When you come to think of it that is the secret of most of the great holes all over the world. They all have some kind of a twist. C.B. MACDONALD
I just wish I could be there the first time Sir Nick Faldo tries to talk strategy with an associate of Tom Fazio (Lord knows the great man wouldn't leave the country!) and he gets a bunch of nonsense about framing. But alas, the chances of Nick Faldo-Tom Fazio (or 18 major champions and Tom Fazio, with egos coordinated by the ego himself) doesn't stand much chance.An Around The Rings report checks in with the IGF's Ty Votaw who confirms that the timing is getting tight for selecting an architect and building a course in time for a 2015 test run prior to the '16 games. Votaw told Around The Rings, “We'll have an architect selected by the end of the year barring any unforeseen circumstances.”
And in response to Greg Norman's criticism that the Olympic course is cutting the timing a little too close for comfort:
Votaw added that the process is “probably taking a little longer than we anticipated. I would agree with Greg's assessment in terms of the time frame, and we conveyed that same information to him, which is why we agree with him.”
Steve Elling with excerpts of Nick Faldo's letter to the International Golf Federation pitching a mass collaboration of some of the biggest do-nothings on the planet: player-architects.
Though short on specifics as to how this boondoggle would work (since many of these people couldn't find one of their projects with a GPS device), it sounds as if Sir Nick is suggesting the Olympic course design consist of a collaboration of many appearance fee specialists.
"What a tremendous, ongoing, global and historic story we could write for our sport as a truly international team of men's and women's champions create the venue for golf's return to the Olympics in 2016. Certainly some of the most-respected course designers in the world come from a global pool of the most-recognized champions.
"It is understood that the complexity of the site and the demands of the Olympic event would necessitate a unified and experienced process architecturally; as they say, egos should be checked at the door, but please imagine the worldwide interest and appeal this Olympic course as the truest collaboration of men's and women's champions -- from every continent.
As long as we can see a reality show out of it, I'm in!
"Consider for yourself, the major-champion designers from the continents of Africa, Australia, Europe, North America, South America and Asia.
Oh let's not.
The announcement of this collaboration alone would generate true and positive worldwide interest and press in a truly Olympic story."
Until you actually all try to coordinate your site visits, assuming some of the lugs (Faldo not included) even know what a site visit entails!
Let's hope Larry Olmsted's solution to the Olympic Golf Course design commission puzzle is not adopted. Then again, it would make a fantastic documentary and study of clashing egos!
Now that Rio has selected a site for the Olympic golf course, Around The Rings interviews the head of golf's IGF, Antony Scanlon about the state of golf's effort for 2016. Lots of safe answers, starting with this question about the choice of Rio as an unfortunate moment for golf.Thanks to reader Rob for this ATR report (subscription required) that Rio Olympic officials made it official: the 2016 course to be used for the first Olympic golf competition since 1904 will be a new one on a site in the city. This hasn't been much of a secret, but still the first official acknowledgement from the organizers of the direction and location.
Organizers also chose the occasion to announce the stage for golf’s first Olympic tournament since 1904, a new course rather than one of the two private 18-hole courses already in existence in Rio.
“Now the masterplan of the different sports competitions is finalized, so we know where every sport will be for the Games in 2016,” Felli told ATR.
“We believe the course is going to be a key legacy for Rio as it’s going to be in the middle of the Barra zone like most of the Olympic Village.”
You can just imagine what the architects backstabbing each other to get the job will think of this. For Immediate Release:
2016 Olympic Golf Tournament: Itanhangá Golf Club Board of Delegates Approves Plan to Host 2016 Olympic Golf Tournament, Garners Support of Pelé
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – May 4th, 2011 – During its monthly board meeting on Sunday May 1st, 2011, the Itanhangá Golf Club board of delegates authorized club president, Arthur Porto Pires Jr., to proceed with the club’s plan to host the 2016 Olympic Golf Tournament. In a letter addressed to Peter Dawson, president of the International Golf Federation (IGF) sent via e-mail on April 21, 2011, Mr. Pires expressed his club’s desire to host the 2016 tournament. “The choice of Rio de Janeiro to host the 2016 Olympics is a just reason for Brazilians to celebrate and an opportunity for us at Itanhangá to have our premises considered by [the] IGF and the Olympic Committee to host the golf competition,” said Mr. Pires in the letter.
Itanhangá Golf Club is one of two existing golf clubs within the city limits of Rio de Janeiro that is under consideration to host to the 2016 tournament. After extensive analysis Itanhangá has emerged as the only existing club with the necessary space to host a championship tournament of this scale. Itanhangá Golf Club encompasses nearly three hundred picturesque acres centrally located just minutes from the Olympic Village. The club features two courses totaling twenty-seven holes (an 18-hole tournament course and a 9-hole practice course), a sprawling grass driving range, and an extensive clubhouse area with a spacious modern locker room facility.
The 18-hole tournament course will require minor improvements including the addition of approximately six hundred yards in order to adapt the course to the contract requirements of the IGF and International Olympic Committee (IOC).
600 yards...minor?
A number of course design professionals including representatives from the IGF have visited Itanhangá and have confirmed the course’s tournament potential subject to the necessary improvements.
Oh they just want the work!
An initial survey completed by the club has shown that these improvements can be funded through the club’s share of tournament commercial operations revenue and will not require a large expenditure from the government.
In his letter to Mr. Dawson, Mr. Pires highlighted Itanhangá’s track record of hosting professional golf tournaments. “Itanhangá is consistently chosen for major Brazilian and international events for its world-class, though not overly difficult layout, and its spectacular natural setting and beauty,” he said in the letter. The European Tour chose Itanhangá to hold their first Latin American event in 1999, and the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) has made a yearly tour stop at Itanhangá since 2009.
In addition to providing a major championship caliber venue, Itanhangá’s Olympic project entitled “Olympic Dream Itanhangá 2016,” promises to leave a lasting social legacy on the local community while promoting interest in the game of golf in Brazil. “In light of the other alternatives that have been suggested for the tournament including the costly construction of a new municipal course on an sensitive wetlands area, Itanhangá felt obligated to offer a solution that is socially, fiscally, and environmentally responsible,” exclaimed Mr. Pires.
An ubylined AP story says Brazil's only public golf course is under threat by an eminent domain grab to build a new highway to ease traffic.Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
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