Handicapping The Olympic Design Finalists
/The field has been set for golf architecture’s grandest Grade 1 race. Eight will line up in a fiercely contested battle to become the lucky designer charged with building a course expected to inspire future creations with its environmental sensitivity and playable charm. Here’s a look at the field set to be chosen by a jury panel in late January or early February.
1-2 GOLDEN SWEDE (Jack Nicklaus/Annika Sorenstam) The stalwarts all along draw the rail after lobbying to get golf back into the Olympic Games. However, their offer to do the job pro-bono was negated by Rio committee’s pre-determined $300,000 fee. And this powerful combo still has to answer questions about the lack of a standout minimalist, environmentally-friendly design in the portfolio. But as the only speed in the race, they should set strong early fractions and may run out too far ahead to be caught. Would be careful before taking too short of a price. Still the pick.
4-1 HIGH POINTE (Tom Doak) – Heads the pack of minimalists thanks to stakes-quality efforts at Pacific Dunes and Barnbougle Dunes. Comes armed with the top name recognition among the three juveniles bidding here against some aging vets. Doak has built the kind of courses the committee says it wants to create: minimalist, environmentally sensitive and cool to look at. This one does have a tendency to act up in the paddock, so get a good look at him before hitting the window.
The key players in the Olympic design derby, courtesy of the art department team at La Habra Post Card Company (Click on the image to enlarge)9-2 MY BROMANCE (Robert Trent Jones II/Mario Gonzalez) – Prodigal son of the late racing machine is a bit of a darkhorse. Past performances don’t suggest he’d be a strong contender, but the preferred architect of Bill Clinton has environmental street cred after switching to trainer Jay Blasi’s barn for the reclamation of Chambers Bay. Late jockey change to Brazil’s Mario Gonzalez adds Portugese-speaking legend to woo Brazilians on the jury panel, but age of the team is a huge concern; political acumen makes this one a curious item.
8-1 TRUMP’S GROOM (Martin Hawtree) Only architect who has run at this track, having created a routing planned for the Rio golf course site long before this was viewed as a possible Olympic venue. Has strong R&A ties, major backing of Donald Trump thanks to hot new Scottish links opening in July and carries a British accent known to make committees swoon. Late speed has chance to pass if an early speed duel between emerges; can have a say here if stars align.
9-1 MALVERN MISSILE (Gil Hanse) – Nice longshot possibility also relying on strong early fractions from the frontrunners. Has a few key projects in the Form suggesting talent is there to pull off an upset. Castle Stuart has received raves from Olympic juror Peter Dawson and some famous golfers, while PGA Tour brass can point to TPC Boston redo along with sensitive restorations at Plainfield and Ridgewood in making case. Lacks the Southern hemisphere name recognition of others, but is a trainer’s dream in the paddock.
14-1 GREAT WHITE MEXICAN (Greg Norman/Lorena Ochoa) -- More star power here presents a younger, hipper alternative to the favorites. Norman has a few projects under his name fitting the desired concept for the Olympic site, but those were created by architect Bob Harrison, who thankfully has survived and is thriving after Norman tried to send him to the slaughterhouse. New mother Ochoa has no major courses to her name and is a ceremonial presence. Norman will have to fly out of the gate or hope the fractions are lively enough to somehow cut off the Nicklaus presence without prompting an Inquiry sign. Strictly an exotics play.
60-1 BLACK KNIGHT (Gary Player) – Will be 81 in 2016 and hard to see the jury panel backing a colt even as well known as this one. With so many starts and so few wins to show in nearly 300 opportunities, not sure what the angle is here. Lacks Nicklaus’s influence, Norman’s star power and has no signature effort that would satisfy stated desire to build influential minimalist-style course sensitive to the environment. Looking elsewhere.
99-1 TOMMO (Peter Thomson/Ross Perrett) – Five time Open Championship winner Thomson will be 86 when 2016 games start and its hard to see this as anything more than a political gift from jury panel’s R&A influences looking out for one of their own. No discernable design work to point to as Olympic model and much of this barn’s re-design work has needed fixing by other architects. Pass.
