Australian Open heads to Peninsula-Kingswood, NSW locked out

Victoria will host the Australian Open in 2027, locking out NSW for the next few years by also reaching agreement with Golf Australia to host the tournament in 2029 and 2030 in a win for the state’s golf fans.

The 2027 Australian Open will be played at Peninsula-Kingswood Country Golf Club near Frankston, while the venue for the 2029 and 2030 tournaments is still to be determined, but they are certain to be on Melbourne’s famed sandbelt courses.

Peninsula-Kingswood will develop a composite course out of their north and south courses for the Australian Open.

The tournament will move to Adelaide in 2028 where it will be played at the newly developed North Adelaide Golf Club before moving back to Victoria in 2029 and 2030. South Australia will host the tournament three times between 2028-2034.

Victoria will remain a central focus for golf fans, however, in 2028 as the President’s Cup will be played at Kingston Heath, the same course that is hosting the Australian Open at the end of this season.

Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland said Visit Victoria understood golf tourism is a “a 52-week proposition”, and that support was fundamental to the Open’s success.

“We are setting [the Australian Open] up to be one of the great golf tournaments of the world,” Sutherland said. “We now have seven years of certainty in regards to not only our state government partnership but also the venue of where the Australian Open is going to be played.”

Rory McIlroy will again be the star attraction at this year’s Australian Open after its massive success last year when it was played at Royal Melbourne.

There is also likely to be an influx of the world’s top 50 players in 2028 after Golf Australia announced last week it had reached agreement with the DP World Tour and PGA Tour for the tournament to be co-sanctioned for three years. This is likely to lift prizemoney and increase the prospects of attracting the world’s best players to Australia in summer.

Cam Smith and Min Woo Lee are expected to be among the big-name Australians to play in this year’s Australian Open, while other top-50 players, such as American Max Homa, are considered chances to play.

Christian Hardy, the PGA Tour’s senior vice president of international, indicated their enthusiasm for the prospect of their players making their way to Australia to finish.

“Australia’s passionate and knowledgeable fans, world-class venues and rich competitive history make it a key part of the global game, and our members value the opportunity to compete in the Melbourne Sandbelt and the unique challenge those courses provide,” Hardy said. “With the Presidents Cup returning to Victoria in 2028 at Kingston Heath Golf Club, we look forward to building on that momentum.”

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