Las Vegas Country Club polling members on prospective new owner

One of the oldest golf courses in Las Vegas is getting closer to deciding who its new owner will be.

The Las Vegas Country Club began polling club members at the end of June, asking for input on which proposed offers they preferred.

The club’s aging members and inability to attract younger ones created a situation that required all existing members to pay just more than $10,000 in a one-time payment. The funds would go to pay off a bank loan that was taken out to renovate the golf course and clubhouse.

Club President Michael Singer said members were asked late last year whether they supported exploring a sale of the club. Of the 350 respondents, Singer said about 70 percent of them supported moving forward with a sale.

The respondents outlined a few conditions to any potential offers. Among the stipulations were priority tee times on the 18-hole course for members who stay after the sale, limited increase in dues and keeping the club as similar as possible to its current state.

Singer said he expects about 300 “hard-core” members to stay put if ownership changes hands.

Club officials also decided they would not consider offers lower than the roughly $16 million valuation of the property.

The club received seven offers that met the criteria, but three potential buyers dropped out after competition increased. By the end of June, four offers in the range of $20 million to $24 million were left.

The potential buyers were identified as Haas &Haynie, a San Francisco-based real estate development group; Tim McGarry, owner of Forté Specialty Contractors; a development group from California; and a collaborative effort between Wolff Co. and Discovery Land Co.

Each of the club’s 471 members has until Wednesday to cast their vote, either online or by mail, for which offer is most attractive to them. After the poll, the decision will go to a formal ballot.

Singer said he was disappointed that the property will lose its roots as an member-owned club.

“I’m one of these guys that really is a traditionalist,” he said.

And the Las Vegas Country Club is steeped in tradition. The club, which sits on 120 acres near the Westgate Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Convention Center, organized in 1967 and would be up for historical designation next year.

Stars ranging from Frank Sinatra to Evel Knievel have called themselves members. Former Mayor Oscar Goodman and Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal, the famed mobster and inspiration for the lead role in Martin Scorsese’s “Casino,” have called the country club home over the years.

Singer fears that a sale will strip the club of its history.

“Unfortunately, from the standpoint of Las Vegas, we don’t let too many things become historical,” he said. “And the Las Vegas Country Club is a historical place.”

Contact Blake Apgar at bapgar@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0342. Find @BlakeApgarLV on Twitter.