For the first time since 1904, golf is being reintroduced to the Olympic Games and will be one of the participating events in Rio 2016. To mark the significant return of the sport, the newly built and rather unique venue, Marapendi Olympic golf course, will open specially for the championships. Over the past few decades, golf has rapidly expanded to become a popular sport around the world, both at amateur and professional level. As a result of this globalisation, the International Olympic Committee decided that the sport should return to the Olympic Games.
The reintroduction of the sport and the opening of the Marapendi Olympic golf course marks an exciting future for golf and an important step in the popularisation of the sport in Brazil. Nearly every major city in Brazil is home to a golf course, with many offering stunning views. Below is a selection of some of the finest golf courses Brazil has to offer.
Marapendi Olympic golf course – Rio de Janeiro
The Marapendi Olympic golf course is located in Barra da Tijuca, the district where the majority of Olympic venues are located. Combined with the staggering surrounding panoramic views of Rio de Janeiro, the course is both visually and physically striking. Key to the heart of the Olympics in Rio is sustainability and the Marapendi golf course is no exception. Environmentally conscious, salt tolerant, specialist grass that needs minimal watering, fertilisation and maintenance lines the course.
President of Rio 2016, Carlos Arthus Nuzman said as the Marapendi course “marks the return of golf to the Olympic Games after over a century of absence, this course represents the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the sport.” He continued: “It will enable Rio to host important events in the international calendar and it will be an example of sustainability and preservation of an environmentally protected area.”
With Rio 2016 bringing golf back to the Olympic Games, Brazil hopes their new Olympic course in Rio de Janerio will provide a lasting legacy of the sport in Brazil. After the Games, the course will open to the public as a stunning tourist attraction and facility to develop and promote the sport across the country.
Terravista Golf Course, Trancoso - Bahia
The Terravista Golf Course is the most famous golf course in Brazil and one of the most striking in the world. Running along the high cliffs of the beautiful coastal village, Trancoso, the 18-hole course offers spectacular views of both the white beaches of Praia do Espelh and crystal blue lakes, and the green vegetation of the Atlantic rainforest. The front nine holes of the course take you deep into the rainforest, offering challenging holes and jungle landscapes. The signature 14th hole perches right on the edge of a 50m cliff. With dazzling oceanic views from your tee box, see if you can spot giant sea turtles swimming in the ocean!
Suitable for all abilities and those who simply love a stunning view, golfers and tourists travel from around the world to play at the Terravista golf course. The Terravista regions are also known as 'Discovery Coast,' for half a century ago, it was here that Portuguese settlers first discovered Brazil. The golfing paradise is thus also a place of huge historical and cultural significance for Brazil.
São Paulo Golf Club
The Sao Paulo Golf Club is Brazil's first ever golf club, founded in 1914. The club represents the history of golf in Brazil and the country's recognition of the influence of British traditions, customs, culture and sports into the Brazilian culture. Indeed, the district of the original club became known as Morro dos Ingleses, 'Hill of English,' a name the upscale neighbourhood maintains today.
However, as the Morro dos Ingleses region industrialised and grew, the keen golfers had to find somewhere else with room to develop their golf club and so settled in large district of Santo Amaro, where the club has remained ever since.
The historic course has conquered industrialisation and stood the test of time as it stands in the heart of the city in its original form. Visually striking, the green fairways lined with trees are now completely surrounded by residential and industrial buildings, making the remarkable São Paulo Golf Course an intriguing landmark for golfers and tourists from all around the world.
