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Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah - Market and Financial Feasibility Study

• Study Type: Market and Financial Feasibility Study
• Location: Cedar City, Utah
• Client: The Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah

The Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah wished to evaluate the potential to develop a golf course on a site adjacent to Interstate-15 in southwestern Utah. The tribe had witnessed the development of many regional golf courses by other Native American interests, and was looking for economic development opportunities to further the tribes’ long term goals.

Southern Utah has had rapid economic growth during the last several decades, with the growth mainly driven by the development of golf courses focused on retirees and snowbirds. The main growth area has been in St George which has a desert climate. One of the interesting questions posed by the study was to determine the market for a golf course in a “counter climate” region less than an hour away. Because Cedar City is much higher in elevation, the summers are less severe and allow better golf opportunities during the summer months.

While there was a substantial market for development, the financial prospects for a stand alone golf development were marginal. HVS Golf recommended that the tribe not develop the golf course as a stand alone operation, but that further study was needed to evaluate a larger project concept. A larger project that included residential, hotel and commercial development may be able to provide subsidies to the golf operation and alter the financial constraints of a stand alone golf project.