Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium complex, the main venue for the 1980 Olympic Games and one of Europe’s largest sporting complexes, is to get a nine hole academy golf course.

Design firm Thomson Perrett & Lobb has been commissioned to create the golf centre, which, as well as the nine hole par three course, will also include a driving range, practice putting, and family adventure golf facilities. Luzhniki provides facilities for more than 40 different sports with five million visits per year.

TPL principal Tim Lobb said: “The golf academy at the Luzhniki complex will be an important development for Russia. This will be the closest golf facility to the city centre and will be a family friendly and social venue that will enable the people of Moscow to experience, enjoy and learn to play golf. It is a very exciting project to be working on and, with the return of golf to the Olympics in 2016, is befitting of the Luzhniki complex’s vision to be a legacy of Olympic sport.”

Dimitry Aleshin, deputy director of development and commercial affairs at the Luzhniki Olympic Complex, said: “TPL has significant experience taking golf into new markets and understands what it takes to make golf an attractive and complementary choice to the established sports in Russia.”