GOLF at the Olympics

[Shane Wright]

http://www.randa.org/index.cfm?cfid=18787682&cftoken=89474098&action=news.newsDetail&newsid=1188&id=


Here is a link to an article about a lobbying effort to get golf in the Olympics.  I personally feel this is a no brainer.  Golf should definitely be included and it looks like they are putting together a very strong effort. 

The four finalists for 2016 are Chicago, Rio de Janeiro, Madrid, and Tokyo.

I think Chicago is going to be a strong candidate but I would be interested in what people think would be considerations in each city for the venue. 

Is Valderamma or El Saler close to Madrid?  What should be the 3 or 4 finalists considered for Chicago (assuming the course would even want to host).  Which is the best Tokyo option?  I have no idea about Rio.

Thoughts?

[Kalen Braley]

You can find most folks thoughts here:

http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,36047.0.html

[Joel_Stewart]

The Grant Spaeth interview has some interesting facts about golf in the Olympics.

I'm not so sure it's a no brainer.   If it's going to be pros like tennis I don't see much of a point.   USA would have Tiger, Phil and maybe Furyk as an example.   If it's amatuers, then it might be fun.

[Shane Wright]

Kalen -

thanks for sending the previous discussion.. I did see this before posting and it seems that many from here are against the idea.  I am not and after reading the list of professionals who are included in the lobbying effort, it seems there are many who would be in favor.  

Also included in the previous GCA conversation was the structure if it were an Olympic event.  Although this interests me too ...I am more interested in what the possible courses would be, given the final 4 cities.

The format will be a key component so that it is just not another Tiger awards banquet, but I guess more than anything...

I would love to learn a little more about the possible venues in the non-American cities.  

[JLahrman]

I'm opposed to this idea.  Golf has grown enough internationally without benefit of the Olympics, and almost every event played is essentially an international competition.

I think it would also put a huge burden on host cities as well.  Not every country has a golf course suitable for the best players in the game.  Where would they have played in Athens had golf been an Olympic sport in 2004?

It's interesting to see the pros supporting it, but I think after flying around the world in August to a potentially subpar course, the novelty could wear off.

[Shane Wright]

I'm opposed to this idea.  Golf has grown enough internationally without benefit of the Olympics, and almost every event played is essentially an international competition.

I think it would also put a huge burden on host cities as well.  Not every country has a golf course suitable for the best players in the game.  Where would they have played in Athens had golf been an Olympic sport in 2004?

It's interesting to see the pros supporting it, but I think after flying around the world in August to a potentially subpar course, the novelty could wear off.

Many of the courses they play on tour right now are sub-par. 

We can agree to disagree...., I have no problem with that. 

But I think the opportunity for many countries to have their best players play against guys like Ernie Els, Tiger, Furyk, Vijay, etc would be a great boost to the sport world-wide which whether people want to admit it or not has seen some declines in participation. 

If you were the best player in say Panama and you were given the opportunity to play in a group against Tiger or Vijay, are you telling me it is worthless because the chance of beating them is virtually zero. 
 

[JLahrman]

Many of the courses they play on tour right now are sub-par. 

We can agree to disagree...., I have no problem with that. 

But I think the opportunity for many countries to have their best players play against guys like Ernie Els, Tiger, Furyk, Vijay, etc would be a great boost to the sport world-wide which whether people want to admit it or not has seen some declines in participation. 

If you were the best player in say Panama and you were given the opportunity to play in a group against Tiger or Vijay, are you telling me it is worthless because the chance of beating them is virtually zero.

True, there are subpar courses on tour.  But you're not flying around the world, and you're playing for $ too.

Aren't there events for the country's best players to compete against each other?  What about that event where Tiger and Duval were a team in South America a few years ago?  That was happening every year.

Golf may be suffering from a lack of participation right now, but I don't feel that exposure is the problem, and I don't think it's going to be remedied by the Olympics.  Just my opinion.

[Shane Wright]

JAL - i can understand where you are coming from, I just personally hope to see golf added to the Olympics....especially since Tiger, Ernie, Weir, and even Sergio would be in favor. 

[PCCraig]

The Grant Spaeth interview has some interesting facts about golf in the Olympics.

I'm not so sure it's a no brainer.   If it's going to be pros like tennis I don't see much of a point.   USA would have Tiger, Phil and maybe Furyk as an example.   If it's amatuers, then it might be fun.

I think the only way people would watch it would be if Tiger/Phil and the big guns played. I think it would be neat to do a 144 hole tournament or something with a 72 hole cut.

[JLahrman]

If you're going to do it, and I'm a believer that you shouldn't do it, I think it would work best as a team competition and I think it should be similar to the way that Olympic hockey and basketball are contested.

Each country brings its five best players, or maybe its three best players.  The format is similar to the old event at St. Andrews in October (what is its name?)  Anyway, 18-hole match play between teams, one point per match.

Round robin qualifying round matches, four divisions of four teams each.  Eight teams move to single elimination tournament.

I don't think it would be interesting as yet another individual stroke play tournament, no matter the number of holes.

[Wade Whitehead]

I think it would also put a huge burden on host cities as well.  Not every country has a golf course suitable for the best players in the game.  Where would they have played in Athens had golf been an Olympic sport in 2004?

The Greek government spend $15 billion to host the olympics.  What's another $40 million to build a "world class" golf course?

WW

[JLahrman]

I think it would also put a huge burden on host cities as well.  Not every country has a golf course suitable for the best players in the game.  Where would they have played in Athens had golf been an Olympic sport in 2004?

The Greek government spend $15 billion to host the olympics.  What's another $40 million to build a "world class" golf course?

WW

Well a lot of that $15 billion had to be infrastructure improvements.  I was in Athens in 2000 and there was no way they were hosting an Olympics with what they had at the time.  And I take your point, there is a lot of money spent to host an Olympics and empty stadiums are often what's left behind.  I don't think that the relatively smaller cost of building a golf course compared to the overall event is justification for building a course though.

And in Greece it's not just a cost issue.  The land is rocky, mountainous, and does not lend itself to golf courses.  I wonder how many there are in the entire country.  I would think Athens would have a very hard time putting together a bid if it's required to have a top notch golf course.

[Mark Smolens]

As Phidippides finished his 26+ mile run, collapsing at the feet of the king with the final words, "8:15 tee time?"

Let's not let golf get entangled with the powers at the IOC -- we've got enough problems with Tim and his Ponte Vedra posse. . .

And send them all to Rio in '16 I say.  We don't need them coming to the Windy City.

[Tim_Cronin]

I can't see why golf wants to get involved with the knuckleheads who run the IOC, but they do. The ruling golf bodies have already decided they want the format to be ... wait for it ... 72-hole stroke-play tournaments. Zzzz. I'd prefer the Western Amateur format: 72-holes stroke play, cut to 60 after 36, the final 36 of stroke play in one day, 16 survive for match play and then go at it.

Oh, and two courses would probably be needed, or at least one that would be used by the men one week and the women the other week.

If it's Chicago, there's Harborside International if they want 36 holes within the city limits, or Medinah, Cog Hill or Olympia Fields. Gotta like the last one for the name alone!

[Philippe Binette]

Absolutely pointless on the professionnal side... and potentially on the amateur side.

Players didn't want to go to Australia for a WGC.

Every major has all the best players in the world, the only difference is that in the Olympic, imagine a country can only put in 2 players... the US would have 2 players and Angola 2 players....

Down the line, what is it going to prove,

that golf is an international sport? we know that
that a golf tournament is unpredictable? we know that
that golf doesn't need another major event? we know that
that the WGC is a miserable failure since outside the world cup (a tournament that nobody wants to play in) all the WGC tournaments are in the US? we know that

[TX Golf]

Maybe I am just a little over patriotic.... but isn't everyone dismissing the fact that it is an opportunity to represent you country on the world stage.

There is a pretty big difference between the 1 million dollar check Tiger receives after a WGC and winning a golf medal while wearing the red, white, and blue.

Everyone keeps saying the best players aren't going to participate, yet they are part of the group pushing it forward.

In any case, I would like to see something similar to the US Am format.... Something like three-five people from each participating country, stroke play for 54 holes, top 16 advance to 36 hole match play matches. Players would get a day off between each match which would allow for the men and women to rotate days.

Just a thought.

Robert

[Bob_Huntley]

I think it would also put a huge burden on host cities as well.  Not every country has a golf course suitable for the best players in the game.  Where would they have played in Athens had golf been an Olympic sport in 2004?

JAL:

There is a course in the suburbs of Athens, Glyfada. See below.

I think it would also put a huge burden on host cities as well.  Not every country has a golf course suitable for the best players in the game.  Where would they have played in Athens had golf been an Olympic sport in 2004?

WW

There is a course in Athens, Glyfyda.

http://www.hgf.gr/cms/cms/front_content.php?idcat=18

Do you think that the Lords of the Rings would bring anything worthwhile to a golfing event? I would hope this dies a quick death.

Bob

[Mark Smolens]

Ryder Cup, President's Cup, Walker Cup.  Isn't that enough patriotism and playing for your country?  The corrupted version of the modern olympic movement is nothing more than a huge money grab and a justification for the maintenance of a huge infrastructure that performs little social good.  There are enough reasons to criticize golf.  Let's stay away from the IOC.

[JLahrman]

Ryder Cup, President's Cup, Walker Cup.  Isn't that enough patriotism and playing for your country?  The corrupted version of the modern olympic movement is nothing more than a huge money grab and a justification for the maintenance of a huge infrastructure that performs little social good.  There are enough reasons to criticize golf.  Let's stay away from the IOC.

Agreed.  And looks from the link like there are six golf courses in Greece.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Don't forget the paralympics.

You don't have to have a golf course near the main city - How would Madrid host sailing events, for instance?

If it were to be some sort of knock out event I doubt that the likes of Tiger would show up.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

By the way, I have played Glyfada which is the only course I'm aware of around Athens and it is pretty dull, despite making it into the 1st edition of World Atlas of Golf.

[JLahrman]

You don't have to have a golf course near the main city - How would Madrid host sailing events, for instance?

Right, you can have events further away from the host city.  So you need a coastline, but you don't have to build an ocean the way you'd have to build a golf course.

[Kalen Braley]

While I agree in principle that golf doesn't really need the Olympics, I wouldn't think it'd be too tough to find a venue that was "close enough"

When the winter Olympics were here in SLC, some of the venues were more than 100 miles away from each other...and thats just the winter Olympics where they have far less events than the summer games.

[Marty Bonnar]

I have one or two thoughts about the Olympics (not entirely unsurprisingly, eh?)

1. Take them back to sweaty, greased-up men wrestling each other, throwing things as far as they can and running and jumping as far as they can until they die. Now THAT'S what I call entertainment...

2. As well as the IOC, let's have the DUSIOC - that's the 'doped-up senseless' version. Allow these 'athletes' to ingest as many performance enhancing aids as they can and let's see just what the human body is capable of - before it dies!

3. Leave Soccer for the World Cup, leave Baseball for the World (HA!) Series, leave Ice Hockey for the Stanley Cup, leave Tennis for Wimbledon, leave (insert all other sports of choice here), BUT, MOST OF ALL,




LEAVE GOLF ALONE!!!!!!



FBD.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

I am with Mr Bonnar  on the leave golf out of it.......but if it must be in..whatever happened to the amateur ideal.
Here is one sport with clear amateur/pro boundaries and the IOC still dont get it!

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