Geoff Shackelford has a good Q&A with Gil Hanse leading into this week's Scottish Open at Castle Stuart.
http://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2012/7/10/qa-with-gil-hanse.htmlHighlights...
Olympic Course in Rio:* "The site visits have gone very well. ... We shifted a few greens and tees around to take advantage of some natural features that we found, and also to reduce the amount of water that was green side on several of the opening holes."
* "Routing stays much the same and the holes are roughly in the same configuration."
* "Natural terrain for the 'upper' holes is better than first imagined and those holes should be shaped right out of the existing landscape."
Visit to Australia: * "(Never) been to Australia to study the great sandbelt courses. ... It seemed that we could draw a parallel to our site in Rio from a vegetation, sand, and topographical context to these courses."
* "The configuration of their green complexes and the bunkering of the courses will be a fit for Rio, as will the reliance on short grass surrounds for the green complexes."
Influence of Castle Stuart on Rio selection:* "(Castle Stuart) had a significant influence on our selection for the Rio course. The selection committee made it clear that they were looking for a resume that included courses that have hosted significant tournaments."
* "The fact that the course was well received by the players, prior to the storm events, I believe had an impact on our selection."
Castle Stuart modifications:* "Bunkers were added on the 5th and 14th holes, and several holes were lengthened. Interestingly enough, many of these additional tees were already constructed during the original design of the course."
Lesser known area links worth playing: * "Favorites include Cruden Bay, Lossiemouth, Brora, and Fortrose and Rosemarkie, and Boat of Garten is a fun inland course. Of course any trip to this part of Scotland should include stops at Royal Aberdeen and Royal Dornoch, which is a masterpiece in my opinion."