IGF Head On Hanse Selection: "We were particularly impressed with his ideas on design characteristics and hands-on creativity"

USGA.org features an email interview with International Golf Federation head Antony Scanlon, who is asked about the design competition, Rio and winner Hanse Design. These are the first IGF comments since the announcement.

Scanlon: All eight candidates gave exceptional presentations, and the Jury Panel was very impressed with each one. But through final evaluations, the overriding belief was that Hanse Golf Course Design did the best job overall of addressing the broad range of the criteria that were set forth from the outset in the request for proposals. We were particularly impressed with his ideas on design characteristics and hands-on creativity, and consideration for the facility’s legacy of promoting and developing golf in Brazil and globally.

There also are numerous issues to consider beyond the competitive design of the course for male and female Olympians, from access and flow of spectators during competition, to long-term maintenance and operation of the course, to the importance of environmental sustainability and the integration of native vegetation. In the end, we were very comfortable with Gil Hanse’s proposal and believe it will provide an outstanding Olympic venue as well as a golf course that will serve as a lasting legacy through the development and nurturing of golfers long after the Games.