Posted: 3:54 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014

The city of Middletown has extended the deadline two weeks for those interested in bidding on the city-owned Weatherwax Golf Course.

The deadline was 11 a.m. Wednesday, but after two potential vendors submitted a “significant number” of questions in the final days, it was pushed back to Jan. 29, said Cindy Strayer, the city’s purchasing agent. She said the city was contacted by Howard Jackson from MiddCities in Cincinnati and Roland Lutz from Riverside Athletic Club in Hamilton and Forest Hills Sportsplex in Middletown about possibly purchasing the 36-hole golf course.

Strayer said delaying the deadline two weeks puts the city “against the wall” because of the time needed to fertilize the course for the upcoming golf season. She said city staff plans to submit a chemical contract to City Council at the next meeting on Tuesday, and the approval is scheduled for Jan. 21.

But if the city sells Weatherwax before then, it wouldn’t spend the money on fertilizer, she said. Strayer said the chemicals need to be applied soon, otherwise, the course would be “dead in the water.”

The city is hoping to sell Weatherwax, which sits on about 425 acres, because it can’t afford the operations. The city’s 2014 approved budget calls for eliminating as many as 22 public safety positions — seven from the police department and 15 from the fire department — by 2015. About 70 percent of the city’s general fund is earmarked for public safety, and projections won’t allow for its workforce to be sustained.

Selling Weatherwax could be the answer, city officials have said. The course is operating at a $150,000 deficit, which doesn’t include the $250,000 annual debt payment for past improvements, said City Manager Judy Gilleland.

Middletown is hoping to sell the golf course to a private owner because it wants to refocus its “efforts on core city services,” according to the Request For Proposals prepared by the city.

Lutz was unavailable for comment.

Jackson, one of the partners with MiddCities, which owns property in the city, said his company “absolutely” will submit a proposal to purchase the course. Weatherwax is attractive because it’s one of the few 36-hole, public courses in the region, and it’s a Arthur Hills designed course, which adds to the “prestige,” he said.

For Weatherwax to be successful, Jackson said, the marketing efforts would have to increase and the player experience would have to be enhanced. More maintenance equipment may have to be purchased, he said.

“You have to invest money to make money,” said Jackson, who added the city couldn’t afford to spend more money on Weatherwax because of its “limited budget.”

He has talked to many of his golfing buddies in Cincinnati, and he said Weatherwax, which opened in 1972, was “almost a secret” to some of them.

He believes for some golfers, Weatherwax, because of its yardage, may be frustrating to play for older golfers. He’d like to add another set of shorter tees.

“After they play, you want them getting in their cars and saying, ‘That was a pretty damn good experience,’” he said.

Jackson said he’s thankful the city extended the deadline and believes it was the right decision for the course and the potential buyer.

“This is not a simple thing,” he said.

According to city documentation, several outings have been scheduled this year at Weatherwax and $3,900 in gift certificates have been sold and $7,600 in season passes.