Your girls guide to LIV Golf Adelaide and why it’s worth a weekend away.
It’s official. You need to block out the second weekend in February and book a trip to Adelaide. Valentine’s Day is cancelled, I’m calling it “LIV-entines” and the best part is, you can go with the girls, and for the best reason – golf.
LIV Golf is back at The Grange Golf Club. If you saw it on socials last year, you already know LIV is the new cool-girl summer event of the year. Full disclosure: it will be a big weekend, so let’s breakdown what you can expect and how to best navigate the festival format.
Tournament golf has long held a certain rhythm. It’s deliberate, precise and steeped in tradition. Four long days, 72 holes, hushed crowds and polite applause as players stride the fairways. The golf is world-class, but unless you’re a die-hard fan, the atmosphere can feel intimidating (*cough* a bit stiff). Something to be quietly observed rather than celebrated.
Enter LIV Golf.
Where traditional golf has crisp polos and pleasantries, LIV throws a party. Shorter, louder and bolder, it’s reinventing what watching golf can look like and brings in a new crowd, whether you’re a fan or festival goer. If tournament golf is a black-tie dinner, LIV is the hens party, the social event of the season where sport meets spectacle. It’s Barossa wine and sneakers, food trucks and walk-off eagles, with a soundtrack pumping across the fairways – and that’s just by day.
The professional game, as we’ve long known it, runs on endurance. Players grind through four rounds across four days, with tee-times spread from morning to late afternoon while they battle it out to make the cut. Spectators roam in silence, dressed in their best polos and spikes with phones on mute, respecting etiquette.
There’s a purity to it, the golf itself is brilliant, and for purists, it’s heaven (especially if you’re a middle-aged man). But for the next generation, especially women dipping their toe into the culture, it can feel exclusive. Long days, unfamiliar rules, and the quiet intensity of it all doesn’t scream fun weekend out with the girls. You go for the golf, but little else.
Now imagine something entirely different. At LIV Golf events, the format is cut to 54 holes with shotgun starts where every player tees off at the same time on different holes. There’s no waiting for hours for your favourite group; the whole field is live at once. The atmosphere? Anything but silent. Music blasts across tees, fans cheer mid-swing and crowd interaction isn’t frowned upon, it’s encouraged.
LIV also introduces teams, complete with merch and personalities. Think Formula 1 meets golf, with players representing franchises and fans picking sides. Add to that the famous “party holes”, where grandstands pulse with chants, walk-off celebrations and the kind of energy you don’t expect from golf.
You don’t just watch a LIV event, you feel it. You go for the vibe, and the golf follows. So why should the girlies give up a precious weekend to attend?
Here’s the thing: LIV isn’t just golf for golf’s sake. It’s a festival. Food trucks dot the course, drink tents pop up by the greens and live music stages turn the post-round into a party. It’s the sort of event where planning your outfit is just as important as picking your player to follow. It’s like a day at the races, only greener.
For women who’ve ever felt like tournament golf wasn’t for them, LIV flips the script. You don’t need to know every stat to enjoy it. It’s about being part of an atmosphere that’s inclusive, high-energy and fun. A place where you and your friends can spend the day soaking up the sunshine, clinking glasses, and yes, maybe even learning a bit more about the game along the way. Not to mention every brand and influencer is coming out for a slice of the action. Your feed will be filled with brand collabs and activations that you didn’t know you needed – Hello… who doesn’t want free skincare handouts on the course!
It’s not intimidating, it’s not exclusive. It’s accessible. It’s a girls’ day out with a sporting twist and you don’t need to know everything. After all, LIV Golf Adelaide draws about 100,000 spectators, has twice been voted the World’s Best Golf Event and continues to attract fans from across Australia, with more than 40 percent of last year’s ticket holders travelling from interstate.
Throughout the day you can pick your own adventure, whether that’s walking with your favourite players in the thick of the action, picking a shady spot on the course, checking out the food and entertainment or lounging in an inclusive hospitality suite. Then at night, the DJ set and live music start for the party under the stars.
LIV Adelaide has become one of the hottest tickets in Australian sport, with crowds flocking from across the country to experience the buzz. The city comes alive, the golf course turns electric, and the festival atmosphere takes over and you will, I repeat, you will get FOMO if you’re not there. While the players deliver fireworks on the fairways, the fans are every bit as much a part of the show.
Start the plans in the group chat now. Here’s the pitch: don’t hear about LIV Golf from someone else’s Instagram story. Get it on your own calendar. Book the girls, plan the outfits and block out a weekend of golf-meets-music-meets-lifestyle.
Traditional tournament golf will always have its place, and it’s brilliant in its own right. But LIV? It’s carving out something new, something fun and celebratory, and the girls are invited – even if you’ve never picked up a club.
Photos by Mark Brake, Sarah Reed, Asanka Ratnayake/getty images
