The first pre-construction works have begun on the site of the 2016 Olympic golf course in Rio de Janeiro.

Clearing work to remove non-native vegetation and establish hole centrelines began yesterday, after city authorities issued the required permit. Actual construction of the course is now expected to begin in April, six months behind the scheduled start. Development company Tanedo, along with architect Gil Hanse, is handling the work, which has started just over a year after he was awarded the design contract. No earthmoving equipment is being used in the clearing work.

Rio 2016 organising committee president Carlos Arthur Nuzman said: “We are delighted that work has begun on the golf venue and we remain on track to deliver the golf course for a test event in 2015 as scheduled. This venue will provide a key element of the Rio 2016 legacy as the first public course in Rio de Janeiro, and it will play a pivotal role in the development of the sport of golf in Brazil.”

The test event is scheduled for August 2015. For the course to be ready by this date, it is likely that all grassing will need to be completed before the end of next year. Hanse, who has been renovating the existing Gavea GC course to occupy himself while waiting to begin the Olympic course, said: “It is the start of a long process to transform this property into a beautiful golf course, and we are happy to get started.”