The only municipal golf course in Walsall has been given a temporary reprieve – but players now face heftier charges.

Cash-strapped Walsall Council planned to close Grange Golf Course at the end of the month unless a private firm could be found to manage it.

It emerged today the council has decided to keep it running through the summer until September, when thousands take advantage of it.

But council bosses are considering asking golfers to shell out £3 and £4 extra to cover costs. It means users are facing up to a 40 per cent rise on current charges, which are £6.15 for adults during weekdays and £7.20 on a weekend. It is £4.60 and £5.25 for juniors.

Council chiefs have been looking to get rid of the £36,000 annual running costs but the extension allows further time to find a long-term solution.

The exact price increase at the Walsall Arboretum Extension course is yet to fixed but is expected to come into force in the near future.

Leisure chief councillor Barry Sanders said: “We have decided it should stay open until September 30 which will give us a bit more time to look at the options.”

“We have 13,000 visitors to the golf course each year and that is going up. We will probably lose some people because of the price increase and to those we apologise.

“But it is less than what people have said they would be prepared to pay.

“The golf course will remain for the next three months and to stay open indefinitely is something we are looking at.”

He added with the £7.9 million planned transformation of the Arboretum it is important to try and keep the facility.

Scores of people have joined a campaign and signed a petition against plans to close the nine-hole golf course.

The Grange was opened three decades ago.