Historic Las Vegas Country Club sale process ends this week

In May 2015, 72 percent of Las Vegas Country Club members voted to “explore a sale.” At that time, the CB Richard Ellis commercial real estate company was hired and more than 70 potential buyers signed confidentiality agreements with the company as the first step in the process.

The club was attractive to buyers because of the location, history, club rights to 850 acre feet of water and positive cash flow. Members were potentially looking to sell because of looming capital improvement assessments, and with an average age of 68, participation was waning.

This week, the long due diligence process comes to an end as another vote concludes Thursday evening. At stake this time is whether the members will approve a sale to a partnership made up of Discovery Land and the Wolff companies. Discovery and Wolff were deemed the best buyers in a recent member poll.

It is believed by sources close to the situation that the sale will be approved and the club will cease to be member-owned for the first time since 1970.

The club first opened as the Las Vegas International Country Club in 1967, the vision of New York businessman Marvin Kratter, a former owner of the Boston Celtics. In the early days, Dean Martin would play the course daily, even before there was a clubhouse or sand was placed in all of the bunkers.

Martin’s regular six-some would be welcomed by the club’s first pro, Arthur Nightingale, who would later appear on the cover of Golf Magazine. Nightingale authored controversial articles urging golfers to move their heads during the swing, contrary to the swing philosophies of Jack Nicklaus and other golfing greats.

Kratter’s grand plan hit financial difficulties and he was forced to sell the club to Levin-Townsend, a computer company. Levin-Townsend executives changed the club’s name to the Bonanza Country Club after they purchased the Bonanza hotel from Kirk Kerkorian, but their plans also went south quickly. A group affectionately dubbed “The 40” and led by Las Vegas developers Irwin Molasky, Moe Dalitz, Merv Adelson and Allard Roen purchased the club and other land holdings from Levin-Townsend.

The new Las Vegas Country Club became the place to be, as politicians, business leaders, celebrities, doctors, lawyers, gamblers, hotel magnates, mobsters and other notables were counted as members.

Now a new future is potentially here for the club. Should it pass, members will have the option to remain as members for seven years, when they can reapply. The potential new buyers have guaranteed that the club will stay private and exclusive, and the iconic history will be preserved while new enhancements are added.

Also, property deeds mandate that the golf course must remain a golf course, and the new owners plan to “invigorate” the layout. Other potential plans call for a luxury high-rise residence to be built on excess land.

PRIDE ON THE LINE

Teams of 20 players from the Women’s Southern Nevada Golf Association and Women’s Northern Nevada Golf Association compete in the prestigious Silver Cup matches next week at Boulder Creek Golf Club.

DEAL OF THE WEEK

To celebrate the Ryder Cup this weekend, fans can buy one ticket to the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open and get the next for half price at the official tournament website.

STARS ON, OFF COURSE — PALMER EDITION

Smylie Kaufman, the defending champion of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, hit balls at Topgolf Las Vegas and spent time with the media and invited guests to promote the tournament, scheduled for Nov. 3-6 at TPC Summerlin. Kaufman enjoyed the traditional lemonade and iced tea Arnold Palmer drink, made famous by the legend who died Sunday.

Palmer, circa 1999, arrived by helicopter for the official grand opening of Red Rock Country Club. The King posed for a cover shot of the old VegasGolfer Magazine, plus took on the media in a closest-to-the-pin contest.

The golf notebook appears each Thursday. Freelance writer Brian Hurlburt is a two-time author who has covered golf in Las Vegas for more than two decades. He can be reached at bhurlburt5@gmail.com or @LVGolfInsider.