(ATR) Golfers are almost able to play a round on Rio's Olympic golf course.
"It’s actual fairways and greens now," Antony Scanlon executive director for the International Golf Federation tells Around the Rings."We’re confident we’ll have all the grass down by the end of October, beginning of November."
Previously, officials had expressed serious concerns about the pace of construction for the course. It can take several years to build a championship-caliber golf course. Of all the venues needed for Rio, the golf course is arguably the most challenging one to build from a technical point of view.
"That gives up two growing seasons and sufficient time for the Games," Scanlon said of the time remaining for Rio.
"Around the time of final laying of the grass, we’ll decide the time-frame for a test event."
In a statement released recently by Rio 2016 said that construction on the course is now 59 percent complete.
Rio 2016 said grass is sown on five of the 18 holes, with irrigation reaching more than half of the course.
Scanlon offered some advice for future Olympians on how to play the course.
"There is a prevailing wind that will come into play on the last three holes," Scanlon explains to ATR.
"There is a drivable par four at 16, there’s a pretty tough short par three into the wind on 17 and then you have long par five which will give opportunities for birdies and eagles and change results."
Construction on the golf course began in April 2013.
Alexandre Techima, director of infrastructure integration for Rio 2016, is certain the course will be ready by next September.
"Over the next two months we will finish the maintenance facilities and begin building the clubhouse to ensure the finished course will be ready for handover at the end of September 2015."
Written byNicole Bennett
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