Blast From The Past: How Gold Coast scored the Aussie PGA golf tournament

A Gold Coast course or a revamped Royal Queensland are in the hunt to host the Australia PGA tournament next year

Blast From The Past this week looks back at December 10, 2012 and the chase to score the Aussie PGA on the Gold Coast.

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A GOLD Coast course or a revamped Royal Queensland are in the hunt to host the Australia PGA tournament next year now the tournament’s 11-year run at Coolum has ended in the divorce court with magnate Clive Palmer.

The best offer to host again next year by the Palmer Coolum Resort was so removed from what PGA organisers were chasing that six months of negotiations have collapsed with the stark news that the event is heading elsewhere.

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“It won’t be at Coolum. We would love to have stayed but we simply could not get an outcome to negotiations,’’ PGA of Australasia chief executive Brian Thorburn said.

Initial angst that the tournament could be lost from the state has been eased.

Titanic II signage at Palmer Coolum Resort in the lead up to the 2012 PGA. Photo: John McCutcheon / Sunshine Coast Daily.

It can be revealed that the backing of Events Queensland for another two years is for an Australian PGA held in Queensland, rather than stipulating a particular course.

“We have already been in discussions with a number of venues in Brisbane and the Gold Coast. We have no preferred course or anything finalised,’’ Thorburn said.

Gold Coast gem Hope Island, where South Africa’s Ernie Els won the 1997 Johnnie Walker Classic, The Glades or Royal Pines, which does such a fine job of hosting the Australian Ladies Masters, are layouts likely to be considered for 2013.

Thorburn said the decision to finish up at Coolum after this year’s event, which starts on Thursday, was taken before the events of recent days.

The course now has 61 ads painted on the grass, some embarrassingly in fairway landing areas.

On-course signs promoting Titanic II, Palmer’s audacious project to build a near-replica of the ill-fated ocean liner, bully for position with hole sponsors like Powerade.

Top pro Mat Goggin thought he had arrived at Disney World when he spied Jeff the replica dinosaur by the 10th tee.

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“I’ve played at the Disney World course in Florida when you can hear Mickey Mouse, witches and fireworks from the regular parades as you prepare to drive, so as long as the dinosaur is quiet I’ve no problem,’’ Goggin said with a grin.

Rules officials were meeting last night to decide if a local rule would need to be created to allow a free drop off grass signs when the $1.25 million tournament tees off.

Royal Queensland hosted the Australian PGA in 2000 and 2001 before the tournament’s run at Coolum began.

A major redesign was completed in 2007 and a $2 million-plus clubhouse and locker room renovation has just been completed.

“We are interested in hosting a major tournament,’’ RQ general manager Andrew Kirkman said.

“We have expressed that interest to Brian but it is unlikely to be 2013.’’