LIV Golf is staying put in Adelaide, with the South Australian government securing the breakaway league’s only Australian stop through 2028 — and an option to extend until 2031 at a revamped course in North Adelaide designed by Greg Norman.
Key Takeaways
- LIV Golf Adelaide will remain the league’s only Australian event until at least 2028. The South Australian government has locked in a long-term deal to keep the tournament despite strong rumoured interest from interstate rivals.
- The agreement includes an option to extend the tournament through 2031, contingent on the successful redevelopment of North Adelaide Golf Course, which is set to be redesigned by Greg Norman.
- The upgrade will include an 18-hole championship course and expanded facilities, allowing LIV Golf to shift the event into a more central location in the coming years.
- SA Premier Peter Malinauskas said the government had estimated the potential cost of redeveloping the North Adelaide course but declined to provide a specific figure.
- The tournament generated $136 million for the state’s economy in its first two years, drawing tens of thousands of visitors and boosting local tourism.
Key Background
LIV Golf Adelaide has quickly become one of the league’s marquee stops, in part because it leans into the spectacle of sport.
While traditional tournaments have long prided themselves on quiet crowds and pristine fairways, Adelaide once again proved all too willing to fully embrace the party atmosphere, with music from the likes of Dom Dolla and Fisher, grandstands full of fans, and a level of energy more reminiscent of a music festival than a golf tournament.
And recent number suggest the Saudi-backed league’s formula has worked.
The 2024 event drew 94,000 fans, setting a new attendance record for LIV Golf, while its global broadcast reach extended to nearly 800 million viewers. The event’s impact hasn’t just been about golf—it has been a tourism magnet, generating 79,000 hotel stays and drawing 40% of ticket holders from outside South Australia.
The tournament has brought in international crowds and high-profile players, including Australia’s highest paid athlete Cameron Smith, Bryson DeChambeau, and Brooks Koepka.
But even a below-average showing from the tour’s only Australian team did little to dampen local spirits on Sunday, when, in front of a packed crowd at the notorious “Watering Hole,” SA Premier Peter Malinauskas announced that the tournament is here to stay.
“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,” Malinauskas told the crowd.
“We’ll be signing an agreement that reflects this today … to build a brand new world-class, Greg Norman-designed championship golf course on the location of the North Adelaide site which will in turn trigger an option for LIV Golf to be extended until 2031.”
Ripper GC skipper Cam Smith also 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.”
Crucial Quote
“We see a big opportunity in North Adelaide. Getting LIV Golf into the city unlocks yet more economic potential,” SA Premier Peter Malinauskas says.
Big Number
102,483: The official attendance across the three days of LIV Golf Adelaide 2025.
What to Watch For
LIV Golf Adelaide is expected to shift to a redeveloped North Adelaide Golf Course in the coming years, moving the tournament closer to the city centre. How that transition plays out—and the response from locals and members—will be key to determining if the long-term investment pays off.
Malinauskas said the government had estimated the potential cost of redeveloping the North Adelaide course but declined to provide a specific figure.
“Once we have the final number, we will release it publicly,” he said.
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