GOLF at the Olympics

[Jason McNamara]

Will pros younger than 23 be allowed?   

Always a possibility the IOC will reject golf as having too few human-interest stories.

[Tom_Doak]

I guess you guys don't travel as much internationally as I do.  Overseas, the idea of golf in the Olympics is big.

Mostly their reasoning is that in many countries ... China especially ... there is substantial government funding for sports, but ONLY for Olympic sports.  So if golf was included in the Olympics, there would be a lot more junior golf in China, Russia, Cuba, etc.  That would be very good for the growth of the game, and for underemployed golf architects who are willing to travel.  [HINT to Martin.]

I fail to see a big downside to counteract this upside.  If Americans don't want to treat Olympic golf as a big-time event, that's America's problem, not the rest of the world's.  But I was in the UK right after the Beijing Olympics and seeing the hero's welcome all the British athletes got for their medals in shooting and sailing and darts, I would think they would probably get behind an Olympic golf event, too.

[Jason McNamara]

Tom, what about examples such as Sweden and Australia, where there are extensive state-run junior programs that have worked just fine without the Olympics as a prod?  That doesn't mean what you're saying isn't true, but it also doesn't mean it's the sine qua non.

And if countries are that strapped for cash, don't they get more bang for their _____ with cheaper-to-grow sports such as judo/wrestling/boxing, sailing, track & field... well, pretty much everything besides golf (with -maybe- 4 medal events)?

At the risk of putting words in others' mouths, I would guess the lack of enthusiasm here is because most here would prefer for golf to become more popular - or not (?!) - of its own accord, and not because the oligarchy/junta/kleptocracy in Kraplakistan is looking to show off its medal count (baby).

But obviously I understand why a guy who designs courses for a living would take a different approach.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Madrid is well stocked with existing golf clubs. Perhaps Alfonso will chip in. Puerta de Hierro and Club de Campo have hosted many professional tour events in their time. There are quite a number of new courses, too - you get a good view of a number of them flying in and out of the airport.

Surprisingly, you are quickly out of Madrid into quite barren countryside. If it were deemed that a new course were required for the Olympics a fecund site should not be difficult to find. But what is the water supply like?

Presumably golf-course building restrictions and lack of land would seriously hamper any thoughts of building a new course near Tokyo.

I know precious little about golf in South America other than Ran's enthusiastic write up of The Jockey Club and that isn't even in the right country let alone anywhere near Rio. Anybody know anything?

[PCCraig]

I think the great part is that as an individual sport, there are any number of countries that could bring home a gold medal. Also, I love how people assume that Tiger wouldn't care about it...he already sent a letter to the IOC in support. You don't think he would treat an Olympic tournament as a "major??" His good buddy MJ treats his medal like his 7th championship.

[Christoph Meister]

We recently had a lecture about golf and the Olympic games at the "Deutsches Golf Archiv" in Cologne by Dr. Stephan Wassong from Liverpool University. At the discussion after the lecture Bettina Hauert, who played in the 2007 Solheim Cup European team, she is also a LET players reprentitve, gave an enthusiatic statement saying that participating in Olympic Games is and will allways be the greatest dream of any sportsman and -woman! I think that is the argument that counts here!

see also http://golfarchiv.dshs-koeln.de/

Whether or not most Americans oppose Golf at Olympic Games it is important to note that professional golfers association worldwide so far have failed to sign the Olympic anti-drug regulations - at the end of the day this will probably be the most important argument against Golf at the 2016 Olympic Games, unless the 17 men’s and women’s professional golf tours and the leading PGAs from around the world will now quicls sign the relevant anti-drug use documents until when the IOC decision will be made in Copenhagen this autumn.

As Tom Doak correctly states the idea of golf at the Olympics is big outside the U.S., also here in Continental Europe.

Golf was proposed for the 1916 Olympic Games at Berlin and George Duncan was allready trying to teach some decent Golf to the German National Amateur Golf Team. The 1916 games where cancelled and for the 1936 games the organisers failed to apply in time at the International Olympic Committee but they organised a post-olympic golf tournament at Baden-Baden won by the English team (Bentley & Thirsk).

Baden-Baden is some 600 km away from Berlin where the Wannsee Golf Course couldn't be used as it was part of the cross-country event for the 1936 modern pentathlon event....

It can be noted that today every city applying for the Olympic Games does have an 18-hole golf course, be it a rather dull (quote Mark Rowlinson)) Glyfada course at Athens or the exclusive Gavea course at Rio de Janeiro - Tokyo and Chicago as everybody here knows have plenty of golf courses and certainly several suited to host an Olympic Golf Tournament. Madrid also has a nice choice of courses...

Btw. I played Glyfada some years ago, the course was designed by the Anglo-Swiss architect Harradine during the 1960s and it might not be exceptional but has become more attractive since the neaby Athens airport was closed and a new airport on another side of the city was opened.

It will be interesting to see if golf will again find it's place in the Olympic Games.....

[JLahrman]

Mostly their reasoning is that in many countries ... China especially ... there is substantial government funding for sports, but ONLY for Olympic sports.  So if golf was included in the Olympics, there would be a lot more junior golf in China, Russia, Cuba, etc.  That would be very good for the growth of the game, and for underemployed golf architects who are willing to travel.

I understand the IOC's mission, in part, is to encourage participation in sports.  But I don't feel that overcoming country-specific funding rules is justification for including a sport.  China in particular has made winning gold medals a huge priority, and as Jason McNamara has stated they will get more bang for their buck by investing in sports that have a low capital investment required.  Not to mention sports that give out a ton of medals every Olympics (swimming, track).

I'm sure that the idea would get lots of support in some parts of the world, most any sport not currently in the Olympics would get support for inclusion depending on where you go and whom you ask.  I just don't believe that this is the right avenue for golf.

[Niall C]

Surely this would cheapen the Olympics as any golf competition at the Olympics is going to be ranked well behind the majors and probabaly a lot of other comps also. To me the Olympics should go back to the basics and a gold medal in any event in the Olympics should be the greatest achievement for that particular sport. You can't say that about the proposed golf at the Olympics, and neither would you want to in my opinion.

My main concern however is for the game of golf. As much as the R&A and their American counterparts get a lot of criticism I believe they have the best intentions for the game at heart and that includes promoting the game around the world. I would much rather leave that role to them rather than a morally dubious Olympic association.

Niall 

[TX Golf]

I just don't get why everybody thinks golfers wouldn't care about winning a golf medal?

Well behind a major??? I'm not so sure about that.

How about the "redeem team" last year.... many of those guys said that experience and that medal will be more cherished than an NBA title.... this includes Lebron, Kobe, Dwayne, and others.

Tiger currently supports the idea..... No way in hell playing in the Ryder Cup or Walker Cup is the same as competing for your country in the Olympics.

I have a friend you played on the US Soccer team in Beijing, and he says the opening ceremony of the Olympics will be the most memorable moment of his entire life.... I don't care who you are, partaking in the Olympics is a special and incredible achievement, something all of these guys will most likely want to do.

I would be proud to see Tiger and Phil walking next to each other during the Opening ceremonies and watch them figure out a way to bring home the gold.

Or maybe I am just a patriotic loser.

[Steve Salmen]

In my perfect world, amateur golf would be in the olympics.  2 reps from each country with medals allocated to the champion team and individual.

72 holes of golf.  Medalist wins individual gold medal.
Low 16 teams play match play (either 1 ball or best ball) for team medals.

[Sean_A]

In my perfect world, amateur golf would be in the olympics.  2 reps from each country with medals allocated to the champion team and individual.

72 holes of golf.  Medalist wins individual gold medal.
Low 16 teams play match play (either 1 ball or best ball) for team medals.

Steve

This is more along the lines of my thoughts.  If the the winning of a medal in a particular sport isn't the pinnacle of that sport than they should keep it amateur only.  I spose this would include most team sports with the possible exception of basketball (I don't know as I don't follow basketball) and probably baseball.  Hockey is a bit different because it is an original sport from the start up of the winterish Olympics (even though there technically weren't Winter Olympics at the time), still, I wouldn't mind seeing it go strictly amateur.  How does it work for boxing?  I don't think proper pros are allowed to box in the Olympics.  If this is indeed the case, why can't we do this for other sports where an Olympic medal is the best you can be?

Ciao

[Niall C]

I just don't get why everybody thinks golfers wouldn't care about winning a golf medal?

Well behind a major??? I'm not so sure about that.

How about the "redeem team" last year.... many of those guys said that experience and that medal will be more cherished than an NBA title.... this includes Lebron, Kobe, Dwayne, and others.

Tiger currently supports the idea..... No way in hell playing in the Ryder Cup or Walker Cup is the same as competing for your country in the Olympics.

I have a friend you played on the US Soccer team in Beijing, and he says the opening ceremony of the Olympics will be the most memorable moment of his entire life.... I don't care who you are, partaking in the Olympics is a special and incredible achievement, something all of these guys will most likely want to do.

I would be proud to see Tiger and Phil walking next to each other during the Opening ceremonies and watch them figure out a way to bring home the gold.

Or maybe I am just a patriotic loser.

Robert

I don't doubt the thrill for any competitor to be at the Olympics but I bet if you asked Woods/Mickelson/Harrington or whoever if they would give up one of their majors for an Olympic medal I bet they would say no.

However my main objection remains letting the Olympic committee getting involved in any way in the game of golf. Leave the running amd promotion of golf to those who have its best interests at heart and not let an outside organisation use the game to for their own ends.

Niall

[Mike Sweeney]

Golf and Rugby are in:

http://nysportsjournalism.squarespace.com/ioc-oks-golf8139/?SSScrollPosition=224

[Kalen Braley]

According to Rogge, winning a gold medal would now rank as high for golfers as winning a major tournament. "Ask [tennis stars] Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, ask the NHL players, ask the NBA basketball players. They all want to go to the Games," Rogge told reporters after the vote.

The proposed format for golf would be a 72-hole strokeplay competition for men and women, with 60 players in each field. The world's top 15 players would qualify automatically, and all major professional tours would alter tournament schedules to avoid a clash with the Olympics

[Tom_Doak]

Golf and rugby?  Mark Hissey's dream just came true.

I think it's great that golf made it, but who came up with the format?  This is the PERFECT venue for a knockout match-play deal.  The ratings wouldn't depend on who made the finals, and if the match turned into a rout, they've got plenty of other events to cut away to.  And those are the two details that keep the PGA from going back to match play.

[Michael Dugger]

What's next?

Texas Hold 'em
Monopoly
Chutes & Ladders
Tetherball
Dodge Ball!
Synchronized Basket Weaving

[Mark Pritchett]

I think match play would be such a better format for the Olympics.  The PGA could really distinguish itself by returning to match play and get away from its "last among equals" label.

That said I am glad to see golf in the Games.  

[Tom_Doak]

Michael Dugger:

Better take that back, or I'm going to sick some rugby players on you.

[Dean Stokes]

What's next?

Texas Hold 'em
Monopoly
Chutes & Ladders
Tetherball
Dodge Ball!
Synchronized Basket Weaving

I cannot agree more Michael. By the way, which tour events will be played the same weeks as the Olympics? Sure they will be thrilled that nobody will watch them and half the top players in the world will be gone.

[Carl Johnson]

Having not read any other the other posts, here's my opinion.  I've always considered the Olympics as a track and field event of global significance.  In Olympic terms, I put golf in there with rythmic gymnastics, water ballet and badminton.  Not that there's anything wrong with them, or with golf.  Golf has it's "majors."  Track and field has nothng else.  Let's leave the Olympics to that.  Swiming(?) No comment.

[Tom_Doak]

I do not think that an Olympic gold medal for golf will be as widely prized as a major championship trophy, even though it will be far more rare.  It depends loads on who participates in the first few Olympic contests, and who wins them, whether it develops a great prestige.

However, golf in the Olympics is a huge win for the growth of the sport in other countries.  Many other countries fund Olympic sports to the exclusion of any other ... China, for one, will now pour a lot more money into developing golfers.

[Kenny Baer]

I just don't get why everybody thinks golfers wouldn't care about winning a golf medal?

Well behind a major??? I'm not so sure about that.

How about the "redeem team" last year.... many of those guys said that experience and that medal will be more cherished than an NBA title.... this includes Lebron, Kobe, Dwayne, and others.

Tiger currently supports the idea..... No way in hell playing in the Ryder Cup or Walker Cup is the same as competing for your country in the Olympics.

I have a friend you played on the US Soccer team in Beijing, and he says the opening ceremony of the Olympics will be the most memorable moment of his entire life.... I don't care who you are, partaking in the Olympics is a special and incredible achievement, something all of these guys will most likely want to do.

I would be proud to see Tiger and Phil walking next to each other during the Opening ceremonies and watch them figure out a way to bring home the gold.

Or maybe I am just a patriotic loser.

I agree with you 100% (Not the Patriotic Loser part...but the other stuff)

The tree-house astonishes me!!!!  I can't imagine anyone who loves the game of Golf not wanting to have it played in the Olympics.  I admit I have yet to read every post but from what I have read the arguments against Golf in the Olympics is almost laughable.

1. Not a good enough course??? The Olympics is a cash cow; if the host city....which in many cases actually means the Host Country does not have a worthy golf course; which I can't imagine that it wouldn't unless the next Summer Games are going to be in Iran or a middle African country then there is plenty of money to build a quality golf course; not to mention the fact that after the games are over the course could be enjoyed for years to come.  
         When the Olympics were in Atlanta it was actually as if the Olympics were in the entire SE; events were held all over the state of GA venturing into SC, FL, and TN.

2. I saw something about a lesser quality tour event being held that no one would watch.....Seriously.......the good that Golf in the Olympics would do compared to the negative of a lesser PGA tour event losing some top players is .........I don't know what to say.

3. The Olympics are a track and field event and that is it gosh darn it.....I don't think the winner of the 100M dash or the 4x400 relay will be affected if Golf is played; it bothers me when others trash sports that they personally don't like..ie Rythmic Gym, Water Ballet, etc....Why would you care.....don't watch them they aren't on TV anyway.  They give the individuals that play those sports a chance to play in front of the world; I don't get it, how is that a bad thing?

I do wish it was a match play format; maybe even a team competition but you can't have it all.  I am very happy Golf will be played in the Olympics and hopefully it will be there for years and years to come.  The game that I love is given a chance to show itself to the world, I don't see anything wrong with that.

  

[Jim Colton]

I do not think that an Olympic gold medal for golf will be as widely prized as a major championship trophy, even though it will be far more rare.  It depends loads on who participates in the first few Olympic contests, and who wins them, whether it develops a great prestige.

However, golf in the Olympics is a huge win for the growth of the sport in other countries.  Many other countries fund Olympic sports to the exclusion of any other ... China, for one, will now pour a lot more money into developing golfers.

I agree with Tom.  The best thing for basketball around the world was the 1992 Dream Team, although that was probably the worst thing that could've happened for USA basketball because eventually it made everybody else better.  You had guys like Dirk Nowitzki and Manu Ginobili impacted when they were kids and taking up a sport that they might not have otherwise cared about.  You could have the same phenomenon with golf down the road if some of the big names (okay, Tiger) plays. Anything that exposes the game globally has to be viewed as a good thing.

[Wayne_Kozun]

Hopefully Mike Weir will win so that Canada can hold onto the Olympic golf gold for a little bit longer - as we will have had it for 112 years when 2016 rolls around as George Lyon of Canada beat Chandler Egan 3&2 to win the previous Olympic golf competition in St. Louis.

I think golf in the Olympics is great.  I disagree with some of the older posts about only allowing amateurs - personally I have an issue with most golf "amateur" competitions as these guys are really pros who aren't old enough to turn pro yet and are attending college on a golf scholarship.  IMHO the true amateurs are the guys that win the Mid-Am or those than never turn pro - like Trip Kuehne.

What golf courses in Rio would be suitable?  (Rio is one of the leading contenders for the 2016 Olympics).  Rio does have two Stanley Thompson courses - Gavea and Itanhanga, although I wonder how much of Thompson's work remains?

[Rob Rigg]

Is it stroke play for sure?
I guess they just want Tiger to win in a "same old same old" format?

Match play would be much more exciting - and I think it would work well with the typically A.D.D. Olympic coverage as it hops from one event to the next.

2 man teams from each country would be even more interesting.

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