Golf will be played at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, for the first time since 1904. The last time golf was played in the Olympics, the United States and Canada were the only two competing countries. Due to the sport’s rapid growth, the 121st International Olympic Committee recommended adding golf back into the Summer Olympics games at a 2009 meeting.
This year’s event will feature both the men’s and women’s individual events. The men’s competition is scheduled to take place on Aug. 11-14 and the women’s is scheduled for Aug. 17-20.
How to qualify for Olympic Golf in 2016
There has been a small upset at the fact that there will be no team format, with golfers around the world saying a team format would help bring more excitement to representing one’s country, rather than individual glory. The format may be changed for the 2020 Summer Games.
Qualification for players to compete will be based on world ranking as of July 11, of this year. The top 15 players of each gender can qualify, with only four golfers per nation that qualify. With a total of 60 players in each event, the remaining spots will go to the highest ranked players from nations that do not already have two golfers qualified.
Another upset is centered around the fact that the pros of the sport are the ones chosen to go, based on their current rankings. Some believe that the most exciting part of the Olympic Games is watching the underdog compete. The athlete that no one thought would compete, let alone qualify. By taking players based on their current worldwide rankings, there’s no chance for an upset in a qualifier, and there for a new golf star to be born.
There has been a concern at the number of golfers dropping out of the games. Most athletes are citing concerns of Zika, the mosquito-borne virus, as their reason for dropping out. This could be a growing trend as we grow closer to the games as more and more players drop out.
The Olympic course
The course that will be used in the 2016 games is designed by Hanse Golf Course Design, and was built at the Reserva de Marapendi in the Barra da Tijuca zone. The design for the course was selected over seven others. After the games Brazil intends for the course to become a public facility. The grass for the course was chosen because it’s a warm-season turfgrass. It requires very little fertilizer and less maintenance, which is in accordance with Rio’s goal of creating an environmentally sustainable Olympic Games. The course was completed in January of 2016 and is eagerly awaiting its first big tournament.
Source: River’s Edge Golf Blog