2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Golf Course Overview

The course was designed by Gil Hanse and is created around natural, sandy wastelands just 500 yards from the sea

2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Golf Course
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Castle Stuart Golf Links designer Gil Hanse has created the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Golf Course as golf features in the Olympics for the first time since 1904.

2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Golf Course Overview

This year golf returns to the Olympics after a 112-year absence.

Both the men's and women's tournaments take place on the Olympic course which is built within the Marapendi Natural Reserve in the Barra da Tijuca region, around six miles south of the city of Rio de Janeiro.

It has been designed by Gil Hanse, who also designed Castle Stuart Golf Links near Inverness, Scotland.

In this extended interview, Hanse revealed how the links at Castle Stuart influenced the Rio golf course.

2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Golf Course

The golf course is built upon natural, sandy wasteland. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

The golf course, with it being situated on a nature reserve, has a very natural feel about it and, as well as comparing to the links of Scotland, feels similar to the Melbourne Sandbelt courses.

The fairways are tight and there is no real thick rough, instead the fairways feed into the natural sandy areas which are dotted with indigenous plants.

Another key aspect to the course is the greens and how they're protected. A majority of them are small and severely undulating, with steep run-off areas and bunkers awaiting to catch loose shots.

2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Golf Course

The approach to the 1st green. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

The course measures 7,133 yards for the men and 6,314 yards for the women.

Both nines start with par-5s and the closing 18th is also a par-5.

It's the back nine will be where the tournament will be decided.

Opening with a par-5 where most will hope to birdie, then to the 11th, 12th and 13th which are all par-4s over 480 yards.

14 is a 235 yard par-3 and the final three holes are made up of the drivable par-4 16th, the shortest hole on the course at the par-3 17th and the closing par-5 18th which is a beast at over 600 yards from the back tees.

2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Golf Course

The view from the back tee at 18

They have truly done a tremendous job with the golf course here and hats off to Gil Hanse - it's a great design and has a wonderful natural feel to it.

Rio Olympic Golf Course Hole by Hole Guide:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18

Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV