Despite a build-up plagued by criticism and the withdrawal of many of the game’s biggest male stars, golf’s return to the Olympics was largely regarded as a success.
Despite a build-up plagued by criticism and the withdrawal of many of the game’s biggest male stars, golf’s return to the Olympics was largely regarded as a success, with the sport now appearing to have cemented its place on the Olympic calendar, at least for the foreseeable future.
Less than four months on however, the golfing legacy promised to the Brazilian people looks far less certain, with the future of the $19 million design, which is set to become Brazil's first 18-hole public course when it officially opens in 2017, now in jeopardy.
It is reported that Progolf, the company that manages the Rio Olympic Course, haven't been paid by the Brazilian Golf Confederation in over two months, and have threatened to withdraw from the course altogether in the upcoming weeks, potentially prompting a collapse.
Even more concerning, the situation at the course itself is said to be in disarray, with the greens in poor condition, many basic amenities yet to be built, and visiting golfers a rarity.
Brazilian officials have issued a statement, declaring that they are not giving up on the future of the course, which was met with fierce resistance from the local people, many of whom saw their homes demolished to make way for its costly construction.
"The OGC is part of the legacy of the 2016 Olympics," Paulo Pacheco, the president of the Brazilian Golf Confederation told the Golf Channel. "We know of the difficulties of implementing sports projects in times of crisis, but we never stop looking for solutions and it is far from our minds giving up such a representative project for golf in Brazil and in the world."
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