[Don_Mahaffey]

Tokyo, Madrid, Istanbul, Doha, Qatar and Baku, Azerbaijan, are the cities announced by the IOC to be in the running for the 2020 Olympic games.

I'm guessing Istanbul, Dohu, and Baku would need to build a golf course to host the games. What might Madrid and Tokyo do? Use an existing facility or build something new? Any chance the outcome of the Rio Olympic course in terms of expense and return has an effect on how the organizers of the winning bid go about preparing a venue for golf in 2020? Will the Rio golf course have any impact at all since new construction would likely begin before the outcome of the Rio course could even be measured?

[Bill_McBride]

Tokyo, Madrid, Istanbul, Doha, Qatar and Baku, Azerbaijan, are the cities announced by the IOC to be in the running for the 2020 Olympic games.

I'm guessing Istanbul, Dohu, and Baku would need to build a golf course to host the games. What might Madrid and Tokyo do? Use an existing facility or build something new? Any chance the outcome of the Rio Olympic course in terms of expense and return has an effect on how the organizers of the winning bid go about preparing a venue for golf in 2020? Will the Rio golf course have any impact at all since new construction would likely begin before the outcome of the Rio course could even be measured?

Madrid already has a Ryder Cup level course designed by GCAer Robin Hiseman.   It's ready to permit. 

Turkey has a series of resort courses already built on the Mediterranean coast.   Azerbaijan could be a problem!

[Pete_Pittock]

The courses on the Mediterranean coast in Turkey are a long long way from Istanbul.  By the way I mentioned the 2020 Olympics in the Rio thread

[Tom_Doak]

Just for fun I did a Google search on "Baku, Azerbaijan golf" and turned up a project in planning called Dream Island which was to be designed by Cynthia Dye.  So there is a leader in the race, in the one-in-10,000 chance that they choose to hold the 2020 Olympic Games in Baku.

I believe there is at least one course in Doha, Qatar, which I flew through last year, almost exactly a year ago actually.  I'm sure there are courses around Istanbul, too, but I don't know that there is anything big enough to host the Games.

Hopefully, I'll have built a course in Madrid by 2020, though I doubt it would be in the running for the Olympics.  Rees Jones built a huge course there for Santander Bank a few years ago, though, so I doubt ours would get much consideration.  [Rees' course is way closer in to the city.]

I would think the most likely place to host the Olympics in Tokyo would be at Kasumigaseki.  They've got 36 holes so plenty of space for all the peripherals, in a city where real estate is at a premium.  Perhaps I should take their enquiries about consulting work more seriously!

[Ben Sims]

I believe there is at least one course in Doha, Qatar, which I flew through last year, almost exactly a year ago actually.  I'm sure there are courses around Istanbul, too, but I don't know that there is anything big enough to host the Games.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Doha get the nod, though I think they have a long way to go--even in 9 years--to make it viable.  The World Cup will be there in 2022 I think.  So it's not out of the question.

There is a golf course in Qatar, one to be exact.  I don't think it is Olympic worthy.  It wasn't horrid and was certainly a welcome break for a couple days away from northern Iraq.  But it's not going to wow anyone and it is--IMO--barely capable as a venue for the tournament it holds every February.  Here's some photos.

Sorry, only one I have of clubhouse.  Kind of a Disneyland-ish Aladdin theme.

[Don_Mahaffey]

Nice overseed...might want to rework the bunkers prior to '20...already got the Oly rings on the front of the house!

[Ben Sims]

Don,

There's been a lot of moments where I confirmed my geek club membership in regards to golf courses.  One was on this course when I was taking pictures of mowing lines and how awful I thought they were.  Keep in mind it was the first actual grass I'd seen in 4 months. 

But yeah, a lot would need reworking, chiefly the bunkers and mowing lines. 

[Tom_Doak]

...already got the Oly rings on the front of the house!

That is what we call a pre-emptive strike!

[Adam Lawrence]

Doha GC isn't going to win any GCA fave awards, but it's been hosting the European Tour's Qatar Masters for some years now, and from a practical point of view could accommodate the Olympics. Personally, though, I cannot see Qatar winning the Games. Without trying to be too cynical it has to be a lot harder for an outlier candidate to win votes from the hundred-plus IOC committee than it is from the 24 members of FIFA's electorate. Plus the IOC was pretty thoroughly purged and reformed after the stink over the Salt Lake City bribery issues, and it has much stronger athlete representation - not the sort of people who are going to vote for hosting the Games in 50C heat.

Baku is an even longer shot, but I have picked up a number of potential golf projects there in the last year or so - in the unlikely event of them winning.

Istanbul has three courses - Istanbul GC, a nine hole course dating from 1895, plus two recent-ish developments, Klassis and Kemer. Neither, as far as I'm aware, is Olympic-worthy.

There's plenty of golf in Madrid, but I think, given the RFEG wanted to build a new course for the Ryder Cup, if the city won the Games they'd probably build new.

And Tokyo, given the shortage of building land in the region of the city, would I guess use an existing course - but no idea which one.

[jeffwarne]

I apologise for being cynical,
but what is "Olympic worthy"?.

The Ryder Cup is currently one of, if not the bigest event in golf.
Have the European Tour choices been "Olympic worthy" , and at least 2 were purpose built.

I almost think it would be cool if they went to whatever course there was available in that particular country and played it warts,quirk and all.

The 9 holer in Istanbul would be my choice .
My eyes glaze over at the the thought of another brand new signature design in the desert surrounded by the obligatory big dich mansions that would be attracted to such a venue.

Perhaps Brazil will change my opinion.

[Tom_Doak]

I almost think it would be cool if they went to whatever course there was available in that particular country and played it warts,quirk and all.

Jeff:

That's a nice idea, and it's exactly how things used to be done in golf.  Which is why it will certainly never happen.

I have played Gavea G & CC in Rio a couple of times now, and it's exactly the sort of course you describe ... 6300 yards par 69, with two very short par-5's at that.  It's hilly and tight and the greens were slow, but it's interesting golf nevertheless, with small greens and difficult recoveries, and they've hosted the professionals many times.  Alas, with the course split by a major highway and only two narrow tunnels for access, it just couldn't handle any significant number of spectators ... though it remains to be seen how many spectators a bigger course will draw in the Olympics!

[Randy Thompson]

How many of the seven that donīt win in Brazil will be willing once again in three or four years time to put up 20-$100,000 for another shot plus all the work that goes into being taken into serious consideration. Ummm!

[Angela Moser]

Well, as far as I know there will be a new Olazabal designed course in Doha. They won a design competition in 2011....

[Adam Clayman]

I'm curious, does one lose more balls on an Olazabal course? 

[jeffwarne]

I almost think it would be cool if they went to whatever course there was available in that particular country and played it warts,quirk and all.

Jeff:

That's a nice idea, and it's exactly how things used to be done in golf.  Which is why it will certainly never happen.

I have played Gavea G & CC in Rio a couple of times now, and it's exactly the sort of course you describe ... 6300 yards par 69, with two very short par-5's at that.  It's hilly and tight and the greens were slow, but it's interesting golf nevertheless, with small greens and difficult recoveries, and they've hosted the professionals many times.  Alas, with the course split by a major highway and only two narrow tunnels for access, it just couldn't handle any significant number of spectators ... though it remains to be seen how many spectators a bigger course will draw in the Olympics!

Considering you have a vested interest in them NOT doing that, that's quite a charitable comment
Are galleries really going to be an issue in golf in Rio?

It's like taking the Winter Olympics somewhere to a charming old twisting, winding Alps resort and building a huge artificial mountain out on a plateau so "modern" speeds can be accomodated.
again, perhaps Rio will change my mind.......

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