The Cliffs Kangaroo Island
Set to open in 2025, this world-class course by Darius Oliver offers a stunning golf experience atop ancient cliffs on Kangaroo Island.
A world-class golf experience is coming to South Australia. The Cliffs Kangaroo Island (KI), designed by renowned Golf Course Architect Darius Oliver and The Cliffs KI Managing Director Sam Atkins, will soon be a premier destination for golf enthusiasts. The first rounds are expected to be played in October 2025.
Created in collaboration with the team behind Cape Wickham Golf Links, The Cliffs KI features wide, sweeping fairways that follow the dramatic contours of ancient cliffs. The course boasts cutting-edge facilities, including a Clubhouse, Restaurant, High-End Retail Store, and Eco Pod Accommodation.
The Cliffs Kangaroo Island is situated on a 600-acre site of sand and rock, atop 30 million-year-old cliffs that offer breathtaking views of the Southern Ocean. Located on Australia’s third-largest island, which is accessible only by ferry or plane, Kangaroo Island is renowned for its natural beauty and local wildlife.
Conversations first began in May 2022 when Martin Greenwood, Communication Manager for Programmed Turnpoint and Golf Course Builder at The Cliffs KI, reached out to Andrew Rowett at Sunnyside Instant Lawn. With a focus on water conservation and creating a world-class playing surface, Greenwood wanted to learn about the science behind TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda. The Cliffs KI team and Programmed Turnpoint collaborated closely with Sunnyside Instant Lawn to develop effective solutions for turf establishment and maintaining turf quality.
Golfers will encounter a unique mix of challenges, including elevated cliffs, sea breezes, sand dunes, and high temperatures, making it a distinctive environment for turf growth. The Cliffs KI team, led by Managing Director Sam Atkins, planned the project with extensive research, placing a strong emphasis on the turf. Key discussions with Sunnyside Instant Lawn arose primarily due to challenges related to water supply, as the course will be irrigated with desalinated water from a newly constructed dam.
A meeting with the University of Georgia’s Dr Brian Schwartz, the turf breeder behind the release of TifTuf, was arranged at Sunnyside Instant Lawn with The Cliffs KI team. Dr Schwartz worked through the science and supporting trials behind TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda, providing key data and a thorough understanding of the most researched grass in the world. They were able to discuss water usage with Dr Schwartz, who provided detailed insights into TifTuf’s proven water-saving research.
This information demonstrated that water usage could be reduced by 38% compared to initial suggestions to install other Bermuda grasses. The Cliffs KI could now reduce water volumes and, in turn, reduce overall expenses.
TifTuf research extended further with a group visit to inspect the TifTuf at Sunnyside Instant Lawn. “How can you assure us genetic purity?” was a question raised on-site, which highlighted the AusGAP Program and offered confidence in turf purity. To see this firsthand, TifTuf trials were established on-site. Two areas of focus were the 1st tee and the 18th hole, where turf was fenced off from kangaroos. Freshly harvested TifTuf slabs were raked into the sand and exposed to harsh conditions. Each trial was laid directly on top of the sand profile and watered for four weeks until the roots connected. After this period, the trials remained untouched, enduring sun, strong winds, salt spray, and sand drift, with no watering and only minimal rain over the hot summer period.
When asked about the results, Martin said areas exposed on the sand dunes were a “good golf surface” and “I could put a mower over that and play on it”. He was astounded by one area protected from wind, which had “great results, unbelievable in fact”. Trials over the six months leading up to a proposal showed TifTuf’s ability to survive in summer with only small amounts of rainwater on virgin sandy dunes. Despite being exposed to minimal rainfall, TifTuf thrived — something that Sunnyside Instant Lawn’s Andrew Rowett monitored closely with Martin Greenwood and The Cliffs KI team.
The results proved that TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda would perform on a sand profile, with the ability to survive in a long dry climate, handle winter cold conditions, and offer a fast spring green-up. “An unbelievable outcome,” and a great fit for this golf course location. Turfing at The Cliffs Kangaroo Island is set to begin in late 2024 and will extend over 12 months, involving both sprig planting and solid turfing. Solid turfing will primarily focus on erosion-prone areas, bunker faces, and surrounds. As South Australia’s top tourist destination, Kangaroo Island will soon offer golf enthusiasts and visitors a world-class experience on Australia’s first full 18-hole TifTuf golf course.
