Rio Olympic course in trouble

[braincramp52]

Wow! I'm shocked! :rolleyes:

[Dave230]

Almost as useless as the World Cup stadium they built in the middle of the Amazon. Time to give major competitions back to countries with the existing infrastructure.

 

jeez..how boring would that be, but golf in the olympics was always a dud. Should be scrapped. The only thing that made it fun...it was in Brazil

 

Well if you really want different venues than rotate a few venues on a loop that can hold them so the stadiums aren't useless. I'm all for diversity but such a monumental waste of public money every single time can hardly be justified for much longer.

 

Saw someone make the argument that maybe Athens should host the Olympics every year since that's where it all began. Gives the Greek failing economy a boost with tourism and the infrastructure is there from 2004 so IOC don't have to waste more money.

[Krt22]

what a shocker.... I feel bad for Hanse ( spelling) to put that much work into something you know isnt going to live ....games should never again be held in a third world place.... just hurts the games overall i think... it has become a farse and the public knows it.. the IOC are dining on the golden goose as we speak

 

But the first worlders just LOVE to visit the 3rd world. Who cares how catastrophic these events are to the local economy/environment, we want fresh new places to visit!

[Bob57]

Having the olympics at Greece would be a great idea. As long as they were able to use facilities that existed in the original games. They haven't got enough money to support their on the dole population. The last big employer left years ago (coca cola). I guess they could get more loans from the EU which they have no ability or intent to repay this century. Great idea permanently locate the games in Greece at least that would cease the corrupt payoffs because there ain't no money..

[interstate_45]

wasn't a fan of this course to begin with. I really didn't expect much else when the olympics were done.

[bullie76]

Grow the game. Grow the game. Grow the game. The most over used phrase on the Golf Channel.

[minteq]

As a person who has traveled to Rio dozens of times and watched the course built, this was easy to see coming. Most and I mean most cannot afford golf and most everyone I dealt with there never played the game or have really any interest in it. They fought the course being built all the way as it is in a protected wildlife area. The people there were not happy it was built.

 

I am traveling there next month and am going to try and play it, just to say I did. The course looks better in person.

[Conrad1953]

Grow the game. Grow the game. Grow the game. The most over used phrase on the Golf Channel.

 

LOL, maybe we should start a "shrink the game" campaign to counter TGC.

The courses where I live are too crowded.

[farmer]

Read today that the whole state is bankrupt. Can't pay govt employees, crime has skyrocketed, any existing infrastructure problem has gotten worse. IOC may start to have problems finding any place willing to undertake the enormous expense of hosting. Shame about the course, it might have been a cornerstone for development in a non-third world country.

[jimb6golf]

No surprise but very disappointing that a terrific course will deteriorate very quickly. Someone has to step in and correct the absurd IOC venues and facilities that are built and then abandoned shortly after the Olympics. Just look at the recent Russian winter venue - it's a ghost town after spending ridiculous amounts of money - most of which went into Putin's friends pockets. Too much backroom dealing, and corruption is involved with the Olympics these days and it should be stopped. The Olympics are about good will and sport not about corruption afterall.Hopefully something good will happen at the Rio course but it's doubtful in a country that can't even get wastewater treated.

[ExTrumpet]

It happens everywhere...here's Sarajevo...

 

 

[Imhappyinthe80s]

How did it not work? Maybe Paige Spiranic needs to take a selfie there and post it on Instagram. Golf Digest claims she's excellent at growing the game.

[Petunia Sprinkle]

Is the course flat enough for soccer?

[BlackDiamondPar5]

It happens everywhere...here's Sarajevo...

 

 

 

It's kind of a spooky surreal site to think places like that were the epicenter of the world for a brief period.

 

Actually been to Lake Placid and the ski jump, bobsled and hockey rinks are still open-- just a little tired looking. Still a strange feeling to know it was all there 36 years ago.

[imakaveli]

Grow the game. Grow the game. Grow the game. The most over used phrase on the Golf Channel.

 

Not even close to "He's back!"

[markheardjr]

Olympics seem to try to find smaller developing areas to host yet that is the opposite of how the sporting world works. The 1st world elites have the higher paying professional leagues and venues. The 3rd world folks play their hardest as a way to get OUT of their situation. Then the IOC takes the 1st world into the 3rd world. The infrastructure and commerce just isn't there to support the venues. Just host in wealthier places (Asia, U.S., Europe, Australia, South Africa, etc.) These places already have hotels, sporting venues, etc. and will keep them going to develop/practice their professional leagues and maturing national sports stars for the future. I get the IOC wants to provide facilities to the 3rd world folks, but they just can't afford the upkeep when basic needs aren't even stable yet.

[Polo]

The Olympics needs a permanent site. It's an absolute joke that this same story keeps replaying over and over again every 4 years.

[bscinstnct]

The Olympics needs a permanent site. It's an absolute joke that this same story keeps replaying over and over again every 4 years.

 

Agree.

 

Rio is good.

[duffer987]

It happens everywhere...here's Sarajevo...

 

 

 

You do know what happened to Sarajevo after they hosted the Olympics right?

 

I think the IOC is an elitist, money-grabbing, don't give a toss about genuinely promoting 'sporting principles', disgrace of an organization, but holding up what happened in Sarajevo isn't a great example.

 

Sochi and Athens sure are though!

[Frankensteins Monster]

Athens should be made the permanent home with every country contributing to the event costs.

Done

 

Great, go from a third world country to a fourth world country. Financially sound.

[Konklifer]

Not surprised. The IOC really needs to rethink having the Olympics in cities that need all new infrastructure in order to host. They always just end up in shambles. What a waste of resources.

 

Wrong. Countries need to stop bankrupting themselves to host an Olympics.

[Roadking2003]

 

I think the IOC is an elitist, money-grabbing, don't give a toss about genuinely promoting 'sporting principles', disgrace of an organization, ......

 

I agree with that part. The IOC is all about money and bribes. Having the Olympics at a permanent venue will not stop that. The IOC gets there money off the top and that will not change.

[MtlJeff]

The fans are just as much to blame. We all know it's corrupt and look at the heat Rory took for skipping. It tugs at our heartstrings, the glory of representing your country and pure competition and yada yada yada we all become mush and put our hands on our hearts and hate people who skip. That's why they get away with it and will continue to

 

Look at college football, it makes multiple millions of the players while paying them nothing more then a scholarship, everyone knows this. And how many hit pieces came out today on Stanford's Christian McCaffrey for "quittting" on his teammates rather than play in a meaningless bowl game?

 

Even when we know something is a scam we still get taken in

[Hawkeye77]

The fans are just as much to blame. We all know it's corrupt and look at the heat Rory took for skipping. It tugs at our heartstrings, the glory of representing your country and pure competition and yada yada yada we all become mush and put our hands on our hearts and hate people who skip. That's why they get away with it and will continue to

 

Look at college football, it makes multiple millions of the players while paying them nothing more then a scholarship, everyone knows this. And how many hit pieces came out today on Stanford's Christian McCaffrey for "quittting" on his teammates rather than play in a meaningless bowl game?

 

Even when we know something is a scam we still get taken in

 

He should have skipped last year's!!!!!!!!!!!! I'd have supported him for sure.

[Vespar]

Athens should be made the permanent home with every country contributing to the event costs.

Done

 

Great, go from a third world country to a fourth world country. Financially sound.

and close to terrorist

[bscinstnct]

Athens should be made the permanent home with every country contributing to the event costs.

Done

 

Great, go from a third world country to a fourth world country. Financially sound.

and close to terrorist

 

Then, the mosquitos win.

[Medic]

Honestly thought it might become some sort of a stay and play to draw tourism dollars. Maybe a better way to phrase it was that I had hoped it would. Way too many pictures of former sites that are now deserted and destroyed.

[Hankshank]

A golf course that close to Rio should have a chance not to turn into a parking lot though, one would think.

 

Had to google on "olympic venues now and then", as suggested above. Scary. And it's not ony the venues for chaos countries back in the old millenium. Even places like Beijing and Turin that hosted the games relatively recently have not found any use for their venues.

For Barcelona though, it seems like it was a boost for the town, when I visited the town a few years ago. And the main stadium for the Stockholm games in 1912 is still used...

[Hawkeye77]

Bruce Jenner's infrastructure totally destroyed.

[Christosterone]

Not for nothing but I'd be happy to pony up a bit more taxes to have the summer Olympics in Dallas every 4 years...

 

We have SMU's spectacular swimming center, tons of golf courses, American Airlines Arena, and most importantly Jerry World...

 

Come for the Olympics, stay for the tornadoes...

 

-Chris