Golf Australia has announced the winners of the 2026 National Awards of Excellence, recognising the clubs, venues, partners and individuals setting new benchmarks for innovation, participation and leadership across the game.

Now in its second year, the awards celebrate excellence across 10 categories, including metropolitan and regional clubs, off-course venues, participation programs, sustainability, volunteering, and industry supply partners.

This year's winners span seven states and territories, from a remote community in Arnhem Land where one in seven residents plays junior golf to one of Australia's most culturally diverse municipalities, which is taking golf into local parks for the first time.

Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland said the breadth and quality of this year's winners reflect the extraordinary momentum behind the game.

“The 2026 National Awards of Excellence showcase the depth of leadership, commitment and ingenuity happening across golf in Australia,” Sutherland said.

“What stands out this year is the diversity of these stories. We have a remote community in the Northern Territory where 14 per cent of the entire town is involved in junior golf. We have a council in Melbourne's west taking golf into parks to reach communities that have never had access to the game. We have an environmental scientist building homes for bandicoots on a golf course in Perth.

“These aren't just great golf stories, they're great Australian stories. They demonstrate that golf is a powerful vehicle for community connection, inclusion, health and environmental stewardship.

“Together, these winners represent a blueprint for the future of our sport, one that is more welcoming, more innovative and more deeply embedded in the communities it serves.”

Damien de Bohun, General Manager, Clubs, Facilities and Places to Play, Golf Australia, said the calibre of nominations in the program's second year had been outstanding.

“Last year's inaugural awards set a high bar, and this year's winners have raised it again,” de Bohun said.

“What's particularly striking is the common thread running through every winner; they're not just attracting people to golf, they're making them feel like they belong. Whether it's Townsville Golf Club building a women's participation pipeline in which program graduates become mentors, or Kalgoorlie converting 76 per cent of first-timers into regular golfers. Or Half Moon Bay is investing in ParaGolfers and audible tee signs so that everyone can play. These are organisations that understand the future of golf is about belonging and who are evolving to welcome the modern golfer.

“The awards highlight the critical role that volunteers, local government and industry suppliers play in the golf ecosystem. Mount Lawley volunteers committing thousands of hours, Adam Marchant's environmental transformation at Royal Sydney, and GolfSim Australia putting golf simulators into schools, these contributions don't always make the headlines, but they are the foundation on which the game grows.”