A DRIVE to sell-off Wirral municipal golf courses has landed in the bunker after a poor response from the private sector.

A report going to council cabinet next week reveals only four companies expressed a serious interest, and of those only one was considered to be of suitable quality.

The sale was a joint initiative by Wirral and Cheshire West & Chester authorities designed to reduce spending for both while at the same time improving facilities through private money.

Courses put out for tender on the peninsula were Arrowe Park, Brackenwood, Bebington and The Warrens at Wallasey.

In West Cheshire, 18-hole courses at Hooton and Knights Grange in Northwich were on the list, along with a nine-hole course at Westminster Park in Chester.

The councils believed: “A combined package across the two boroughs would be an attractive offer to customers and operators.”

But it turns out that the optimism was misplaced.

The courses are subsidised to the tune of £440,000 per year, and what happens to them now is unclear.

Recommending that the offer to buy the facilities be formally withdrawn, the report to cabinet states: “Only one company was deemed potentially suitable to take to the next stage.

“The general standard and quality of bids was very poor for such a large contract to be delivered over a 25 year period.”

It continues: “While it is proposed that the service should remain ‘in-house’ in the short-term, officers will now be tasked with bringing a plan forward outlining proposals to provide a more efficient and effective service.”

This could include the option of a further procurement exercise for the courses.

A further review will now be carried out on the future of golf in Wirral and a report prepared for cabinet.

Hoylake municipal golf course was excluded from the operation as the council believes a “local solution” might prove better value.

The authority says an unnamed “high-profile” bidder has expressed strong interest in the venture and a major announcement was expected to coincide with the return of the Open in July, although due to “complex negotiations” nothing materialised.

The feasibility of the project became clear earlier this year when no fewer than 20 developers and investors expressed interest in joining forces with the council to develop the 285-acre site, featuring a "signature" golf course, five-star hotel and conference facilities.