Golf
When I saw the equipment I had and the novice workforce I had, I thought, ‘Oh my God, are we really going to do this?’ It has been insane. But I love this job
”
everyday golf course maintenance items. Everything has to come from overseas.” It will be the first time golf will be part of the Olympic Games in more than 100 years. The plan is for individual competition, with sixty men and sixty women competing in two 72-hole events, and the whole world will be watching and judging. “I never felt like we weren’t going to make
it,” said Gill. “The project is too important to not get it finished. But, it took twice as long as it should have taken to build it.” The course is located on the coast outside
of the country’s second largest city, with saltwater tolerant paspalum greens and stiff zoysia fairways. The first test will come
tentatively in November when the course at Reserva de Marapendi will host a PGA Tour Latinoamerica event. “We will really be testing the golf course,” said Neil, a 56-year-old Londoner who served in the British military before turning to golf course management twenty-five years ago. “We want to see how it plays. If we have to make minor changes, we’ll have a year to get it done.” Neil is focusing on two things: getting the
course ready for the return of golf to the Olympics after a 112-year absence and spreading the goodwill of golf to the people of Brazil. Both are demanding but, if anyone can
handle the tasks, it’s the ex-military man; he exudes a poise that comes from his years of experience. GolfDom caught up with Neil recently to
talk about the course, the politics of the region, his staffing challenges and the legacy of the Olympic golf course.
GD: How are preparations going in Brazil?
NC: The weather’s great, but flying from 100O
F down to 32O F at night is no fun. Plus,
there are politics involved; there always will be, no matter the site. It just happens to be the Rio Olympic golf course. Obviously, people are interested, and they are entitled to be. Golf not being in the Olympics for
PC OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015 I 25
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156