South Australia has secured a major sporting coup, with the Malinauskas Labor Government reaching a long-term deal with Golf Australia for Adelaide to host both the men's and women's Australian opens.
The agreement will see a newly upgraded championship-standard course at the North Adelaide Public Golf Course play host to an Australian Open every year from 2028 to 2034, including three men's and three women's Australian Opens.
The first men's Australian Open at North Adelaide will be staged in 2028.
It will be just the third time the major event has been hosted outside New South Wales or Victoria in more than half a century.
The new Greg Norman-designed North Adelaide Golf Course promises to be one of the most unique championship venues in world golf.
Located in the heart of Adelaide and just minutes' walk from the CBD, the venue represents an opportunity to further grow the championship.
The 2026 men's Australian Open was the most successful men's championships in the event's history, with more than 113,000 fans attending Royal Melbourne.
The upgrade of the existing public golf course at North Adelaide celebrates Adelaide's beloved Park Lands, recognises their cultural significance, expands walking and riding trails and opens up the park for greater access for the thousands of South Australians who regularly visit and pass through the area.
The investment in the golf course sits alongside the Malinauskas Labor Government's significant investments in public-use infrastructure to encourage more South Australians to get off screens and engage in health activity.
Those investments include:
- A brand new $135 million Adelaide Aquatic Centre
- The $45.7 million Barossa Park project
- A $92 million investment to transform the ageing Mile End netball stadium into a world-class, multi-sport facility.
- A $100 million election commitment to deliver a new multi-use facility to provide a permanent home to gymnastics.
Importantly, the golf course will remain a public course for the enjoyment of all South Australians. The Government has worked hard with course designers to minimise the impacts to existing significant trees.
Course designs can be viewed here.
The addition of the men's Australian Open alongside the women's Australian Open builds upon the Malinauskas Labor Government's significant calendar of major events including the bp Adelaide Grand Final, MotoGP Grand Prix, AFL Gather Round and LIV Golf.
The Government's Major Events strategy has helped deliver an economic benefit to the state of more than $700 million.
As put by Peter Malinauskas
For some time, we have been engaged with Golf Australia discussing the potential of bringing both the men's and women's Australian Opens to Adelaide.
We are thrilled to make this a reality, at a high quality public facility on the doorstep of our city.
The Australian Open is a must stop event on the Australian sporting calendar, and we have the potential to grow it here in Adelaide.
It has only ventured out of New South Wales or Victoria twice in half a century.
Central to this move is the investment we are delivering in North Adelaide, a world-class public golf course uniquely located in our stunning Park Lands overlooking the CBD.
Whether they be playing golf, walking or cycling through it, South Australians will have the benefit of enjoying this high-quality course for the vast majority of the year.
With the North Adelaide upgrade coinciding with the development of the Cliffs on Kangaroo Island, golf tourists will be attracted to our city, to spend their dollars in our economy.
Major events like both the men's and women's Australian open will help drive that economic benefit further, and boost even further investment in our city.
As put by Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland
The 2025 men's Australian Open proved what the event means to golf fans. More than 113,000 people packed Royal Melbourne just to experience the golf.
We also ran the most successful women's Australian Open in the event's history at Kooyonga. All the feedback suggests that we have captured the golf world's attention. Now is the time to capitalise on that.
South Australia has built an outstanding reputation for partnering with sports and helping them grow their events.
With a new championship course at North Adelaide and The Cliffs at Kangaroo Island to come, the state has an incredible suite of golf attractions to complement its other tourism assets, and we're excited to be working in partnership with the South Australian Government.
North Adelaide will be one of the world's best public golf facilities. An Australian Open each year, right in the heart of one of Australia's great sporting cities, has the potential to be one of the very best events on our national sporting calendar.
I can't think of any city in the golf world that can offer a championship course within a proven events precinct, with city hotels, restaurants and energy within such close proximity. We are excited by the opportunity that this presents for our tournament, its players and Australian golf fans.
Beyond securing a new host venue for our national Opens, we are proud to support a project that will create a significant community asset and a major golf tourism driver for South Australia.
North Adelaide will provide South Australian and Australian golfers with a world-class, multi-format public-access venue that aligns with our ambition to inspire more people to play more golf.
