Greg Norman was one of the most well-known golfers for years. Then he left the golf course to run LIV Golf as its CEO from 2021. Now that the chapter is over in 2025, he has taken on a new position as an investor and course developer.

The former CEO is designing a $45 million renovation of North Adelaide Golf Club, a project that involves the removal of 585 trees while deliberately protecting areas of Aboriginal land considered culturally significant.

“So proud to be part of this journey. Thank you @pmalinauskasmp for entrusting me and my company @gngcd to help reshape golf’s future for the public in #adelaide in redesigning @northadelaidegolfcourse,” Norman wrote on his Instagram account, sharing a glimpse.

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A central focus of the redevelopment is safeguarding Possum Park / Pirltawardli (Park 1), where the existing Par-3 course is located. Premier Peter Malinauskas explained that the site and the land around it are effectively treated as a restricted area, given the possibility of Aboriginal remains, and are therefore preserved under the Aboriginal Heritage Act.

“There is a very strict legislative process that dictates the way those [Aboriginal Heritage] applications operate and that was done quite independently of me, as it should be, but effectively there was engagement, and that decision was made clear and easily accommodated,” Malinauskas said.

What further makes this project special is its easy access. The Premier said, “South Australians of all levels of golfing experience – and those without it – will be able to enjoy the high level of amenity provided by this investment in our park lands.” There will be no permanent fencing around the course, and it will remain open to the public. Locals will pay less than tourists.

A tiered pricing system will be introduced, allowing higher fees for visitors than for local players, made possible by legislation approved earlier this year. Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland said investing at this scale in a public facility could place South Australia at the forefront of Australian golf, pointing to the $10.3 billion Australians have spent on golf at the household level over the past year. Work on the project is expected to start in mid-2026, with a 2028 completion target, so the venue is ready to stage LIV Golf Adelaide and the Women’s Australian Open.

For Norman, this project matters a lot. During the announcement, Greg Norman revealed that several concept plans had already been discussed “so there’s going to be options for all of us to look at.”

“As a golf course designer you very seldom get the opportunity to be involved with a project downtown — [there are] very few opportunities in the world for that. So our job is not taken lightly,” he added. “North Adelaide Golf Club is basically a diamond in the rough. And we’re going to unpick it for you.”

Also, it has been his dream to have a part in such an evolutionary project.

“I’ve dreamed of building a global golf league for 30 years,” Norman had said. “LIV Golf Adelaide is the realization of what LIV Golf can be around the world. I want to thank Premier Peter Malinauskas, a friend and an incredible leader for South Australia. What LIV Golf has built has never been done before, changing the sport for the better while having a lasting impact on communities like Adelaide. I’m honored to design a world-class course that will benefit current and future generations here in Australia. Long LIV Golf!”

However, this project is undergoing public debate that might create a problem for Greg Norman.

Environmental trade-offs and public debate

Adelaide Park Lands Association president Sarah Russo said that she welcomes the government’s assurance that the course would remain publicly accessible. At the same time, though, she warned that cutting down 585 trees still “represents a substantial loss of established canopy in a city facing increasing heat, declining biodiversity, and mounting pressure on open green space.”

“Many of these trees have taken decades to mature and cannot be quickly or easily replaced,” she said.

She also raised concerns about the government’s replacement strategy, noting that “while the government has referenced a 3-for-1 tree replacement commitment there is currently limited clarity around when replacement planting will occur, where it will be located, what species will be used, and how the loss of mature canopy will be addressed in the interim.”

Opposition to the redesign has been building for months. Dozens of demonstrators gathered on the steps of Parliament to protest the proposed upgrade of the North Adelaide Golf Course in June.

That said, the number of trees slated for removal is significantly lower than earlier projections. Four months ago, the Liberal Party warned that as many as 5,400 trees could be lost. In August, Liberal MLC Frank Pangallo made that claim, citing advice from international golf course designer Peter Dalkeith Scott.