No tee times at Willowdale Park ....this year

AMHERST, NY (WBEN)..For golfers looking to play a round on the Willowdale Park course, you are going to have to wait until next year.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz confirmed that the harsh winter weather has delayed the necessary improvements needed for Willowdale's nine-hole course.

"It looks like next year," Poloncarz said.

The course is one of the central attractions in the rebranded Willowdale Park along North Forest Road.

Erie County took over the 171-acre former Westwood Country Club property from the Town of Amherst last year after paying a ceremonial $1 for the sprawling former, privately-operated country club.

Erie County's ownership ended a 13-year saga about the fate of the Westwood property and came less than two years after Amherst paid $7.5 million for the former country club

Besides the nine-hole course, Willowdale will include hiking trails and a playground.

Some work is underway including razing the former pro shop, which will be replaced by a new building.

Site work is also underway but hindered by this past winter and a very wet and cold spring.

"There is just too much work that needs to be done," Poloncarz said.

The Willowdale moniker comes the country club's original name between 1919 and the 1930s and then the Wilmont Town and Country Club before it became the Westwood in 1945 until it closed in 2014.

In an unrelated comment, Poloncarz confirmed the suite at Highmark Stadium that the Buffalo Bills dedicated to the county will be used once a season by Empire State Development, Visit Buffalo and the Erie County Industrial Development Agency for economic development and tourism purposes only.

For the remaining home games, the county will run a lottery system where 501 (c) 3 organizations may apply and be selected to use the suite.

"Hopefully for fund raising purposes," Poloncarz said.

The lottery will administered by the county's public works office and the county executive's office.

No elected officials can use the suite unless they pay full, retail value for their seat.

"I don't think too many can afford that,." Poloncarz said.

The county was allocated the suite in return for providing $250 million to help underwrite the $2.2 billion stadium project.