Olympic Golf Course

In the years leading up to 2016, Rio de Janeiro was awarded the 2016 Summer Olympics, and those Olympic Games were chosen as the occasion of golf’s return to the Olympics following a more-than-100-year absence.

Early on, there were some references to the course under the name of “Reserva Marapendi Golf Course,” after its location. Presumably, someone quickly decided that having “Olympic” in the name was a good idea, and it has been called “Olympic Golf Course” ever since.

The Olympic Golf Course is located in a part of Rio de Janeiro known as the Barra da Tijuca zone. That zone is west of some of Rio’s most famous areas, such as Copacabana and Ipanema.

The golf course is within the Reserva de Marapendi, a nature reserve, and built next to the Marapendi Lagoon. The lagoon and a narrow strip of land on its other side separate the golf course from the South Atlantic Ocean.

The course is approximately 22 miles from the Rio airport.

Course stats: 18 holes, 7162 yards, par: 71