I’M still on the fence when it comes to LIV. It features quality players, is no doubt a great spectacle for those on site and at the event in person, but it still hasn’t convinced me, or the vast majority of golf followers, that it is a worthwhile television product.
LIV is still relatively new, and it looks like it is going nowhere, so time will tell if it continues to build, grow and attract global TV interest.
However, credit where it is due, what LIV does manage to achieve is to get a handful of the world’s elite out of their comfort zone (translation: the PGA TOUR) and to compete in events staged all around the world.
Growing the game? Maybe. Taking a collection of world-class professionals to places they otherwise wouldn’t go, and to perform for audiences who otherwise wouldn’t see them play? Definitely.
Let’s leave the big-name Europeans out of this for now but excluding when the Presidents Cup is held on our shores, the PGA TOUR’s highest profile players such as Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele or Justin Thomas aren’t heading here anytime soon, especially either side of Christmas during a southern hemisphere summer when our biggest tournaments are scheduled.
If not playing in the rich getting richer limited field stuff, be it Tiger’s World Challenge or the father-son event in Florida, the Americans on the PGA TOUR all have their feet up and the clubs resting, getting ready for Hawaii in January or the west coast swing after that.
Similarly, other than when the travelling LIV roadshow heads to Adelaide each year, the likes of Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson or Brooks, have no interest in playing golf in Australia.
This year, and with all respect to Ryggs Johnston, the surprise Australian Open winner from 12 months ago who will likely return to defend his title, the Americans will again stay away.
But all that said, let’s not dwell on what we don’t have and look at what we do.
Kudos to Australian golf’s powers that be, and to those from abroad who will head to the BMW Australian PGA and Australian Open, with two outstanding fields assembled.
Rory McIlroy, after talking the talk and saying he wanted to play more away from the US and to contest national Open’s, is also walking the walk. He played in India in October, and it has been well documented he will be the star attraction at the Australian Open in December. Both this year and next.
Whatever the reason, whether it be to try to elevate their world rankings or to pad out their schedule due to the limited number of LIV events each year, maybe they just like coming here, a strong list of South American’s have committed to play.
Niemann and Ancer have enjoyed success here before, Australian Open champions in 2023 and 2018 respectively, while Ortiz and Munoz, winners in the US and this year on LIV, will join them, and with our two major tournaments being DP World Tour sanctioned, a contingent of European Tour young guns looking to make their mark, also adds to the depth of talent on show.
Then there is Ryan Fox, twice a winner in the US in 2025, and with a total of 19 victories worldwide, the stocky Kiwi is all class, while to have all our leading Australian players, (minus Jason Day), in Adam Scott, Cam Smith, Min Woo Lee, Cam Davis, Marc Leishman, Lucas Herbert and emerging talent and defending PGA champion Elvis Smylie on deck, makes for an exciting few weeks of golf.
Let the American’s stay home, we’ll be fine without them!
The top 100
It was an ambitious project, and with plenty of help from our readers, we managed to get there, producing a top 100 public access golf course list we think highlights the very best experiences on offer, while recognising the many and varied courses doing a great job in servicing and providing enjoyment to the thousands of golfers around the country.
Luckily, we had plenty of help compiling the list, while I’d love to try, it’s impossible to travel around and play all the courses worthy of consideration, however certainly towards the top we believe we’ve got it right, with Barnbougle, both Dunes and Lost Farm, standout performers when it comes to delivering a memorable golfing experience. And with a bit of planning, those two courses, like all on our list, are open and available to visiting and green-fee paying golfers.
Outside of that, maybe for the top few spots as well, no doubt there will be some conjecture and debate, as opinions vary depending on a range of factors.
So, you may have already participated in our survey in assisting us to come up with the top 100 list, but either way let us know what you think. Check out our ranking of Australia’s Top 100 Public Golf Experiences on page 32 of this issue. Have we got it right?
An amateur standout, winning the NSW Amateur and Australian Medal in 1988, before going down in the final of the 1990 Australian Amateur Championship, Rob Willis turned professional in 1992, playing the Australasian and Asian Tours, with his highlight being his victory in the 1995 Dubai Creek Open and third placing at the European Tour's Dubai Dessert Classic. A former Editor of Golf Australia Magazine, Willis, who ventured away from golf for a period to be the media manager for the NRL's Cronulla Sharks, has been a contributor to PGA Australia's PGA Magazine for over a decade and for Inside Golf since its first edition back in 2005. 
