Hill Barn golf course in Worthing will be run by a private operator by this time next year.

A recommendation for the freehold sale of the course was endorsed, subject to it continuing to be available to the general public, at a meeting of Worthing Council's executive on Tuesday.

It was confirmed by Leisure Services director Hywel Griffiths who also answered strong criticisms of the course and its management structure.

Members of the Hill Barn club passed a unanimous vote of no confidence in the way the course is run and maintained at the recent annual meeting.

But Griffiths said: "The golf club has nothing to do with the course. They have no focus in the management."

He would not be drawn on a possible sale price. I suggested it was about £2.9m, but he declined to comment except to add: "The timetable is for going to the market between March and April and hope for expressions of interest by early summer and a preferred bidder by late summer and a hand-over early in the New Year."

It is the intention of the council to use the sale to help pay for a £17m scheme designed to improve the borough's sporting and entertainment facilities.

Four years ago there was a massive response to the council putting Hill Barn out to private tender. Griffiths received 68 replies, the number paring down to six.

Then came a U-turn when all bids for the franchise were turned down and the course remained under the council umbrella. The council said none of the bids came up to expectations.

Now members are concerned about the future.

Chris Bladen, immediate past captain and club champion, launched a verbal attack on those responsible for running the course.

He said: "It is in an appalling state. It was once the best municipal in the country and often hosted professional tournaments. Now it is among the worst. It is the only course I know without a sprinkler system and is still hand-watered.

"We used to have 400 members and had to turn people away. Now there are only 115 and not one junior. The council don't want a club there. They want a complete pay and play. Yet the members are the only people who play in winter and bump up the bar takings.

"We were not even allowed to have the club honours board remain in the clubhouse. These were moved, at our expense, to the foyer because the sight of them was deemed to be a turn off to visitors in case they got the impression it was a purely private club and did not belong to the council."

A leisure manager with Adur Council, Bladen added: "Another sore point is that we have to switch home ties in the Davies and Tate Trophy and other matches to opponents' clubs because we are limited to a number of tee times that have to be booked a week in advance.

"I may not rejoin. It is only the social element, which is second to none, that keeps me going. But it is soul destroying. The council have killed the goose that laid the golden egg.

"We as a club have no say. We cannot vote with our feet as it would mean cutting off our nose to spite our face. To say the members are unsure about the future is an understatement."

Steve Taylor, another past captain, agreed and added: "The problems can be put down to serious mismanagement over the last ten years, lack of investment funding and increased charges.

"It is cheaper for a junior to join the private club at Worthing. The council is not interested in fostering junior golf.

"Members have left because of the overall poor condition of the course and they get a far better deal by going to a private club. Yet Hill Barn is one of the few sporting facilities in Worthing that makes money.

"The rationale now is that the council are selling the course on a long-term lease that allows them to exercise their authority and mandatory investment and keep it as a leisure facility for the people of Worthing.

"You are no better off being a member than being at a private club. All we have done is continue to make representation to the council and have meetings, but they seem to be deaf.

"They have said the season ticket price stays the same for 2002-3 with a £20 discount for those renewing. Yet, because of falling membership, fees have increased by nearly 30 per cent.

"From the perspective of a season-ticket holder who plays, say 40 times a year, he is no better off playing at Hill Barn. The annual season is £190 but on top of that is a £6 green fee for weekends and £4 during the week for each round. The other option is to pay £450 and by-pass the green fee."

Taylor said Barry Roberts, club chairman for 50 years, had implored the council to make improvements to the course, but without effect.

"Bunkers on five of the first nine holes have been filled in on the advice of experts who said the hazards are no longer in play because golfers now employ high-tech equipment and the ball travels further.

"Now they are looking at the back nine and we think it is all about reducing maintenance costs. The greens, which were once superb, are compacted and not properly dressed and, as a result, become waterlogged."

Griffiths explained: "We have had an invasion of leather jackets this year. We don't normally spray pesticides but I instructed the greens should be sprayed and, given time, the problem will be solved.

"The details of ground maintenance is often lost on golfers and they probably didn't know about the leather jackets."