When the contract for the Hawthorne Army Depot changed hands, the Walker Lake Golf Course suddenly closed leaving the community wondering what the future of the property would be. Amentum said the course was never part of the agreement, and that the Corps of Engineers holds the lease and would decide what to do with it.
A few days later, the Hawthorne Army Depot (HWAD) released this statement:“On August 22, 2022, Amentum advised the U.S. Government that they will not be entering into a lease with the Army Corps of Engineers to operate and maintain the Walker Lake Golf Course located at the Hawthorne Army Depot. The U.S. Government is pursuing alternative courses of action to refurbish and re-open the Walker Lake Golf Course.”
In a request for follow-up, HWAD Commander’s Representative Larry Cruz confirmed that on August 22 Amentum Program Manager Rob Rolston advised the Army Depot that the company was no longer interested in pursuing a lease with the Corps of Engineers for the running of the golf course.
Therefore, Mr. Cruz and Administrative Contracting Officer Courtney Isom have been working with Mineral County Commissioner Cassie Hall and other community representatives to see if there is interest in someone from the county taking it over. If they do vote to take it over then that is how the golf course will proceed but if not, then it will likely go out to bid again through the Corps of Engineers. Cruz met with the chief of real estate of the Corps of Engineers the morning of August 23 and believes they have a good path forward in helping to revive the course for the community.
“The Walker Lake Golf Course used to be called the ‘jewel of the desert’ because the greens were superb,” says former employee George Gazaway.
“We used to get a lot of snowbirds from Arizona coming in on their motorhomes to stop and play golf but then it got harder to get on the course because of security issues and clearance to enter.”
In Gazaway’s opinion, the only way the course could’ve stayed open was if the county applied for a grant to keep it maintained during the transition, but once you turn the water off it’s hard to bring it back. He is also concerned that a substantial portion of the community’s golfers have died or moved away, and that the younger generation isn’t getting into golf like they used to. However, he admits that he had a lot of fun at the course, and it provided a viable way for local nonprofits to generate money for their cause.
“It was a great avenue to raise funds for various organizations; everyone is very giving here. We had some great people taking care of the course and a lot of great volunteers,” Gazaway adds.
On August 23, Amentum Marketing & Communications VP Keith Wood further confirmed, “Maintenance and operation of the golf course at the Hawthorne Army Depot is not in Amentum’s current contract. The lease for the Walker Lake Golf Course was not transferred from the previous contractor and we are not in a position to take responsibility for the course in its current state with no additional funding support. We understand the community desire to have the golf course and are willing to work with community leaders and the Army to find ways to improve the current situation.”
