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For Gil Hanse, ASGCA, the story of his experiences in Rio de
Janeiro is one of overcoming obstacles. The development of
the Barra de Tijuca Olympic course rarely went smoothly, with
disputes over land ownership, problems with environmental
permissions and many other issues causing the build to take far
longer than expected. But now, as the Games approaches and
with the trial event successfully in the bag, albeit rather later than
planned, Hanse can look back on the whole process with the
satisfaction of a job well done—and, like every other keen golf
fan, with an interest in seeing who will come through and win
medals when competition days arrive.
“I think the key takeaway for me has been just how resilient
and talented our guys are—guys like Kyle Franz, Neil Cameron,
Ben Hillard and Ben
Warren,” he says. “They
lived there, and it was
difficult for them. But the
passion they brought to
it on a daily basis was
remarkable. It didn’t
matter what obstacles
we faced: the time it
took, the inefficiencies in the construction process—they kept it
going all through the time we were on site, and that was key to
us delivering something good in the end.
“When we landed in Rio in January 2013 to start
construction, and we didn’t get going till mid March—and
then only a nominal start—it was pretty depressing. There
was a lot of ‘yes, yes, that’s going to happen’ in the run up
to construction. When we arrived, the yesses became ‘Oh
we’ll get to that.’ Not once during the competition process
was it mentioned that the key decision maker was going to
be the landowner. Over the first couple of months, getting the
right equipment was hard, as was dealing with landowner/
developer who didn’t really understand the process of golf
course construction. That first nine months to a year, we were
getting support from the PGA Tour technical guys and from the
golf people—Richard Brogan and Michael Johnson from the
PGA Tour construction and design services were down there all
the time and they served as our buffer and did a great job. But
we weren’t really getting any from the people on the ground.
But we came through it all, that is the most important thing. The
critical thing is that, while the process was difficult to navigate,
and it was not efficient, never once were we asked to
compromise the design. People ask me, was there ever a point
where you were tempted to quit? I say no, but if anyone had
asked us to change the design, we would have. No matter
how difficult the process, if you deliver in the end then you can
judge a project a success.”
Hanse says that building the Rio course has helped to change
his image within golf. “Our name recognition has gone through
a dramatic transformation for sure,” he says. “Within the
industry, we were a known commodity, and we had a good
reputation, but outside, in the broader golf community, we were
almost unknown. Now, that’s changed—we’re recognized as
being among the
top names of our
profession.”
The architect
says that he is very
eager to see the
world’s top players
tackle his course.
“The finishing stretch is
memorable, but the holes I want to watch them play the most are
the fourth, the ninth and the sixteenth—two short par fours and a
three. The fourth is the prettiest spot on the property, probably the
most dramatic-looking hole on the course. The ninth, Kyle Franz
built to concept from Fraserburgh in Scotland—two mounds
in front right and left, with a cleavage between and a small
green. If we get windy and firm conditions, angles will be very
important throughout the golf course.”
As to the post-Olympic legacy, Hanse says he has a
number of hopes. He scotches suggestions that the course
will not last long before it is redeveloped for housing. “You
cannot develop that land—the only land that is available for
development on the site is where they already are building.
It is zoned for what is there now, so we expect it to stay a
golf course for the long haul,” he says. “In time, I hope there
is a robust caddie program, and a strong junior program
that has opened up golf to groups that haven’t previously
played it. I hope there’s a continued championship legacy
for the course. But the most important thing is contributing to
the growth of golf in Brazil.”
Battling through the barriers
Gil Hanse, ASGCA, reflects on the challenges faced in creating an Olympic course from scratch
No matter how difficult the
process, if you deliver in the end
then you can judge the project a
success
Photo: Rio 2016