Olympic Test Event: And Now It's March 2016

And as revealed at The Open Championship last summer, we're down to a one-day exhibition with probably a foursome of golfers to spare the course, which is still growing in.

Stephen Wade of AP reports:

"We’re in conversations with top players - both the men’s and women’s tours - but we really can’t say anything more beyond that,” IGF vice president Ty Votaw told The Associated Press. Votaw said the one-day test event was chosen because a four-day tournament with a full field presented risks for a young course that is still maturing.

“We just want to make sure that the golf course can come through the grow-in season,” Votaw said. “To make sure that whatever competition that’s held, it doesn’t do anything to set back the overall conditions and grow-in of the course.”

While the test event ideally would have been already played to allow everyone to see the course under similar weather conditions, this is the by-product of so many project delays. Another push from January or February for this one day exhibition isn't a big deal at this point because we at least know there will be a golf course to play. And hopefully the coverage will be light so that the course is fresh in the eyes of viewers next year. Since the format has so few people excited, at least the course should be a star venue of the games.