Forsyth County is no longer interested in buying Lanier Golf Course. At least for the time being, that is.

County Attorney Ken Jarrard confirmed Friday that the commission recently decided to halt its pursuit.

“Frankly, we’ve not been pursuing acquisition actively for months and months,” Jarrard said.

A proposal for the county to purchase the 172-acre tract off Buford Dam Road in east Forsyth stirred much debate last year among officials and the community.

The plan called for the county to buy the site for $12 million and then lease it for 99 years to a company that would maintain and operate it as a golf course.

The recent decision was not required to be made in a public meeting since it involves litigation and acquisition of land. Rather, per state law, it can be decided in a closed-door executive session.

Commission Chairman Brian Tam said he would comment on the matter later this week.

Abandoning a possible purchase, however, doesn’t remove the golf course from county discussions entirely.

The county has been involved in a lawsuit since 2007 with the owners of the course.

Most recently, a judge sided with the owners, but a county request for a retrial is pending.

The owners, Jack Manton and George Bagley Jr., filed suit against the county after the commission denied their request to rezone the course from agricultural to a master planned district.