Reports indicate Victoria Park Golf Range – one of Australia’s busiest and most accessible golf facilities – will close at the end of May this year to make way for the proposed Olympic stadium precinct ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.
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The shutdown would mark the effective end of golf operations at Victoria Park. The adjoining 18-hole golf course was closed in 2019 as part of the site’s broader redevelopment, leaving the driving range, mini-golf course and associated hospitality offerings as the last remaining golf assets at the inner-city location.
Industry sources suggest the entire facility attracts more than 700,000 visitors (including weddings and events) annually and is believed to dispense in excess of 20 million golf balls each year, placing it among the most heavily used practice facilities in the country. Beyond golf, the venue is a major events and hospitality site, with weddings and corporate functions reportedly being cancelled due to the shortened closure timeframe.
While redevelopment of Victoria Park has long been flagged, the prospect of conformation of the range closure and the fact that it could be within months has raised some concern across the golf industry.
Golf Australia has acknowledged the significance of Brisbane hosting the Games, while also warning of the longer-term implications for participation and access.
“Golf Australia recognises that Brisbane hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games is a once-in-a-generation moment for the city, and we’re working closely with government and planning authorities to support outcomes that are positive for the community, the games and golf,” said Damien de Bohun, Golf Australia’s general manager – clubs, facilities and places to play.
“At the same time, it’s important to recognise that the impact of decisions around Victoria Park is felt not just during the Games, but for many years before and well after, by hundreds of thousands of golfers, social players, families and employees who rely on this venue as a genuine community asset.”
De Bohun said Victoria Park plays a unique role in Brisbane’s golf ecosystem. “Victoria Park is not just a driving range, it’s one of the most heavily used golf facilities in the country. It plays a critical role in making golf accessible to those that live and work in Brisbane.”
The timing is particularly sensitive given the sport’s growth in Queensland. “Golf in Queensland is booming,” de Bohun said. “Club membership in the state grew by 4.2 per cent last year, well above the national average, and junior membership increased by 36.7 per cent – more than double the national growth rate.
“Those numbers tell a very clear story: demand for golf in Queensland is growing rapidly, particularly among young people and families. From a participation and public-health perspective, we need more golf facilities in Queensland, not fewer.”
The impending loss of Victoria Park follows Sydney’s Moore Park Golf Course being reduced from 18 holes to nine, further shrinking access to high-volume, inner-city golf venues.
“Our focus is on working constructively with all levels of government to ensure that golf continues to have a meaningful presence in Brisbane,” de Bohun said, “and that the long-term needs of the community are properly considered alongside major infrastructure projects.”
It is not all bad news for inner-city golf.
In Adelaide, the South Australian Labor Government is bucking the national trend through the redevelopment of North Adelaide Golf Course, with the final vision set to deliver one of the best public golf facilities in the country.
The project is focused on elevating course quality, modernising practice and short-game areas, and improving accessibility for golfers of all abilities, while maintaining its central urban location all while been the home of LIV Golf Adelaide.
For many within the industry, North Adelaide represents a compelling example of how government-backed redevelopment can enhance community participation and long-term sporting outcomes, rather than diminish them, at a time when demand for accessible golf in major cities continues to grow.
