The Elite 8: 2016 Olympic Course Design "Finalists"

The jury panel charged with narrowing the initial bids for the Rio 2016 Olympic golf course design commission whittled the "contest" to eight finalists, and all of the surviving candidates are believed to have been notified of their status.

The finalists will be in Rio de Janeiro in the next two weeks for project briefing workshops, with 3-4 weeks to prepare presentations followed by interviews and a decision expected by mid-to-late January.

Here they are, as confirmed by sources, in alphabetical order:

Tom Doak

Gil Hanse

Martin Hawtree

Robert Trent Jones II

Jack Nicklaus/Annika Sorenstam

Greg Norman/Lorena Ochoa

Gary Player

Peter Thomson/Michael Ross Perrett

Update on Friday, December 2, 2011 at 01:08 PM by Geoff

**The Rio 2016 website now has an official press release posted:

On Friday, December 2nd, the eight finalists of the Golf Course Architectural Services RFP were announced. The winning participants will design the executive project for the Olympic venue, to be built in Rio de Janeiro to welcome golf’s return to the Olympic Games program in 2016, after 112 years of absence.

These are the contest finalists in alphabetical order: Gary Player Design, Greg Norman Golf Course Design, Hanse Golf Design, Hawtree Ltd., Nicklaus Design, Renaissance Golf, Robert Trent Jones II and Thomson-Perret Golf Course Architects.

The awarded company name will be disclosed early in 2012, on a date to be announced by Rio 2016™.

Comments

[aturner]

Is the inclusion of Gary Player a joke? Surely he isn't taken seriously as a course designer. Right?

[Craig]

Thank God they didn't pick Tom Fazio...we don't need another boring design put on an outstanding piece of property. He's ruined more ideal locations with his cookie cutter bigger is best design theories.

[LiquidKaos]

I haven't googled it yet, lol ... but has Annika designed much?

No Maclay Kidd on there?


-LK

[JSS]

4 real architects (I had to put Jones in that category) and 4 former players.

Hawtree is a sleeper, amazing that the Trump course has given him that much PR?

[smails]

Hawtree completes the UN scene from the Batman movie starring Adam West. Gotta have a guy from Scotland. Little surprised Faldo didnt get the UK spot.

[JT]

GS,

Was that cut and paste from a media release? It is "Ross Perrett" not Michael. Michael Wolveridge was their former partner when it was TWP way back when I was a college intern there!

[Geoff]

JT,
No, that was my crack reporting channeling the name of Thomson's former partner...corrected!

[RickABQ]

Was it also announced that Rees Jones would re-do the design prior to the Olympics?

[oletruckdude]

To "aturner" ...
Gary Player Design has designed over 200 world class courses over the years.
look at their website:
www.garyplayer.com
They are a viable candidate for the final design.

[Joel]

It is interesting who was left out and why?

Rees, Faldo, DMK, Fazio, Hurzden & Fry, Palmer, others?

[RSmythe]

Aturner wake up and do some research before you post. Player has designed more than 300 courses and many are ranked as among the best in the world. He is also the only one on the list who has actually played in Brazil - he won the 1974 Brazilian Open - and the international ambassador for the World Golf Hall of Fame. Are you telling me he doesn't deserve to be in the final group?

[JT]

Joel,

I'm not sure why it is "interesting" why those you mentioned were left out? Excluding Doak and Hanse, how do the 6 you list differ from the 6 included?

[RSmythe]

Forgot to add that if anyone has watched the coverage of the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa on the golf channel this week they will have noticed that it is being played at the Gary Player Country Club which Mr. Shackelford's magazine ranked #54 in the world. Leopard Creek another Player Design ranked #49 and the Links at Fancourt hosted the Presidents Cup.

[Gate74]

Why would anyone think that architectural abilities are important? I can't believe that the Olympic Committee is interested in getting an architect with a lot of credibility with golfers. Look out for Norman and Ochoa.

[LiquidKaos]

@Gate74 -

I think you are smellin' what's on the fire. :) I'm with your picks - either that or Player.


-LK

[KCMG]

I haven't perhaps been following this closely enough, but did this list submit designs, or design concepts, for the site, or were they chosen from their existing portfolios?

Did Faldo enter for consideration? Or Crenshaw and his partner? They are among the best-regarded player-"designers," though all the male players or former players have some decent credentials (like LK I am not too conversant in Annika's history in this field, and speaking for myself I know nothing of Ochoa's history. I assumed their submission partners had opted to include a crack woman golfer so that the course, which will be contested by both sexes in the Olympics, will be adaptable enough to reflet the competitive level in both types of game -- a shrewd strategy in some ways).

[Joel]

JT:

Fazio missing seems unreal? It's possible he went the C&C method and opted out. The small fee was probably his motivation.

[Marky Mark]

@RSmythe
The Gary Payer courses I have played tend to be a disappointment compared to the anticipation.
The Player course at Sun City is tough because of length and kikuyu, but it is on the boring side, mainly because of a lot of vanilla holes and uninspiring terrain.
Fancourt (Links course) is a major letdown compared to the cost and the hype. There might have been commercial reasons for playing the Presidents Cup there (BTW, the course will be on TV in January - the European Volvo Champions is being played there this year).
I like Leopard Creek - the highlight is the wildlife. It also fit my eye. But the design didn't blow me away.
Outside of South Africa, Saadiyat Beach in Abu Dhabi was a bit of a let down considering its impressive seaside location.
Finally, I can never really recall any South African course other than Durban CC being in the global top 100 in either Golf Digest or Golf Magazine (provide a link if I am missing something - also, GD used to publish something like the top 100 outside of America, which I never found to be well researched - maybe that is what you are referring to).
Bottom line though is that Player courses could be a whole lot better than they turn out to be.

[hh morant]

G Player opened a GP designed course just outside Jakarta in early '97, was named Satelindo, now Sentul Highlands. The day prior to the "grand opening" was the first time he had set foot on the site. His design input was to instruct the "super" to add a couple of back tees to lengthen some holes.

[JT]

Joel,

If Fazio did submit and wasn't short listed I don't find that interesting or unreal at all. Do we even know who the selection committee is? Do we even know what they were looking for? Did any of the committee visit some of the courses of each architect? If they didn't visit the courses then all it came down to was marketing material, their awards and how they answered the questions which means ZERO in reality. The list who made it and the list who missed out would have all had very similar "fluff" brochures put together all saying exactly the same thing (i.e: we create championship courses, we respect the land, spend hours on routing and on site etc etc) and all will have beautiful photos. My guess is like most RFP's the people making the selection really are clueless. They went the easy way with 4 of the biggest names ever in professional golf and then the four architects that have been in the media the most in recent years.

[Jed]

No Cupp & Kite?

[Geoff]

I believe Tom Fazio was part of the Nick Faldo/Ocean's Eleven concept of major winners designing holes.

[JRP]

I believe that Rees and Fazio did not submit entries.

[Del the Funk]

For the life of me I cannot imagine why established architects would want to get involved in this project. I understand the whole marketing angle but would Tom Fazio ever get that one incremental job that he really wants just because he designed the Olympic Course? Personally I don't think it would impact Tom's business on iota.

Jack, he could be thinking about possible dividends for the kids after he's not involved so much anymore. Hanse, could kick him up into the top-tier from a perception perspecitve (i.e., with those that don't know any better). Norman, trophy collector. Player, another horn for him to toot. Etc...

Personally I'd run the other way. This Brazil Olympics has the potential to be one of the great debacles of all time... (IMO)

[Colin MacGillivray]

My experience of architectural competitions for buildings is that the winning scheme is often unbuildable, late, over budget and almost unusable by the final occupants. The Sydney Opera House is the best example. Fortunately that was a great piece of sculpture in a fantastic spot by the harbour and is now a unique icon.
The golf course may just be unbuildable, late, over budget and unusable.

[Del the Funk]

Colin, in the mosaic of the Olympics and Brazil my suspicion is that the last four descriptive terms you use have an excellent chance of coming to pass...

[StevieW]

"Candidates' proposals will be examined by a jury formed by representatives of the International Golf Federation (IGF), Rio 2016™, Rio City Hall and the Rio2016 Golf Advisory Committee (GAC)"

Still don't know who are the members of the jury?

[Ivan Morris]

Tom Doak, Gil Hanse, Martin Hawtree, Robert Trent Jones II, Jack Nicklaus/Annika Sorenstam, Greg Norman/Lorena Ochoa, Gary Player and Thomson/Perrott are the final 8 architects in the running to design the Olympic course at Rio (2016). In my view, having Ochoa on board has given The Shark a slight edge if he can back it up with a good presentation. Whatever happens it will be a political decision. For that reason don't rule out The Black Knight who might be the best bullshitter in the group! Hawtree may be the worst 'salesman' but he certainly isn't the worst architect.

[Ivan Morris]

Maybe I should have said: Martin Hawtree may not be the best 'salesman' but he certainly isn't the worst architect. Tom Doak and Peter Thomson may talk too straight and be too minimalist in their approach for the committee. Jack Nicklaus is the best player but the worst architect unless Annika can bring something to the party. Don't know Hanse but he has an impressive CV. RTJ11 could be better at politics than he is at golf design which will be in his favor. Who cares about golf in the Olympics anyway?

[JRP]

There's really only about 2500 people in the world who now about this competition. I'm certain a smaller number cares who is eventually picked.

[Reverse Overlap]

There were many architects that received the initial information package for entering this 'competition'. Very few of them bothered to deal with all of the red tape involved in being officially considered. The submittal was extremely onerous. Everyone that received an initial package was forced to sign a strict non-disclosure agreement, that is why we won't hear too much from those who went through the first stage but then bailed out.

[Keith86]

No Shackleford?What happened to the $3000 I sent in to support the bid the email address was ---------------- .nigeria.

[me]

hmm....well, some folks summed it up pretty well in knocking out the easily dismissed. It seems it will come down to RTJII and The Shark/Ochoa. I'm sure Nicklaus/Sorenstam will be up there, but won't give their 'counterpart designers' a challenge in this climate. Yes, Doak, Hawtree, Hanse and Thompson may submit some of the best concepts/routings, but it will come down to politics; we all know this. Of which, who are the best 'politicians'? Too bad we couldn't have more 'amateur designers' teaming with 'professional' designers with amateurs actually playing in the event. Too radical of an idea for the Olympic committee?

[RSmythe]

Marky Mark

I have always been a Player fan and don't think he gets his due as a player or a designer. My point was that when you win the Grand Slam, 9 Majors and design 300+ golf courses you deserve to be on the short list.

From what I understand about his design philosophy he concentrates on making his courses playable for all golfers, not just the low handicappers or pros, because the majority can't break 90 (found this on his web site http://garyplayer.com/golf-course-design/about/). If I am accurate then this should actually help him with Rio because the course has to be useful after the Olympics. It seems like when a city hosts the Olympics it is left with a lot of unusable venues which ends up being detrimental years down the road. Shouldn't the committee consider what happens after the games leave? I'd like to hear what you and others think.

In the end anyone on this list will design a course worthy of hosting the games. If that is the case then what else needs to be considered?

GS - Why do you think RTJ 3 and Norman/Ochoa are the favorites?

[Catalina]

The Olympics are all about celebrating international "co-opetition" and golf in the Olympics is about honoring its rich history and spreading the word of golf. While the finalists are all noteworthy, nobody has done more for the game of golf internationally than what Gary Player has done through his lifetime. It would be a shame if they didn't reward him for his tireless efforts.

[litrico1]

RTJ2 is teaming with MARIO GONZALEZ THE best ever Brazilian player and that is why it will be a golf course with a Brazilian touch.I am sure that RTJ2 with MARIO will Design THE best Of THE best and most important everybody will be able to play it!