Desert Pines Golf Club closes; cedes property for affordable housing community

A public golf course in east Las Vegas has closed and formally ceded its space for an upcoming affordable housing development.

Desert Pines Golf Club, a roughly 100-acre course, permanently closed its doors Sunday after 30 years in operation.

“We are deeply grateful to the thousands of golfers, members, and staff who made Desert Pines a cherished part of the Las Vegas golf scene over the years,” the operator wrote on its website. “Thank you for the memories — it’s been an honor to be your course,” it added.

Previously owned by Las Vegas, the city affirmed land-use entitlements and the property’s $17.5 million sale to Desert Pines Master Development LLC about a year ago.

The company is a venture between McCormack Baron Salazar and the nonprofit Urban Strategies Inc., to build more than 1,500 homes near Bonanza and Pecos roads.

“The goal of this Public Private Partnership is to complement the East Las Vegas Community with pedestrian-friendly streets, high-quality building designs and gathering spaces for the community,” according to a fact sheet.

The sprawling community will also feature a College of Southern Nevada training center and offer 10 acres for recreation and room for commercial space, city officials said. An early education campus has also been proposed.

About 400 homes will be put up for sale at market value, and about 1,100 units will be offered for rent, according to the developer who committed to reserve at least half of the rentals for lower-income residents.

The golf course’s closure allows builders to prepare the land for construction, the city said Monday. Officials have not set a groundbreaking date, although the developers had mentioned 2027.