By Nick Butler at the Main Media Centre in Nanjing

A cautiously optimistic summary of preparations for the Rio 2016 golf competition has been provided ©Rio 2016/Alex FerroInternational Golf Federation (IGF) executive director Antony Scanlon has cautiously praised construction progress at the Rio 2016 course in Barra de Tijuca, although he admits the tight timetable is "not ideal".


Speaking here ahead of the opening day of golfing action at the Summer Youth Olympic Games, Scanlon, a former head of Olympic Games Coordination, Operations and Services at the International Olympic Committee, remains confident the course for the sport's return to the Summer Olympic programme for the first time since St Louis 1904 will be ready in time, just.

"We hope all grass will be planted in late October or early November 2014," he told Francs Jeux.

"This in turn will give us 12 months to allow sufficient time to grow. 

"It's not ideal, but it should be enough. 

"We should thus be able to arrange a test event well before the Games, probably early in the year 2016."

There have been numerous questions regarding the course at Rio following various missed deadlines and setbacks earlier this year.

Construction belatedly began in May, two months after IGF President Peter Dawson spoke of his dissatisfaction over slow progress following a visit in late March.

Speaking during the British Open last month, Dawson was tentatively optimistic that it will be completed in time, at least for the start of the Games themselves if not for the test event, with Scanlon's latest words suggesting a further tentative rise in confidence. 

Antony Scanlon was speaking ahead of the Nanjing 2014 golf competition, where there have been no fears over construction speed ©TwitterAntony Scanlon was speaking ahead of the Nanjing 2014 golf competition, where there were no fears over construction speed ©Twitter


Rio 2016 have also claimed that construction on the course is 59 per cent complete, with a sprinkler system activated on 13 out of the 18 holes, and the planting of grass underway on five more.

"After this stage comes the 'bedding-in' period, during which we monitor the growth of this 'live' process," said Gustavo Nascimento, general manager of the Brazilian Olympic Committee's Venue Management Planning Department.

"As soon as it is planted, the grass needs to be watered, then we have to manually control weeds and regularly cut the grass to make sure that it grows evenly over the whole course.

"The grass we chose needed to meet the demands of the sport and the specific intricacies of the location.

"The course sits on top of sandy earth and the soil is highly permeable, so we had to choose a species that was well-adapted to this type of soil.

"The coastal vegetation is highly sensitive and, since the course is situated inside a nature reserve, we needed to choose a turf that requires little fertiliser but that is also highly resistant."

The optimistic reaction from the Organising Committee, and the more cautiously optimistic one from an International Federation, is similar to the reactions seen in sailing following a test event at the beginning of this month on the Guanabara Bay course.

Speaking to insidethegames earlier this week, International Sailing Federation head of competitions Alastair Fox praised the improvements made with pollution levels on the course, but called for further improvements as well as voicing concerns about objects, including dead animals, in the water that could affect racing.

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