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Fri Oct 09, 2009 9:44 am EDT

Golf makes it into the 2016 Olympics, but where will they play?

By Jay Busbee

Big congratulations to golf today as word has come down from Mount Olympus -- well, actually, Copenhagen -- that the International Olympic Committee has approved the inclusion of golf in the 2016 Olympics. (Also rugby, but this ain't a rugby blog. You're on your own, fellas.)

Anyway, while the Olympics nod is great news for golf, it now raises a question: where the heck are they actually going to play? As Local Knowledge points out, Rio de Janeiro, host of the 2016 Games, has exactly two golf courses. Yes, you read that correctly. Two. And one of them may or may not end with a blind putt through a windmill. Good news, though: if an Olympic golfer aces it, he gets a free game or a Fudgesicle. Not both.

Still, golfers are such a forgiving sort, right? No way they'd mindlessly bitch about everything from the cut of the rough to the slope of the greens to the softness of the toilet tissue in the clubhouse bathroom to the shape of the ice cubes in the grill room to ... well, you get the idea. Rio is, um, under a bit of pressure.

So, easy fix, right? Just go retrofit one of those courses -- probably not the one with the windmill -- and soup it up to Olympic standards. They did it with Bethpage for the U.S. Open; they did it with Liberty National for the first round of the FedEx Playoffs. Plenty of time!

Plenty of time, not plenty of money. Rio didn't budget for the creation of a new golf course, as the Wall Street Journal notes. Bethpage cost about $2.7 million in 2002 to get ready for the Open, but it was already a quality course that just needed a bit of botox and implants. Ground-up creation of a professional-grade course could cost ten times that.

Of course, there are two options: first, Olympics always spiral over their original budget, so if golf gets in now on the ground floor with the cost overruns, by 2012 it'll be considered under-budget.

The second alternative? Ask this guy. He's got a few bucks to spare.

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45 Comments

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  1. ramskijr
    1. Posted by ramskijr Fri Oct 09, 2009 11:16 am EDT

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    Professional golfers around the world are so good and are used to playing on great courses WILL complain about any course not up to standard - Rio will not have an course that will come close to the level needed. My thought is the Olympic Committee only included golf so that it will fail for the simple reason it was mainly the Americans who wanted golf included. They snubbed Chicago because they don't like the USOC so it follows they don't really want golf just like they got ride of womens softball. We Americans are just too good for the rest of the world.
  2. Me
    2. Posted by Me Fri Oct 09, 2009 11:18 am EDT

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    Classic! The IOC waits until after the games are awarded to add these events.
    Tokyo, Madrid and Chicago would have ALL been better choices for the inclusion of golf. Each city has world champion golf courses with very strong local followings of the sport, but what the hell.
    I really do not care that Chicago did not get the games, but I do care that Rio was awarded the 2016 games.
    Perhaps the so called Eco-Friendly Brazilians can tear down an additional 500 acres of the rainforest (in addtion to the daily 50 acres) to accomodate the almightly IOC.
    I am glad golf is being included, but the experiment will be short lived once we see the first pro devoured by a crod as he tries to pitch a shot from the water's edge.
  3. Merlin
    3. Posted by Merlin Fri Oct 09, 2009 12:21 pm EDT

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    Are you kidding, Costa do Sauipe is a tremendous venue that doesnt need any juicing up if the wind blows. You might want to visit the resorts down there before you post a dumb commentary like that. Brazil even has a secretary of golf in their government. What that means I have know idea, but I sure would like the job.
  4. Golferinkilt
    4. Posted by Golferinkilt Fri Oct 09, 2009 12:34 pm EDT

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    Good blog, but things may not be as dire as it would seem. The European Tour played in Rio in 2000, at Itanhanga. I can't imagine they would have done that if all they had to chose from were dog-tracks and horse-tracks.
  5. Marvin A
    5. Posted by Marvin A Fri Oct 09, 2009 12:47 pm EDT

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    It is clearly you just hating because chicago did not get the games and just for the record Brazil got one of the best economy so it would not be a problem to come up with$2.7 millions ,so stop hating and jump on the boat Rio de Janeiro is one of the most beautiful places in the world, it clearly shows you have never been there.
  6. B O Y
    6. Posted by B O Y Fri Oct 09, 2009 12:50 pm EDT

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    Every PGA pro with the means should help build a course down there. The tour has plenty of multi-millionaires to make it happen. Assign a hole to each contributing pro, or combination of pro's, and let them design it from tee to green. I don't know anything about golf in Rio, but if there is a suitable course then get it ready to go. Golf is getting an opportunity that a lot of sports dream of and has the means to make it great.
  7. Marvin A
    7. Posted by Marvin A Fri Oct 09, 2009 12:51 pm EDT

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    It is clearly you just hating because chicago did not get the games and just for the record Brazil got one of the best economy so it would not be a problem to come up with$2.7 million ,so stop hating and jump on the boat Rio de Janeiro is one of the most beautiful places in the world, it clearly shows you have never been there.
  8. John Lee
    8. Posted by John Lee Fri Oct 09, 2009 1:45 pm EDT

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    MAKE ULTIMATE FRISBEE AN OLYMPIC EVENT! guaranteed more people will watch and be excited about watching an intense match of ultimate than golf. we have enough of pga anyways. if rugby is an olympic sport ultimate frisbee should definitely be an event as well.
  9. foreblackgolfers
    9. Posted by foreblackgolfers Fri Oct 09, 2009 2:42 pm EDT

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    When I started researching quality golf venues in Brazil a couple weeks back and came up rather empty, I figured this quagmire would arise...
    Feedback???
    http://foreblackgolfers.blogspot.com
  10. Steve
    10. Posted by Steve Fri Oct 09, 2009 3:05 pm EDT

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    They get baseball out, and put in golf? What's next, NASCAR racing in the Olympics?
    Golf - the original four-letter word. :)
  11. matrickz
    11. Posted by matrickz Fri Oct 09, 2009 3:20 pm EDT

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    no issues with adding these 2 sports. My issue was with removing softball and baseball.
  12. M2
    12. Posted by M2 Fri Oct 09, 2009 3:54 pm EDT

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    ridiculous.. they took out baseball and softball??? and add golf in???
  13. T Stewart
    13. Posted by T Stewart Fri Oct 09, 2009 3:55 pm EDT

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    I'm from the USA and I'm really glad Rio Brazil got the Olympics. First for South America, they deserve it! Chicago is a RAT Hole and I hated even driving threw it. Nothing but big business and gangs. Maybe that's the main reason they decided to bump Chicago in the first round. Why would you want to bring people from all over the world to a place where they beat honor students to death with clubs, because he didn't want to join a gang. Makes sense to me! Being an avid golfer, I'm sure Brazil will come up with something. It doesn't have to be Pebble Beach, Pinehurst or TPC Sawgrass. Hell, send Jack or Ernie down there to design a course. I'm sure they don't need the money and they would get the bravo for designing the first Olympic course.
  14. thinker
    14. Posted by thinker Fri Oct 09, 2009 4:49 pm EDT

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    Well, that's been established...they do have first class golf facilities in Rio...Next, is it viewer friendly? How many people can they put on the ground at one time? All legit questions...Can they do decent TV from the course? As everyone is/should be well aware, it's TV that runs the games...The IOC is only to line the pockets of the officers...any doubters on this, check the records as to how many millions the top brass get....Each country uses the Olympics as a PR tool...I found another word for the Olympics "GARBAGE" That's right, ya put garbage in, ya get garbage out...when was the last time a TRUE AMATEUR won anything ? I will bet even money most of you arn't old enough to know...In case your interested, it was a farmer who defeated a Russian in Greco wrestling...I think this whole thing is one big farce,joke or what ever you want to call it...glad my money doesnt go to fund it...I must get 6 appeals every year to send $$$$ so the athletes can train...HEY, CONTESTANTS, GET A DAY JOB, TRAIN ON WEEKENDS AND AT NIGHT...TAKE YOUR VACATION THAT WEEK SO YOU CAN COMPETE...yea, right...STUB
  15. Kelly G
    15. Posted by Kelly G Fri Oct 09, 2009 4:52 pm EDT

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    Rio is going to do just fine in getting a golf course ready for the Olympics.
  16. Meda
    16. Posted by Meda Fri Oct 09, 2009 5:55 pm EDT

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    RAMSKIJR #1 post MANNNNN I hope to hell you were being SARCASTIC when you said you Americans were to goood for the rest of the world. I took it as you being SARCASTIC cause the truth be known and DEEP down in your AMERICAN heart , AMERICANS are some of if not the most hated people in the world. So in future speak for yourself not everyone.
  17. billieboy
    17. Posted by billieboy Fri Oct 09, 2009 5:55 pm EDT

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    What is wrong with BUZIOS GC that was designed by Peter and Perry DYE ?
    It is a good test , albeit short of 7,000 yards long.
    Why not use it to save money just to build better infrastructure around the golf course
    like parking lots, clubhouse areas for dining members and visitors, roads for easy access
    to and from the club and the city. To build a brand new golf course is a good idea
    IF it can OPEN in six years from now ! But to save money for other better purposes than
    a brand new golf course seem better logistics.
    Anyway I wish the best of luck to various committees who will be involved with the project to
    find a suitable venue in Brazil for the Golf Olympians ! Good luck !
  18. duffys clan
    18. Posted by duffys clan Fri Oct 09, 2009 7:06 pm EDT

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    #1 the rest of the posters think you are just a common idiot!!!!!
  19. qwestisthebest
    19. Posted by qwestisthebest Fri Oct 09, 2009 7:34 pm EDT

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    To be fun and fair NO PROFESSIONAL in the team.
  20. Kelly G
    20. Posted by Kelly G Fri Oct 09, 2009 8:14 pm EDT

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    I miss the days when only amateurs were in the games. For some sports in both winter and summer games it was a training grounds for the pros. Not long ago an athlete would be suspended if they were caught taking even a small amount of money.It isn't the same anymore that's for sure.
  21. Kelly G
    21. Posted by Kelly G Fri Oct 09, 2009 8:14 pm EDT

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    I miss the days when only amateurs were in the games. For some sports in both winter and summer games it was a training grounds for the pros. Not long ago an athlete would be suspended if they were caught taking even a small amount of money.It isn't the same anymore that's for sure.
  22. Kelly G
    22. Posted by Kelly G Fri Oct 09, 2009 9:03 pm EDT

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    #2 Me,
    The Amazon is like my second home, and believe it or not it is large US and European lumber companies tearing down the Rainforest.
  23. Gary R
    23. Posted by Gary R Fri Oct 09, 2009 9:05 pm EDT

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    Much as I love Golf. No way in heck is it going to be a great Olympic sport. I suspect the TV coverage of golf during the Olympics is going to be average at best. Everybody associated with game is talking like it's going to rule the Olympics and they're not even thinking about how it won't really be covered that well by I'm guessing NBC. The Olympics are about fast moving sports. Certain team events and slower individual sports like tennis are mostly covered by a highlight package until you get down to the Gold Medal match or game. We're not going to get major championship coverage of golf and be able to see Tiger Woods play a 4 hour round. Unless of course some seperate pay per view coverage of golf is allowed by 2016. I'm thinking golf will be lucky to survive after 2020 as an Olympic sport.
  24. Roger M
    24. Posted by Roger M Fri Oct 09, 2009 9:09 pm EDT

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    I was born in the sixties and the first Olympic Games I can remember is Munich 1972. There were plenty of "amateurs" and "pros" from both sides; the "east" and the "west" back then already. All nicely disguised, of course. I am a golf nut but I am not sure it should be Olympic and during that time in August of 2016; isn't it time for the PGA Championship to take place? On the other hand, if I will find a sponsor (really tired of working, really just want to play golf full time, handicap 13); I might have a chance to play for my country in 2016 (Switzerland, do you hear me). Other interesting additions to the Olympics might be Chess or Thumb wrestling, how about "paper, scissor, rock"? And #1, I agree, you are an idiot!

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