2024 Olympics: Behind the Scenes at Le Golf National With Kerry Haigh

It's early in the morning at Le Golf National. Mowers hum, bunkers are raked, the sun rises above the clouds, nature's kicking off point to another day at the Paris Olympics.

Kerry Haigh has been there for hours already, alongside the grounds crew, carrying out arguably one of the more critical missions all week: setting up the golf course.

And these aren't pin locations for just for any competition . . . but one where there's a gold, silver and bronze Olympic medal on the line.

"It's an incredible honor for me," he says. "There's nothing that truly compares to the Olympics."

Since golf reemerged as an Olympic sport in 2016 — the first two competitions were held back in 1900 in Paris and 1904 in St. Louis — Haigh has played a role in making sure the course is properly staged to host a riveting competition. But unlike the hundreds of Major Championships and handful of Ryder Cups he's overseen the course setup on as the PGA of America's Chief Championships Officer, at Le Golf National, he's not alone.

"Part of what makes these Olympic Golf competitions unique is that they are a combined effort in their staging," says Haigh. "The International Golf Federation brings together all of the worldwide golf organizations to run and manage both the men's and women's competitions, all the way down to the pin location on No. 18. It's quite unique."

At the men's competition alongside Haigh, David Garland, the Director of Tournament Operations for the DP World Tour, has helped get Le Golf National ready for the best golfers in the world which, Haigh notes, is something you don't really see at any of the majors.

"Normally, it's each organization leads their own setup but here, it's a truly collaborative effort," says Haigh. "We all want the same thing: a golf course that is set up to be challenging but also fair and fun to play for the competitors. They're playing for their countries. It only happens every four years. There aren't many bigger moments than that in the sport."

As such, Haigh and Garland have tried to make the golf course a part of the story and not the story this week. Le Golf National, as seen in the 2018 Ryder Cup, has a flair for the dramatics and has provided plenty of risk-reward holes for the players to take advantage of in pursuit of a medal.

"And the course is just in unbelievably great condition," adds Haigh. "The playing surfaces are second to none. The greens here are huge; some of them have 40-50 yards in depth, too, so it's allowed us to get creative with hole locations and strategy to present a stern but balanced course. There will be plenty of opportunities."

As far as holes to watch? Haigh says tune in for the final few. No. 15, 16 and, of course, 18, will be riveting.

"18? Yes, on No. 18 there is nothing but water surrounding the hole," notes Haigh. "To know a medal could be on the line with that hole in mind is probably the exact drama you'd expect at The Olympics."

After he's completed course setup for the day, Haigh has a moment or two to stare over Le Golf National before the hustle and bustle begins, and the gates open. His job doesn't end on Sunday when the Men's Golf medals are awarded. In fact, it's only the halfway mark; he'll be joined by Davide M. Lantos, Director of Tournament Operations for the Ladies European Tour, and Annie Giangrosso, Director of Rules and Competition for the LPGA, to begin setup for the Women's Golf competition that begins Aug. 7.

But it's not lost on Haigh what being at Le Golf National means. He can see it in the competitors. The fans. He can feel the environment and how different it is from anything else not just in golf, but in sport.

It makes him turn introspective. Two of his proudest moments were how both golf competitions at the Rio Games finished at the same score. In Tokyo, a fan-less sort of eerie experience as Haigh remembers, the scores were within a stroke of each other. It's a testament to his wizardry as a course setup expert but also how we paves the way for the competitors to shine under the brightest of spotlights.

"I think about that 7-way playoff for a bronze in Tokyo and that was just a wonderful example of how different the Olympic experience is," says Haigh. "It's something you can't really describe. Representing your country, wearing your country's colors, fighting to get on the podium. It shows how touching the Olympics can be . . . and how much it matters."