Right now, the city owns and operates the Tanglewood Golf Course, but that could change.

"When you factor in the cost to purchase the land and the financing, we're actually losing or investing over $200,000 a year into the course," Matt Harline, the golf course department head, said.

In about seven years when the interest is paid off, the golf course would be a revenue maker for the city.

"At that point, we're looking at another $50,000 to $100,000 a year that we can invest back into other programs in the city," Harline said.

The city of Fulton took a swing at running Tanglewood in 2002 when the original owners went bankrupt.

"Ever since then we've been open to the possibility of sale of the golf course," Harline said.

Bill Johnson, the director of administration for the city of Fulton, said they did recieve one offer to purchase the golf course this year.

"I understand the city council's desire to lessen the burden on the community, but it wasn't viewed that this was the right offer," Johnson said.

The burden on the community doesn't come from direct taxation, but from the loss of an average of $212,000 of city funds each year.

"That money is coming from the general fund," Johnson said. "So if we didn't have that loss, that money would be able to be expended on other city services."

Another option for the city is to bring in an outside management team.

"A national golf management team is going to be in the business 100 percent of the time so they may have some connections or vendors that might make them able to run it more efficiently or effectively than us. To this point, we haven't seen that offer," Harline said.

There are some stipulations with the sale of the course.

"If a private investor came and bought the course, one requirement would be that it remain a public course and that it remain open for another 25 years, through 2036 as a public golf course," Johnson said.

The city wants to be careful to make the best decision possible for those who putt on the green or putt around in a golf cart.

"We spent a lot of money and blood, sweat and tears, and Ken has invested 12 years of his life building up what we think is the best municipal golf course in the area," Harline said.

The city plans to run Tanglewood through the summer.

In September the council will decide whether it needs to issue a new request for a management company or find someone to buy the course.