North Adelaide Golf Course to host event from 2028; municipal course to be redesigned by Greg Norman
16 February 2025 - SHANK Media, by Matt Hooper: Sorry Rory McIlroy, Jay Monahan, Johnson Wagner, Ryan Lavner, Rex Hoggard, Eamonn Lynch, Paul McGinley and Brandel Chamblee, I have some disappointing news for you, LIV Golf is here to stay. LIV Golf Adelaide is being extended until at least 2031, with LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neill and South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas making the announcement on 'The Watering Hole' (12th hole) at The Grange Golf Club prior to Sunday's final round of LIV Golf Adelaide 2024.
By extension you would assume that it means LIV Golf is going nowhere, and will be around until at least the next decade, and complete at least 10 seasons. This flies completely in the face of those who wish the results of a deal between the PGA TOUR and PIF to see the end of LIV Golf, and their players returning to the TOUR. As I said earlier in the week, the players on LIV have not put their reputations on the line, built up relationships with businesses and companies around the world to try and grow franchises to just be told by Rory McIlroy to give all that up, come back and play boring 72-hole golf with a cut, no music, no shotgun start. With every additional announcement it appears to show that LIV Golf's future is secure, and any deal with the PGA TOUR and PIF will be about integrating the League into the current ecosystem of professional golf - as Yasir Al Rumayyan said "The idea is to keep everything independent, but strategically aligned. The idea is instead of competing, we are all going to be complimenting, and to look for additional revenues, and that is where the PIF capital investments will kick in"
A press release from LIV Golf read: LIV Golf and the South Australia Government today confirmed that Adelaide will be the exclusive home of LIV Golf in Australia with an extension agreement through 2031. The announcement was made in front of thousands of fans at the par 3 No. 12 Watering Hole, with South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas, LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil, and LIV Golf Board Member and Australian golf legend Greg Norman delivering the news together before the start of the final round of LIV Golf Adelaide.
“This event is the embodiment of what LIV Golf represents: the biggest stars, the best courses, unmatched experiences, and of course, the best fans in the world,” said O’Neil. “Thank you to Premier Peter Malinauskas for his leadership and commitment to LIV Golf for the long term. LIV Golf Adelaide is our showcase and brings the vision for all our events across the globe to life. We couldn’t be more thrilled to honor what this community has helped us build over the last three years through a partnership that will take it to even greater heights for years to come.”
As part of the commitment, the Malinauskas Labor Government, in collaboration with the Adelaide City Council, announced plans to redevelop the North Adelaide Golf Course — to be designed by Greg Norman — transforming the facility into one of the world’s best public golf courses. The project will bring future LIV Golf events to the unique and stunning downtown location within the Adelaide Park Lands and provide improved facilities and greater amenities to accommodate year-round use for the public.
In addition, the redevelopment would accommodate the continued growth of LIV Golf Adelaide, including a new 18-hole Championship Course, new driving range and practice facilities, and space for temporary tournament infrastructure while supporting tourism and maximizing interstate and international visitation.
“I’ve dreamed of building a global golf league for 30 years,” said Norman. “LIV Golf Adelaide is the realization of what LIV Golf can be around the world. I want to thank Premier Peter Malinauskas, a friend and an incredible leader for South Australia. What LIV Golf has built has never been done before, changing the sport for the better while having a lasting impact on communities like Adelaide. I’m honored to design a world-class course that will benefit current and future generations here in Australia. Long LIV Golf!”
The tournament has paid dividends for South Australia, already contributing $136 million in its first two years to the state’s economy and bringing thousands of visitors from far and wide to the state. Named World’s Best Golf Event at the World Golf Awards two years in a row, LIV Golf Adelaide has set the benchmark for delivering world-class golf within a festival atmosphere, with first-class hospitality, family-friendly activities and headline concerts.
More than just an elite golf tournament, LIV Golf Adelaide has showcased South Australia to a global audience, with a broadcast reach of nearly 800 million viewers across more than 100 territories. This year’s edition expects to top the 2024 event, which welcomed more than 94,000 fans to The Grange Golf Club and generated over 79,000 visitor nights, with guests staying an average of nearly four nights. More than 40% of ticket holders travelled from outside South Australia, proving the event’s massive tourism impact.
Said South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas: “LIV Golf has brought significant global attention to South Australia – and I am delighted to confirm that we have secured the rights to host LIV Golf in Adelaide until 2031. But more than that, I’m thrilled that we will be delivering something truly unique – world golf on the doorstep of one of the world’s most beautiful cities.
“Nestled in the stunning Adelaide Park Lands, the North Adelaide Golf Course is a stunning platform on which to showcase our city to the rest of the world. The investments we’re making will deliver a high- quality outcome for our Park Lands, improvements for members of the public who want to play at North Adelaide, and importantly, provide a new home for the growth of LIV Golf Adelaide.
“Seeing LIV get bigger and better means more people from around Australia and the world getting the chance to experience the wonders of our state. This is about much more than just bringing the world’s best golfers to Adelaide – it’s about telling the story of South Australia to a global audience, with images of our State’s magnificent regions beamed into the homes of over 100 countries.
“Significantly, it’s also about leveraging LIV as a platform to show that South Australia is a great place to do business. I want to pay tribute to and thank the leadership, staff and members at The Grange Golf Course for their continued partnership with LIV.”
Cameron Smith, captain of the all-Australian Ripper GC, welcomed the news. “We all love coming down here.” Smith said. “It's kind of the middle of the country. Everyone travels here, and they've got a really good thing going, so it's exciting for it to just keep coming down here, keep being better and better every year.”
Added teammate Matt Jones: “I just think it speaks volumes for the state, the support they've got here from Peter Malinauskas and the fans that come here and travel here, the way it's received.”
Plans were also announced to redevelop the North Adelaide Golf Course, with the project eventually bringing future LIV Golf events to the downtown location. Norman will lead the design.
“I hope he designs it for our game; that would be nice,” said Smith, whose team finished ninth after winning Adelaide in a playoff last year.
Comments