Olympic Golf Course Rio de Janeiro, 4 years after the Olympics: Golfers play with an “audience” of alligators, boa constrictors, capybaras and owls.
Golf in Rio de Janeiro is played in the midst of nature
In Rio de Janeiro you can already play golf on one of the best golf courses in the world and enjoy the sport in the company of alligators and capybaras . With a little luck you may also spot a boa constrictor about two meters long . And all of this under the watchful eyes of the many birds. Southern lapwings, called “quero-quero” in Brazil because of their cry, woodpeckers and owls accompany golfers on most holes. Opened in November 2015, Rio Olympic Golf Course in the Tijuca district was built for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio despite numerous protests and lawsuits.
Positive environmental changes
“I heard many complaints,” said the golf course president, Carlos Favoreto , recalling protesters who camped next to the course for three months. “The prosecutor’s office is continuing its appeal, but an expert came here three times at its request and each time concluded that the course is better now.”
The main point of contention is that the golf course, which covers more than one million square meters, is located in a nature reserve. In fact, before golf arrived, the site was used as an illegal dump. The animals were also easy targets for hunters who occasionally passed through.
Alligators next to a fairway of the Olympic Golf Course in Rio de Janeiro
Wildlife in harmony with nature
According to the plans of golf architect Gil Hanse, a decades-old fig tree was to be cut down. But the people in charge of the course gave this imposing tree a place of honor. “We decided to leave the tree there and reroute the course,” says Favoreto. To restore the area, thousands of native trees and shrubs were planted. The grass was imported from Texas, in the USA. It is drought-resistant and uses up to 40% less water. According to the course management, the area today has over 167% more vegetation than before the Olympic Games.
As the plants grew, wild animals gradually began returning to their natural habitats. Today, 290 species have been catalogued , compared with 118 at the start of the restoration work. Dozens of alligators and capybaras can currently be seen. A boa constrictor and a sloth have been spotted wandering calmly near a green. Owls and their young sometimes leave their burrows near some holes or in the bunkers. In addition, countless butterflies bring color to the late afternoon, including the rare Fluminense swallowtail.
An owl watches the golfers on the Olympic Golf Course in Rio de Janeiro
None of the wildlife requires special treatment. “The wildlife at the Rio Olympic Golf Course is fed neither by the groundskeepers nor by the golfers, because we do environmental education on site,” explains biologist Luciana Andrade, who is responsible for monitoring the course’s fauna and flora. “The area is in such ecological balance that it provides these animals with food and shelter.”
A few days ago a bush dog was spotted in the area, adding to the list of animals that could one day bite unsuspecting golfers who are unfamiliar with potentially dangerous animals. However, Luciana assures that there is no danger to players. In the event of an incident, a multidisciplinary team is on standby to help anyone who needs it.
Translated by Hunter Schenewark from the newspaper ESTADO DE SAO PAULO / July 15, 2020