Anirban Lahiri, and SSP Chawrasia will be teeing off this Thursday at the Barra da Tijuca, hunting for some metal. The event will be played on a 7128 yard course for men, moderated to 6245 yards for women. The course will play to par at 71 with four par-5 holes – the first, fifth, tenth and the eighteenth. There are five par-3 holes – the third, sixth, eighth, fourteenth and seventeenth.
Gil Hanse designed the course, drawing inspiration from the Castle Stuart in Scotland. The course does not feature any rough or trees. The runoff from the fairway has native grass and sand, which should make it relatively easy for the golfers to deal with. There are 79 bunkers protecting the fairways and greens. There isn’t much water either, with only four holes protected by it.
Here is a quick summary of the course –
Hole 1 – The first hole is a 604 yard par-5, with the green titling slightly right. The landing area is guarded by bunkers, but Lahiri will like the fact that there is an advantage landing the tee shot on the left. The spot to the left of the fairway offers a clear shot in the direction of the flag. An eminently doable birdie awaits the golfers here.
Hole 2 – The second is a 486 yard par-4. The dogleg left fairway is guarded on the left by bunkers and dense vegetation. There is a large lake to the left of the green, but it isn’t going to be super difficult to protect the ball from it. There are pin locations toward the green, but it should be manageable for the golfers, by putting just enough spin on the ball to avoid the roll off into water.
Hole 3 – The third hole is a visual spectacle with the tee shot needing to carry the ball over water onto the landing area to the right of the lake. This is a par-4 at 351 yards, with a good risk reward situation. A good drive here that can maintain a straight line could set up an easy birdie, if the golfers can avoid the bunker on the right of the fairway.
Hole 4 – The fourth is a 191 yard par-3, set amidst sand and vegetation. The undulating green presents an interesting challenge to golfers, after they reach there with the tee shot. The green falls away pretty much on all sides, so expect some interesting finishes here.
