Boulder City: Second municipal golf course in works

Lisa Snedeker

Wednesday, June 16, 1999 | 11:30 a.m.

Boulder City is two steps closer to building a second municipal golf course, but remains 2 1/2 years away from the first foursome ever teeing off if the course becomes a reality.

The City Council Tuesday unanimously authorized the city's staff to commission a market analysis for an additional city course and to work with MGM Grand Inc. and Red Ridge LLC to solicit proposals for portions of the course's construction.

City Manager John Sullard said because the feasibility of a second city golf course has already been determined, staff members recommended a market analysis to find out whether the city should build a $6 million or an $8 million course.

Because the city's new course would compete with one of MGM Grand's two planned courses and Red Ridge, Sullard said, an updated market study is needed. The last study was conducted three years ago using what Sullard referred to as 2-year-old information at the time.

"We need to know where we (Boulder City) are in the market in Las Vegas and what the fees can support," he said. "This is going to tell us the relationship between what we can charge and what we can build."

As MGM continues construction on its exclusive, private course and Red Ridge developers continue to secure financing for their proposed public course, Sullard told the council the city has a unique opportunity for all three entities to negotiate with building contractors and suppliers at what could be a significant savings for the city.

"We feel we can save a lot of money by being at the table with these groups," he said.

What would be the city's fourth golf course -- it currently is home to one 18-hole municipal course -- is dependent on an agreement with the Southern Nevada Water Authority that would provide the city with an additional waterline to bring untreated water from Lake Mead.

The city already has agreements with MGM and Red Ridge that include water commitments.

Marcus Jenkens, the water authority's project engineering manager, presented two alternatives for delivering the city's full water allocation from the lake.

The first alternative would be to build another waterline parallel to Boulder City's current one. The other would be to deliver water from the new River Mountain Treatment facility in Henderson through Railroad Pass.

Once the additional water delivery system is approved and constructed, Jenkens said, it will deliver 10 million gallons of water daily to the community of approximately 14,000 residents.