The former world number one, who turns 46 in February, said he had a busy schedule this year.

It includes this week's Heineken Classic in Perth, his own Greg Norman event in Sydney the following week and five other tournaments before the US Masters in April.

"I'm very much a realist," he said at the opening of the Norman-designed, $48m Pelican Waters golf course on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

"I'm going to be 46 next week. I figure by the time I've reached 48 I might be able to sit back and smell the roses a little bit and a have little bit more time off.

"Between now and then I'm going to work very, very hard.

"I still enjoy playing the game and I'm still very much a competitor. I don't get intimidated by anybody. I love the challenge of competing against individuals."

Norman said he would play a lot of golf over the next few years.

"I push myself to the limit," said the 1986 and 1993 Open Championship winner.

"It's very difficult unless you are actually a sportsman to understand what you've got to go through to maintain the peak of your conditioning and performance."