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Tom_Doak

  • Total Karma: 5
Re: Gavea Golf & Country Club - Rio de Janeiro (12 holes posted)
« Reply #25 on: November 15, 2017, 09:02:11 PM »
Holes 10-14 over the road were disappointing to me.  I imagine they were much different when they were built and maybe the wall that keeps you from seeing where you are was not necessary back then; I don't remember seeing any old pics of those holes.  And the 15th must have been way cooler when #1 and #2 weren't there and the hole played around the edge of the old practice field, which was o.b. as at Hoylake.

David Davis

  • Total Karma: 0
Re: Gavea Golf & Country Club - Rio de Janeiro (12 holes posted)
« Reply #26 on: November 16, 2017, 04:00:42 AM »
Holes 10-14 over the road were disappointing to me.  I imagine they were much different when they were built and maybe the wall that keeps you from seeing where you are was not necessary back then; I don't remember seeing any old pics of those holes.  And the 15th must have been way cooler when #1 and #2 weren't there and the hole played around the edge of the old practice field, which was o.b. as at Hoylake.


Tom, had those holes already been renovated when you were there? I thought they were all very good strategic holes. Granted the land was flat and probably all had to be shaped for all the features. I'm sure that beach wall was not there but then again back in the day I guess Rio was a much safer place than it is today. That may be why Gil moved those greens up to the wall. In the past with no wall they had probably been placed at a safe distance from pedestrians.


I spent some time speaking with the gentlemen, Mr. Stallone who had written the club book and he gave me one to take home. I will check if it has any old photos of that section. The book unfortunately is in Portuguese but it's a beautiful, heavy coffee table kind of thing so I guess it doesn't matter.



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Thomas Dai

  • Total Karma: 1
Re: Gavea Golf & Country Club - Rio de Janeiro (12 holes posted)
« Reply #27 on: November 16, 2017, 04:14:15 AM »
Gavea in 1937




Fascinating thread what with the location, terrain, city development etc.


Out of curiosity I tried lining up the church and the mountain to work out where this 1937 green would now be. My guess it that the church is the Paroquia San Conrado. Any ideas which green it would be now (if still existing)?


Incidentally, if you look at streetcam - https://www.instantstreetview.com/@-22.996989,-43.264969,17z,0t - the 360* views are available from on, yes on, the golf course!


atb



MClutterbuck

  • Total Karma: 0
Re: Gavea Golf & Country Club - Rio de Janeiro (12 holes posted)
« Reply #28 on: November 16, 2017, 12:54:11 PM »
Holes 10-14 over the road were disappointing to me.  I imagine they were much different when they were built and maybe the wall that keeps you from seeing where you are was not necessary back then; I don't remember seeing any old pics of those holes.  And the 15th must have been way cooler when #1 and #2 weren't there and the hole played around the edge of the old practice field, which was o.b. as at Hoylake.


Unless you take detailed notes and are very organized with them, your memory impresses as much as your designs...

Brad Tufts

  • Total Karma: 0
Re: Gavea Golf & Country Club - Rio de Janeiro (12 holes posted)
« Reply #29 on: November 20, 2017, 10:23:54 AM »
Are the last 6 holes coming?  Or is it only 12?
So I jump ship in Hong Kong....

Tom_Doak

  • Total Karma: 5
Re: Gavea Golf & Country Club - Rio de Janeiro (12 holes posted)
« Reply #30 on: November 20, 2017, 11:58:39 AM »

Unless you take detailed notes and are very organized with them, your memory impresses as much as your designs...


You should have known me 30 years ago!  I can barely remember the last course I played nowadays, unless it was inspiring. 

I did like Gavea a lot, but my memory is only as good as it is because I played it three times, and did a bit of consulting for them a couple of years before Gil, to look at how they might change around some of the beachside holes.  But I didn't have any great solutions, and it didn't make sense for me to go back and do any work with Gil's crew sitting there waiting to build the Olympic course, so they wound up making the changes.

Even with that, I'm having trouble placing that great photo that Ian found.  If the church is at the bottom of the hill, it's probably the old 1st green, which was on a small piece of property the club gave up.  [The 3rd hole was the old 1st, and used to play straightaway further along the road, with the 2nd playing to today's 3rd green.]  If the church is up the hill in the favela, it might be the abandoned par-3 I was talking about, which also plays toward the mountainside.*

* But I can't remember the name of the mountain now!  See what I mean?

Tom_Doak

  • Total Karma: 5
Re: Gavea Golf & Country Club - Rio de Janeiro (12 holes posted)
« Reply #31 on: November 20, 2017, 12:00:22 PM »
Are the last 6 holes coming?  Or is it only 12?


Actually, Gavea would have been great with just 12 holes on the mountain side of the road !  It would have been VERY short, but still a healthy walk.

Thomas Dai

  • Total Karma: 1
Re: Gavea Golf & Country Club - Rio de Janeiro (12 holes posted)
« Reply #32 on: November 20, 2017, 12:33:51 PM »

David Davis

  • Total Karma: 0
Re: Gavea Golf & Country Club - Rio de Janeiro (12 holes posted)
« Reply #33 on: November 21, 2017, 06:53:17 AM »
Are the last 6 holes coming?  Or is it only 12?


Brad,


Sorry there are 6 more coming. Just traveling now. Sorry to keep you hanging. At least there are a couple people here interesting in GCA  :D
Sharing the greatest experiences in golf.

IG: @top100golftraveler
www.lockharttravelclub.com

Brad Tufts

  • Total Karma: 0
Re: Gavea Golf & Country Club - Rio de Janeiro (12 holes posted)
« Reply #34 on: November 22, 2017, 11:10:57 AM »
No worries...figured as much!  I'm sad that my golf is likely over for 2017...no rounds planned till maybe a couple in February in AZ/NV.
So I jump ship in Hong Kong....

Ian Andrew

  • Total Karma: 2
Re: Gavea Golf & Country Club - Rio de Janeiro (12 holes posted)
« Reply #35 on: November 23, 2017, 08:52:32 AM »
* But I can't remember the name of the mountain now!  See what I mean?


OK that's unintentionally funny ... it's Gavea Mountain.
"Appreciate the constructive; ignore the destructive." -- John Douglas

David Davis

  • Total Karma: 0
Re: Gavea Golf & Country Club - Rio de Janeiro (12 holes posted)
« Reply #36 on: November 26, 2017, 12:06:21 PM »
14. Par 4 - 421 yds


A relatively long hole with a tight drive. The holes runs along the highway separating wall and doglegs to the right with bordering waste areas running down the right side.







The green is long and fairly narrow running diagonally away from the line of play from right to left. It's easy to miss leaving a tricking recovery shot.







15. Par 4 - 385 yds


After the 13th hole the players walk back under the highway to a slightly elevated tee box left of the first green. This is a semi long pretty tough - was playing straight into the wind for us. The same burn that came into play on the first hole adds to the visual challenge down the right side though feels out of play with exception to a pull hook.







The approach into the wind is much tougher than it looks. The burn now comes back into play running just left of the green. This green has far more severe undulations than the rest of the greens on the course including a big lump in the middle. The members suggested this part of the renovation has remained unaccepted by many. Sorry I don't have closer pic.







16. Par 3 - 226 yds


This is a long tough par 3 playing to an uphill green. Wind was helping significantly turning this into a 5 iron on our day. Anyway you look at it a challenging 3 that felt more narrow than it actually played.









17. Par 4 - 376 yds


This medium length par 4 plays down to the fairway then a solid drive leaves a semi blind steep uphill approach to a very tricky green. Left on the approach is major trouble.









A look at the approach














18. Par 4 - 400 yds


The final hole is a tough par 4 dogleg left. the drive is tight and left is OB. Longer hitters can take it over the storage building though it's a tiger line. A successful shot leaves a short iron in.







The final green is heavily undulated with gentle fall offs all around.


Sharing the greatest experiences in golf.

IG: @top100golftraveler
www.lockharttravelclub.com

Sean_A

  • Total Karma: 5
Re: Gavea Golf & Country Club - Rio de Janeiro (18 holes posted)
« Reply #37 on: November 27, 2017, 04:03:41 AM »
David

Thanks for the pix.  For the most part the course looks reall good...that is it might do with loads of trees removed.  It is very difficult to see past that.  I really like the mix of flat and hilly terrain and to my eye the holes which Tom dislikes are the ines I like the most.  11 and 12 look especially good with their angled greens. 

Ciao
New plays planned for 2025: Ludlow, Machrihanish Dunes, Dunaverty and Carradale

David Davis

  • Total Karma: 0
Re: Gavea Golf & Country Club - Rio de Janeiro (18 holes posted)
« Reply #38 on: November 27, 2017, 04:32:23 AM »
David

Thanks for the pix.  For the most part the course looks reall good...that is it might do with loads of trees removed.  It is very difficult to see past that.  I really like the mix of flat and hilly terrain and to my eye the holes which Tom dislikes are the ines I like the most.  11 and 12 look especially good with their angled greens. 

Ciao


Sean,


The photos make the trees look more infringing than they actually feel when playing. The 1st and 2nd holes felt extremely tight and even worse in the wind we were playing in. For the first I think the trees are a kind of added safety for the 15th fairway. The 2nd hole was simply a space issue I guess.


I didn't have a tree issue on a single hole after that. A couple times they make the drive feel like it's being played through an alley but everything open up after that and even if you hit it into the trees it's always playable, not an unimportant factor. It's a fairly tight roughing on what fees like a small property. Definitely quirky and that's part of the charm.
Sharing the greatest experiences in golf.

IG: @top100golftraveler
www.lockharttravelclub.com

Jim McCann

  • Total Karma: 0
Re: Gavea Golf & Country Club - Rio de Janeiro (18 holes posted)
« Reply #39 on: November 27, 2017, 06:18:00 AM »
David:

I was wondering when you might find time to post the remaining holes for Gavea!?!

It was a pictorial review that I was really looking forward to and it didn't disappoint in any way.

As ever, many thanks for taking the time and trouble to let others "visit" places they'll probably
never get to.