DVR Alert: In Play W/Jimmy Roberts Goes To Rio!

Sounds so, so fun doesn't it? As in, maybe we'll see Jimmy Roberts playing beach volleyball on Copacabana Beach in a Speedo? But I'm sad to say, it really isn't all it's cracked up to be, especially if you've seen the "progress" the country is making toward the 2016 Olympic Games.

The season two premiere of In Play kicks by unveiling the many months of footage compiled by producer Matt Miller, Paul Berner and Neil Munroe, including the first ever public showing of the architect selection presentation.  You'll also see me briefly mentioning what a fiasco the whole thing Rio is. Anything to bring levity to the show!

The show also features a segment with Jimmie Johnson, who apparently won the Daytona 500 yesterday in the eyes of some at Fox.

Boy, Jimmy knows how land the big "gets" at just the right time.

Update on 2014-02-24 20:33 by Geoff

**Both Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner were on Morning Drive to talk about the progress in Rio.

Wagner here.

Hanse here.

Video: Gil Hanse Talks Rio Olympic Design Issues

Here is my update on the Olympic golf course project in Rio, and now you can hear from Gil Hanse and see some great aerial views of the site under construction in this CNN International interview with Shane O'Donohue.

You can see a larger version here, or watch the embed below:

The story is followed by an O'Donoghue report on golf in Latin America where he tried to get on the Olympic site but was unable to, so they went aerial.

Rio Olympic Golf Course Visit, May 2013

I made a visit to Rio last week to see the Olympic golf course in the early stages of construction and with things just now moving ahead down there--albeit still too slowly--I'll share some random thoughts for those interested in Gil Hanse's design, Rio and the Olympic course's potential.

--The site exceeded expectations in terms of potential for a "great" golf course (very much so) and its setting in Rio (you know you are in Rio but not excessively so). Gil's also done a super job routing what will be a fun, walker friendly course long after the Olympics. It's the type of site a lot of architects would call boring or flattish, but it's far from that.

-By now most have seen the images with sandy scrub, nice plant material and other attributes that give off a "sandbelt" essence. About half the property is set on dunesy land with the initial clearing exposing some tremendously good bumps, hillocks and swales. The "lower" section is on wetlands created after the original dunes were stripped off the property decades ago.

-With the unfortunately slow pace of the project--has at least afforded Gil the chance to gently scrape off the grasses to preserve these features and to isolate plants, cactus and grasses for preservation or transplanting.

- The quality of the ground on these "upper" dunes holes, along with the potential for some attractive (but not excessive) water holes and a few holes playing through a more forested section down by the water, means the routing will have a bit of everything. But mostly it will exude a very open feel, with links and sandbelt elements (if they had condo buildings and stunning mountain ranges in the distance). If given the time to develop the features--a big "if" as the clock ticks and the host countries' lack of urgency continues--re-vegetating the natives and growing in the course properly becomes a concern. However, if this process is allowed to move along at a proper pace, the Olympic course should exude the type of rugged, natural sense that organizers hope to show the world.

- Design discussions were focused on the 6th, 7th and 16th holes. The 6th is a par-3 playing over a dune in similar fashion to the long-lost Maiden at Royal St. George's. The "bowl" the green will sit it in is essentially there, with almost no modification needed. There will be tees from three different angles and a wide array of yardages possible. I can't wait to play this one and even better, watch Olympic golf played on this one-shotter where there is an ideal spot for a grandstand that will allow crowds to react to the shots for the benefit of players on the tee. Throw in the chance to watch the reachable par-5 5th green and 7th tee shots, and it'll be an electric spectating spot on the course.

- Discussed was how this obstructed view 6th hole--sure to be controversial the first time around depending on hole location and tee used and general revulsion by modern players toward any hint of blindness--will fit in the context of the Olympics. But as I preached to Gil, other Olympic sports with playing fields unique to their respective games where local knowlege is rewarded (downhill skiing, luge, road races, etc…), players will merely have to play practice rounds. No more semi-blindness then!

-I never want to hear how Los Angeles can't host another Olympics until LAX is expanded. It looks like Heaven's airport compared to what Rio currently offers. I can't fathom how Rio will handle the number of visitors expected for the games. The 40 minutes I spent in the customs line snaking around the baggage carousel, did, however, allow for the penning of the first lyrics to my new hit single, "The Customs Line From Ipanema."

-Also strange is the lack of any nod to the Olympics in Rio via logos, signage or any other hint that the country is excited to be hosting. It wasn't something I went looking for, but instead realized upon leaving. Not a big deal 3 years out, just weird.

Below are just a few images, including some dirt shots and the required Christ The Redeemer photo and the view from this engineering, construction and spiritual marvel. One the golf side, I've included a view from the 6th tee playing over the existing dune, as well as the approach to the par-4 7th green where you can see some bunkers rough-shaped in.

Hanse: Rio Olympic Course "Right up against the deadline now"

It's not sounding like much fun down in Rio for Gil Hanse, awaiting the green light to build the 2016 Olympic course.

From an unbylined wire story covering Hanse's Thursday appearance on Morning Drive.

"It just seems like there's this bureaucracy that won't seem to let its tentacles go," said Hanse, who hopes to begin moving dirt on the property that will be home to the course around April 1. "I'm disappointed in that. I'm disappointed in myself because I thought, gosh, it's the Olympics, you can't get any bigger than that. They've got to be able to just move this through.

"Unfortunately I was dead wrong with that."

The Trump Blue Monster Renovation Plan Revealed...**

Torleif Sorenson posts Gil Hanse and Donald Trump's vision for the TPC Blue Monster at Trump Doral, though I'm hard pressed to see many major changes other than the par-3 15th which has lots of water around it.

The Donald told the media Tuesday that it's going to be an island green.

But Bradley Klein explains that's been a source of disagreement between the design partners.

But when it came to a proposed island green, Hanse balked. When Trump urged extension of a pond to encircle the otherwise placid, landlocked green on the par-3 15th, Hanse resisted, explaining that it would be out of character with Wilson’s emphasis on diagonal lines of play. So the plan now is to project the relocated green out into a corner of the expanded pond and form a sharp diagonal, with the putting surface flanked by water front left and deep to the rear.

Update on 2013-03-06 16:18 by Geoff

**Here is an updated plan. You can tell because the logos are getting tackier by the plan.

At least the one above will provide a point of comparison. The 15th is still not an island green. Thankfully.

As a bonus, a close up of the 15th and 16th holes.

IGF "Very Concerned" Over Rio Golf Construction Delay

AroundtheRings.com scores an exclusive chat with International Golf Federation head Antony Scanlon, who is hoping to bring attention to the stalled Rio 2016 golf course project on the eve of the IOC Coordination Commission's visit to Rio.

“We are very concerned,” Scanlon admits to ATR. “The IGF are anxiously waiting for the necessary legislation to be passed at the next sitting of the Rio de Janeiro council and that all the required contracts, licenses and permits are issued and able to be executed immediately so that construction proper can commence as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile the Rio people responded by saying everything is A-okay, according to their communications director, Carlos Villanova.

"The Organizing Committee has been keeping IGF informed of all developments and counted on its expertise in several occasions, including the selection of the design for a new golf course.

"American designer Gil Hanse has already relocated to Rio as planned, to oversee the construction works.

"The necessary legislation has been voted by the Rio de Janeiro Council; hence the start of construction remains on track for April."

The project was originally slated to commence in October...of last year.

Gil: “We just wanted to create a little more interesting finish."

Rex Hoggard talks to Gil Hanse about being called a rooster Luke Donald's 18th green complaints and the TPC Boston rebuilder makes clear that interest was emphasized over difficulty.

For the week, the 18th is playing harder statistically. Last year the hole played to a 4.50 average with 19 eagles, 165 birdies and 23 bogeys. Through three rounds this year the hole has a 4.650 average, 14 eagles, 106 birdies and 28 bogeys.

“We just wanted to create a little more interesting finish,” Hanse said. “If that translated to the hole being harder, fine; and if it was easier that was fine. It was never the goal to go out and make the hole more difficult.”