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Pahrump ownership of Lakeview golf course now official

Pahrump’s purchase of Lakeview Executive Golf Course became official last week when escrow closed on the transaction, according to Nye County Commissioner Dan Schinhofen, a supporter of the deal.

The commission, sitting as the governing body for the town, approved the $350,000 purchase by a 3-2 vote in December 2017.

“The DA’s office took three months reviewing all of the material,” Schinhofen said. “But all the due diligence was done before the vote.”

The original offer was $650,000, but “when we realized it needed $400,000 in improvements, we offered $350,000,” Schinhofen said.

The next step will be a request for proposals for a golf course management company to run Lakeview for the town.

“We have all the same employees until we find a management company to take it over, and we hope to keep those employees because they’ve done a great job keeping it going,” said Schinhofen, who had high praise for the employees and homeowners around the course who got together to buy the course 15 years ago to prevent it from being sold to developers.

“It looked like developers were going to buy that and build more homes, and the commission is not interested in building more homes,” Schinhofen said. “This is a unique course, an 18-hole executive course, not a nine-hole course you play twice. The grounds crew did the best they could with a limited budget.

“I have to say that the LLC that owned it were citizens here in the valley that bought in at $10,000 each. They stayed the course long enough for us to be able to take it over as a community. They just didn’t have the pockets it took to keep it up and running, and going forward this will not be a drag on local taxpayers.”

In fact, Schinhofen believes that, after putting money into upgrading the course, it will pay for itself.

“We made it clear we needed the 1 percent of room tax to help operate it and half of what’s in the airport fund ($400,000) will bring it back into shape,” Schinhofen said. “The room tax will help operate it until it can fund itself, and we believe it can do that.

“Baseball fields don’t generate money, the pool doesn’t generate money, but this thing could generate enough money to support itself. That’s why I think this is going to be a good thing for the community in perpetuity.”

Keeping the 62.5-acre parcel as a golf course and not as new home sites was a primary goal, but having a place for the use of Pahrump residents and tourists, was also behind the purchase.

“There are great amenities for seniors and tourists who don’t want to spend 4 1/2 hours on a golf course,” Schinhofen said. “Our attention span is shorter, we don’t have enough time, whatever the reason, but you can get 18 holes in within 2 1/2 hours.

“This in no way competes with Mountain Falls. Mountain Falls is a championship course. This is an executive course.”

Schinhofen said the only possible downside would be if not enough people actually used the course.

“Worst-case scenario, if we had to sell it off, it’s worth more than we paid for it,” he said. “The land and the water rights are worth more than $350,000. The owners took a bath on it. It make me proud that these citizens weren’t looking for a profit; they did this for the community.”

One of the things that needs to be improved is simply the number of golf carts. Schinhofen said the course has only 10 operating golf carts, and he and Tony Carlo of Nevada Realty have set up a fundraising golf tournament to help the situation. Those seeking information on the fundraiser can call Schinhofen at 775-301-2185 or Carlo at Nevada Realty at 775-727-1818.

“We’re hoping to raise money for a cart barn so whatever company that comes in to manage it for us will have a place to put golf carts,” Schinhofen said. “Walking a golf course is great for the kids, but for old curmudgeons like me, we like to ride.”

And the way Schinhofen sees it, he and other residents and tourists will be able to ride the course for a long time.

“I see no future where we sell this off to grow homes,” he said.

Contact Sports Editor Tom Rysinski at trysinski@pvtimes.com On Twitter:@pvtimes

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