Locals, golf fans react to LIV Golf move to redeveloped North Adelaide Golf Club
The North Adelaide Golf Club could soon be the jewel in Adelaide’s crowd, according to excited fans – but not everyone is convinced just yet. Have your say.
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LIV Golf’s deal to stay in Adelaide until 2031 was met with positivity from many, as the 2025 event smashed attendance records with over 102,000 visitors to The Grange over three days.
As part of the announcement, the North Adelaide Golf Course in the Park Lands, currently owned by Adelaide City Council, will see a significant upgrade to become the new home of LIV Golf from 2028.
Adelaide Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith said South Australians were “bound to be overwhelmingly happy” and that the event would provide a boost for restaurants and businesses in North Adelaide.
“It is an astounding location,” she told The Advertiser.
“There are no golf courses in the world where you can tee off looking over the city skyline.”
The North Adelaide Golf Club, which operates on the council-owned course, welcomed the news, with former president Kevin Naughton, 70, saying the decision to move to North Adelaide was “brilliant”.
Mr Naughton said the club had been attempting to secure an upgrade for decades, but there had never been enough money available for redevelopment.
“That’s the reason why we were so pleased, because it was a case of at last someone’s going to put some money and resources into it to bring it up to what it should be, which is a jewel in the crown of the city,” he said.
On Monday, Premier Peter Malinauskas said the state government was looking at operating the redeveloped course.
“The State Government is making the investment, so I believe it should be the state government that runs it,” Mr Malinauskas told FIVEAA.
Despite the mostly positive reception, some worry that the development could see new infrastructure built on public land, a concern that was refuted by the Lord Mayor.
“There’s no information, intimation, or expectation of new buildings,” Dr Lomax-Smith said.
Dr Lomax-Smith also said the council did not expect any permanent fencing to be erected.
Adelaide Park Lands Association president Shane Sody, 69, said that while he was “delighted” to have LIV Golf at North Adelaide, the Premier’s comments on the redevelopment were unclear.
“The Premier hasn’t made it clear what he has in mind,” Mr Sody said.
This sentiment was echoed by the Greens, who released a statement on Monday calling on the government to “clearly detail its intentions”.
Currently, golfers looking to play on the North Adelaide course pay fees ranging from $18 to $65.
Harry Lloyd-Jones, 28, and Kyle Dent, 33, flew in from interstate for LIV Golf, and played the North Adelaide course on Monday.
“It’s going to be spectacular,” Mr Lloyd-Jones said.
“Obviously it’s going to take a bit of work and stuff, but it’s got such potential for it.”
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