of $60 to $75 for county residents.

The Player bid guarantees Clark County minimum annual lease fees of $400,000 annually. The US/GP-LV proposal would pay the county at least $500,000 a year, while the Walters bid won't pay any lease fees for 10 years.

US/GP-LV also would pay $6.1 million for a water-treatment plant and related equipment to irrigate the course, while neither the Player or Walters proposals would finance such a facility.

And US/GP-LV would provide $2 million to move a Metro Police communications center from the property to another site. The Player and Walters proposals said they'll study the issue.