Ty Votaw on What is Next for Golf in the Olympics

When the International Olympic Committee officially approved golf (and rugby sevens) for inclusion in the 2016 and 2020 Olympic games this past October, Ty Votaw and the International Golf Federation achieved a very substantial goal.  In rather short order, Votaw, the R&A's Peter Dawson, and others in the golf world formed a lobbying and organizing committee, put together a plan for logistics and presenting an Olympic golf tournament, and got the sport included for '16 in Rio.

After that very significant accomplishment, the IGF now faces six years' worth of decisions and preparation for golf's return to the Olympics.  What that looks like is still amorphous.  Waggle Room spoke with Ty Votaw about what is ahead for Olympic golf in 2010 and beyond.

Votaw at IGF Press Conference at PGA Championship
(Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

Votaw said that the first step for Olympic golf to take is "to get assimilated and acclimated with the IOC structure and the structure that they expect [our] IF (international federation) to take." 

Organizational details include staffing, revenues, and the headquarters of the International Golf Federation will all have to be identified in their business plan.

The IGF is also now a member of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations, an organization that is funded by the IOC that then divides those dollars to the 28 Olympic sports that will exist for 2016.  Votaw admitted that they are in a "learning phase" right now.

The IGF will have to hire an executive director, whose job it will be to interface with the IOC, ASOIF, IGF member organizations, and the Olympic committee of the organization.

Votaw, the current executive director of the International Golf Federation, told me he currently holds that title "in name only" because he (along with Peter Dawson) was handling the details behind the bid to get golf in the Olympics.

A technical director of the IGF may also need to be hired.  That person would work with operational experts in each of the IGF's member organizations regarding tournament issues.  In the end, though, the executive director may well work with a committee of guys like the USGA's Mike Davis, Tyler Dennis of the PGA Tour, Kerry Haigh of the PGA of America, and others for those issues.

Other staffing is still to be determined, but Votaw said that those positions would be most critical.

In terms of revenues and fundraising, Votaw has said that the IGF will not present a world golf championship in the same vain that swimming or track & field do to raise money.  Corporate sponsorship of the IGF would be "for the good of the game." 

Most importantly perhaps, the IGF has to come together with the IOC to actually determine how the Olympic golf tournament will be presented.  Much like any PGA Tour event, the logistics for site, operations, and golf course conditions will have to be determined.  A rules committee will have to be created.

"Obviously, we have experts from the many golf organizations involved in the IGF that can help us put together a good rules committee," Votaw said.

Much has been made of the hypotheticaly site for Olympic golf in Rio.  Votaw said that 2010 will be the year in which the IGF surveys the two courses in Rio and determines if a new course will have to be constructed to stage the competition.  Depending upon the site - existing or to be built - the IGF will have to vastly different timelines regarding site and staging.

Golf course designers have expressed an interest to Votaw and the IGF about a potential Rio design job on a formal and informal level, wondering what the process will be for submitting bids and selection.

The funding of a construction project would need to be determined.  It could be handled by Rio's Olympic committe, the course developer, or the International Golf Federation.  Ultimately, the facility is the responsibility of the IGF.

Further, whatever facility is used for the Olympic golf tournament, it is up to the IGF to provide for what the IOC terms "legacy" - ensuring that golf could grow in Rio and Brazil as a result of the Olympic games having staged golf there.

As for how countries may choose to organize individually around golf, Votaw indicated that each country's national governing body for golf would deal directly with their national Olympic committee - not the IGF.  Each country is required to create such an organization.

But, since Olympic golf will use the World Rankings to determine the field, do not expect to see the concept of a national golf team.  It "would not be germane to [traditional] purposes" for the Olympics, according to Votaw, because the time needed to cultivate players that could be good enough to earn significant World Ranking points would simply be too short for '16.

These bodies, though, could be useful in creating national golf teams in the event that golf gets into the Pan-Am or Commonwealth Games, conducted at an amateur level.

How that will work in the United States is still kind of merky.  At present, the USGA is representative golf organization for the United States in the IGF - similar to 122 other countries' organizations that are members.  Votaw, though, stressed that "there will need to be some recongition of the professional game" because that will be who presents players for the Olympics.  Presumably, those bodies will be the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour.

Votaw indicated that USA Golf - whatever shape it ultimately takes - may pursue individual memberships to sponsor the sport in this country along the lines of the USGA's member programs.

Though golf is in the Olympics for 2016 and 2020, Votaw stressed that getting it right the in '16 is absolutely critical.  The International Olympic Committee will review golf in 2017 - right after the Rio games - for its viability in the 2024 games.

"We need to put on a good competition in '16 or otherwise the potential exists that we could be out after '20."