In Las Vegas, a former luxury golf course is slated to become the largest affordable housing complex in Nevada's history, highlighting a potential strategy for addressing the nation's housing shortage. The transformation of the Badlands Golf Club site underscores the growing challenge of finding space for new homes in densely populated and resource-limited urban areas.
The rise and fall of golf courses mirrored trends in the sport. The 1990s saw a boom in golf course construction, fueled by the popularity of figures like Tiger Woods. However, a downturn in the industry, exacerbated by the Great Recession and Woods's personal troubles, led to the closure of thousands of courses nationwide, including the Badlands Golf Club, which opened in 1995.
As golf courses closed, cities like Las Vegas grappled with escalating housing costs and a scarcity of developable land. Nevada, in particular, faces limitations due to approximately 85 percent of its land being federally owned, restricting urban sprawl. Shuttered golf courses, often already connected to existing infrastructure, emerged as attractive locations for new housing developments.
However, the path from fairway to housing is often contentious. The Badlands Golf Club faced significant opposition from affluent neighbors concerned about property values and neighborhood character. This led to a protracted legal battle, resulting in the city of Las Vegas paying a $286 million settlement to a developer for improperly denying permits. Despite this, a new developer began clearing the site for a luxury housing complex in early 2024.
In contrast, the city-owned Desert Pines Golf Club in East Las Vegas is undergoing a transformation into a 1,500-unit affordable housing complex. This public-private partnership, involving the city, the Nevada State Infrastructure Bank, a private developer, and nonprofit partners, is considered a rare success story and a potential blueprint for similar projects. The Desert Pines development will also include community amenities such as a soccer pitch, walking trails, and a job training center.
Nicholas Irwin, research director at the Lied Center for Real Estate at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, notes the widespread acknowledgment of the housing need but points to the persistent challenge of "Not In My Backyard" (NIMBY) sentiment. "Everyone wants more housing at a regional level. Everyone acknowledges that we need more housing. But no one wants it near them, and that’s the tricky part," he said.
If all 16,000 golf courses in the U.S. were converted to housing at a similar density to the Desert Pines project, it could create an estimated 22 million new homes. Focusing solely on municipally owned courses could still yield 4.3 million affordable homes, significantly addressing the nation's shortage of approximately 7.2 million affordable units.
While golf courses are not a singular solution, their conversion represents a viable strategy for increasing housing stock. The Desert Pines project, situated in a working-class neighborhood, aims to provide much-needed housing and green spaces, contrasting with the challenges faced by projects in more affluent areas where residents may resist changes that could impact their property values. The success of Desert Pines, officials hope, demonstrates that with political will and community engagement, such transformations can overcome local opposition and contribute to solving the affordable housing crisis.