Councillors took the decision at a meeting of the full council - which heard that officers who have been scrutinising plans from preferred bidder The MacKenzie Club (TMC) to improve the course and turn it into a global attraction had been unable to conclude the ongoing legal negotiations to their satisfaction.
Council officials had hoped to present to the full council a draft agreement to lease the course to TMC for 99 years.
But a report to the meeting said: "Despite considerable efforts by officers and Brodies, acting as the council's external legal advisers, it has not been possible to conclude a draft legal lease agreement for consideration by elected members.
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"The inability to conclude a draft lease agreement has been driven by a number of factors. Chief amongst these factors is a fundamental mismatch between TMC Ltd's desire to be awarded control over as large as possible an area adjoining the 99 hectares of Hazlehead Golf Course itself, which is in conflict with the council's desire to regulate any golf-related development and not to cede adjoining land parcels without clear purpose or return."
Elected members debated the TMC proposals for two-and-a-half hours before voting 22-16 to defer a final decision, which will now be taken at the next full council meeting.
The defeated amendment was proposed by Cllr Martin Greig, who called for the operation of the course to be instead placed in the hands of the new arm's-length Sports Trust body, which the city council is establishing to run many of its sports facilties.
Council leader Cllr Kate Dean said: "A majority of councillors supported my motion to let the negotiations reach a conclusion so that in six weeks' time we have something concrete in front of us on which we can make a right and proper decision.
"We owe that to ourselves, to the people of Aberdeen and to the golfers of North-east Scotland."
A majority of councillors believe the TMC proposals hold out the prospect of a multi-million pound investment in the renowned course while maintaining affordable access to local people.
(GK/JM)
