New images reveal changing North Adelaide Golf Course
The state government is embarking on a controversial $45 million upgrade of the North Adelaide Golf Course. New aerial images show how much the park lands have changed since January.
It is one of the Malinauskas government’s flagship projects, and also one of its most controversial.
In February 2025, the state government announced it would move to redevelop the North Adelaide Golf Course, which could host world-class golfing events such as LIV Golf.
That would require a substantial upgrade of the course to bring it up to international standards.
Now, new high-resolution aerial imagery of the course supplied to InDaily by SA-based MetroMap shows just how much the golf course has changed since January 2026. Works on the course are ongoing.
MetroMap is a product of SA company Aerometrex, which supplies aerial imaging and mapping services to the private and public sectors.
January 2026
Over the course of 2025 and 2026, the project has been a political headache for the Premier.
It even landed the state government in the Federal Court, with a ‘David and Goliath’ court battle underway, spearheaded by park lands advocates Edwin Kemp Attrill and Janette Milera.
Their lawyer, Barrister Arturo Dal Cin of Murray Chambers, argued the North Adelaide Golf Course Act should have been referred to the federal environment minister to test the project against the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
The state government, represented by lawyer Alison Doecke KC, has argued the project did not meet the threshold for referral to the Federal Environment Minister.
A judgment on the case will be delivered on October 1.
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July 2026
Opponents to the development are concerned about the hundreds of trees that need to come down in order to facilitate the significant $45 million upgrade of the course, designed by legendary golfer Greg Norman.
The government is full steam ahead with the project – touting the promised economic boon from being able to host top-tier golfing events close to the city.
While LIV Golf itself has been struggling to find investors in recent months, the government does have the rights to host the Australian Open from 2028 at North Adelaide, giving it a firm mandate for the upgrades.
August 2026
Meanwhile, a groundswell of protesters has emerged against development in the park lands that would lead to trees being removed.
The group – led by the Adelaide Park Lands Association and a group of protesters labelled as “rag tag extremists” by the Premier – launched a petition against the project that amassed more than 40,000 signatures.
And the group has been active against other major state government projects, including the $96 million MotoGP park lands development.
That will result in hundreds more trees felled in the park lands for the project the state government estimates will deliver a $200 million economic boon for SA.
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