RIO DE JANEIRO – Gil Hanse has been applauded time and time again for the work he did getting the Olympic Golf Course ready for the Games; He had little time and was dealt delays because of land disputes and environmental concerns.
Because of those issues, some have called the golf course a miracle.
The sign of a great design is often when the golf course doesn’t become an issue as the week progresses. That was the case last week with the men where there wasn’t a single complaint about the course, the design or its setup.
“Obviously, this course needs to exist and go on and be a friendly golf course where people can enjoy the game of golf,” gold medalist Justin Rose said Monday. “It was a fun course to play in the wind, but as an amateur it’s a course that’s quite forgiving as well. You might not necessarily score well on it, but you’re not going to lose golf balls.”
Immediately after Games, the course will be transferred over to the Brazilian Golf Federation where they will develop an academy and work on getting the locals more involved.
“The course has been great for top-level competition and will be enjoyable for lesser players,” said Peter Dawson, president of the International Golf Federation.
Expect more high-level events to come to the Olympic Golf Course, like the Latin American Amateur and the PGA Tour Latinoamerica.
“He did a great job of having one eye on the Olympics and the other one on the future of the golf course,” Rose said of Hanse.