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🇦🇺 Australia /Economy & Trade

South Australia pushes ahead with $45 million golf course upgrade amid LIV Golf funding doubts

From ABC Australia · (11m ago) English Mixed tone

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • South Australia is proceeding with a $45 million redevelopment of the North Adelaide public golf course, aiming to host the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour in 2028.
  • The project faces scrutiny as international reports suggest LIV Golf's funding from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund may be cut, raising questions about the justification for the redevelopment.
  • The government maintains the course upgrade is primarily for public use and tourism, not solely dependent on LIV Golf, and will also host other tournaments like the Women's Australian Open.

The Malinauskas government in South Australia is forging ahead with a significant $45 million redevelopment of the North Adelaide public golf course, a project ostensibly designed to attract the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour in 2028. However, this bold move is clouded by international media reports, including those from the Financial Times and Wall Street Journal, indicating that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund might be withdrawing its substantial financial backing from LIV Golf due to persistent losses. This leaves the state government in a precarious position, akin to staging a play without its lead actor.

We think that timeline's the perfect one that sets us up for the future.

— Peter MalinauskasPremier Peter Malinauskas discussing the timeline for LIV Golf and the course redevelopment in February 2025.

Premier Peter Malinauskas has consistently defended the redevelopment, emphasizing that it extends far beyond a single golf tour. He asserts that the "world-class" course will serve as a public amenity for 51 weeks of the year, boosting tourism and providing a valuable community resource. This perspective was echoed in February 2025, when the Premier announced the project, stating that the long-term vision for LIV Golf provided the "security" needed to justify the substantial investment. The government insists that the project's business case remains robust even without LIV Golf's guaranteed presence.

That also justifies the investment — we didn't want to invest heavily in North Adelaide and face the prospect of it being lost from South Australia.

— Peter MalinauskasPremier Peter Malinauskas explaining the rationale behind the investment in the North Adelaide golf course.

Despite the government's assurances, critics like Greens MLC Robert Simms argue that the project's foundation crumbles if LIV Golf withdraws. Simms contends that the government's commitment was predicated on LIV Golf being the "jewel in the crown" and that the business case evaporates without it. The association with the Saudi government also remains a point of contention for the Greens. However, the Malinauskas government remains steadfast, framing the investment as being for "public community use infrastructure" that will also host other prestigious events, such as the Women's Australian Open, ensuring its value regardless of LIV Golf's future.

This gives us the security that it requires to be able to justify that investment.

— Peter MalinauskasPremier Peter Malinauskas on the security provided by LIV Golf's commitment for the investment.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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