Plans for a clubhouse at a trouble hit St Andrews golf course have been bunkered by councillors.
Developers Scotia Investments had already appealed to the Scottish Government after Fife Council failed to process their plans for Feddinch within the two-month timescale.
The council will now defend its decision to refuse the planning application during the appeal process.
When planning permission was granted in 2013, it was on the condition that the clubhouse could not be built until the golf course had been completed.
Work on the 18-hole course, which has been designed by former Open champion Tom Weiskopf, began but was abandoned nearly two years ago owing to poor weather and director Ewan McKay suffering ill health.
Scotia Investments now hope to open the course in summer 2018.
Councillor Brian Thomson warned refusing permission for the clubhouse could hinder the golf course further amid local support for the project.
He said: “We’ve got a half built golf course, maybe a three-quarters built golf course. There have been huge earth movements. It’s a bit of a mess at the moment and is becoming a bit overgrown.
“My concern is that if this doesn’t proceed, it would be very difficult to return the site to an agricultural state.
“It would involve huge costs, maybe millions, to bring it back into agricultural use.”
However, Councillor Elizabeth Riches highlighted Scotia Investments’ supporting statement, in which the company confirmed the course was “fully funded.”
In its submission, Scotia Investments said: “There is no risk of failure to continue development.
“Subject to renewal of the clubhouse permission application, there is every confidence that the scheme will proceed to completion.”
Planner Elspeth Cook said the application could be reconsidered once work on the golf course is finished.
She said: “By appealing non- determination, the applicant has already decided that their planning permission has been refused.
“The golf course was not progressing, even when permission was in place. Permission has been in place for three years.
“It’s not appropriate to renew the application when the golf course is not complete. It’s not a complete rural project which would support additional facilities.”
The clubhouse would include 41 bedrooms exclusively reserved as members’ accommodation.