Campaigners fighting to save one of Leicester's municipal golf courses from closure have been angered by the admission that officials have considered building houses on it.
The city council is currently consulting on proposals to shut down Western Park Golf course arguing it can no longer afford the £185,000 annual subsidy required by it and Leicester's other public course at Humberstone Heights.
The consultation on closing the 18-hole course at Western Park runs until October 24 and city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby has insisted no final decision has been made.
However in a recent meeting the mayor was questioned by councillors about what would happen to the land should it close.
Labour councillor Bill Shelton asked Sir Peter if the land could be used for affordable housing to which he replied: "Officers have included that as a statement of the obvious."
Western Park golfer Nick Pridden, a UKIP candidate in the upcoming city council elections, said he was infuriated by what Sir Peter said.
Mr Pridden claimed: "It's more evidence to show that this entire consultation is a farce.
"Whatever he says he's made his mind up to shut Western Park which makes this all a waste of all our time and public money.
"He can't come out and say it though because he's worried members will just walk away immediately costing the council more money.
"It's a beautiful green wedge in the city which people do not want to lose and the golf course is a great asset to the city.
"We have suggested some of the land could be sold so the council gets some money but we could be left with an nine-hole course. It's a compromise but he doesn't want to listen."
Another Western Park golfer Martin Cobb said: "Most people believe it is being closed because the land is being sold. There's no convincing people otherwise."
Mr Cobb said the course had been allowed to decline by the council because of a lack of investment and poor management.
Sir Peter, who has pointed out club membership is falling, said he would not discuss potential uses for Western Park while the consultation was still running but said: "I am sympathetic to the view that the land is open space and it is valued open space.
However he warned allowing golf to continue there could undermine efforts to run Humberstone Heights in the future.
He said: "If there is a decision to close, and if it is Western Park, I am determined it will be done over a period of time so there is not an exodus from the course.
"If we do not take action now in five or 10 years time we will be in a situation where we have to close both."
Councillor Deepak Bajaj said a number of club members at Humberstone Heights and Western Park lived in the county.
He said: "There are 320 members in the city and the cost of nearly £200,000 is huge.
"We might as well pay for the members to play in other courses and for their bus fares. It would still work out cheaper for us."
Mr Pridden said: "Was he joking? That's just daft, and it's not true."
