Glauco Chris Fuzinatto, director of the Brazilian Tourist Office for UK and Ireland, has declared that "Golf in Brazil is growing quite rapidly”, adding that there are not a lots of people who “combine a holiday with playing golf in Brazil."
It’s not hard to see why Fuzinatto is right to believe in the growth of golf in Brazil. Golf has recently been made an Olympic sport and, after Brazil recently won the 2-16 Olympic Games s, the courses in Rio de Janeiro are likely to receive large investments to both their facilities and their course maintenance. Although courses around Sao Paulo and Bahia are already known for their high quality, this is probably the biggest reason why the market is expected to grow in the next half-dozen years.
For anybody considering a spot of golf in Brazil, remember your sun cream! This made seem like a strange point to make, but many holidaymakers suffer horrendous sunburn every year from over-exposure whilst playing golf! It’s not enough to make golf count as a dangerous sport, but it’s a fine way to ruin an expensive holiday! My advice; slap on the factor 30 (at least) and invest in some long-sleeved golf clothes.
Rory McIlroy has admitted that he’d find it awkward deciding whether he would want to play for Great Britain or Ireland if golf is accepted at the 2016 Olympic Games. He said, “It'd be an honour to represent your country and I don't mind which one I play for...I'd probably play for Great Britain. I have a British passport. It's a bit of an awkward question still”.
The history of golf in Ireland makes the question especially tricky; the Golfing Union of Ireland is the oldest in the world, founded in 1891 and including all four provinces – uniting the country in a way that few other things can. This will be made very apparent at the world cup, where Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will both be represented under the same team – Ireland.
In the Beijing Olympics, it was a close split between those athletes from Northern Ireland who chose to represent Ireland and those who chose to represent Great Britain – though the majority chose Ireland. To be honest, it may be a case of taking the option that leaves you with the bet chance of making the team; there’s little doubt that it’s harder to make the British Olympic team than the Irish. If McIlroy had to choose today, for example, he’d have to compete with likes of Lee Westwood and Paul Casey to play for Great British at the Games - something he probably wouldn't enjoy too much!
Either way, many athletes will be making a similar awkward decision before 2016.
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