Hundreds of curious customers – including 40 PGA professionals – walked away from Adelaide Oval last October all agreeing on one thing: that was an experience unlike anything they’ve had before.
A partnership between Australian Golf Digest and Adelaide Oval to bring the international craze of Stadium Golf to our shores paid off big time, with hundreds of new golfers getting their first taste of the game late last year. Among them, six lucky hitters who made Stadium Golf history by achieving the competition’s first holes-in-one in Australia.
Famous for hosting international cricket and Australian Rules football fixtures, the iconic Adelaide Oval provided golfing enthusiasts the chance to experience the venue like never before – teeing off from locations within the stadium, including level five of the Riverbank Stand, the northern mound at the base of the famous Moreton Bay fig trees and a purpose-built platform in front of the heritage scoreboard.
“It was an unforgettable week for everyone involved,” says Nick Cutler, managing director of Australian Golf Digest.
“We wanted to do something special and the team at Adelaide Oval completely embraced the concept that has been running in a similar format in the US since 2015. It was also Golf Month in October – the sport’s annual campaign to drive participation – and bringing this exciting concept to Australia, at the most picturesque ground in Australia, was the perfect way to create some excitement.”
Adelaide Oval Stadium Golf received rave reviews and national prime time coverage across all major television networks including Fox Sports, Seven, Nine and Ten.
Rod Hill from QOD Golf experienced his first taste of Stadium Golf and was immediately hooked.
“It took approximately 80 minutes to play our round and each group had a dedicated caddie and shot clock to make sure we stayed on track,” Hill recalls.
“The staging of the event was minute-perfect with the timing clearly visible on the big screens around the oval. It was a fantastic experience, so different to everyday golf, and I encourage any golfer to make the effort to book in to future events. You will not be disappointed.”
Organisers are hopeful of bringing the concept to all major capital cities over the coming years, and with major partners like Drummond Golf, Callaway Golf South Pacific and Bushnell Golf throwing their support behind the ‘pilot’, expect the event to get bigger and better.
“There was a real buzz among those who participated and it was great seeing a mix of those who clearly played the game and those that had never hit a ball in their life,” Cutler added. “It leaves us full of confidence knowing what Stadium Golf can do for the sport moving forward. Golf needs to change the way it operates and markets itself to a new demographic. Thanks to our good friends at Adelaide Oval, we’ve started the ball rolling and hopefully we can make it an annual event there.”
The 2019 edition of Stadium Golf will return to Adelaide Oval from October 5-12. Tickets are available here.
