A report from Golf.com has indicated that Tom Fazio’s firm has been appointed to renovate the East course at Kasumigaseki ahead of the 2020 Olympic games.

Following a meeting held at the club in early September, it was decided by representatives from the USGA, R&A, International Golf Federation, Kasumigaseki club and the Japan Golf Association that the East course would host the event, rather than a composite course.

According to the report, it was at this meeting that the Kasumigaseki club expressed its desire for Fazio to work on the course ahead of the Olympic games. 

The club’s president Kiichi Kimura confirmed to Golf.com that while improvements would be carried out, ‘big, big changes’ would not be made.

Much of the work is likely to be focused on altering the existing two-green system at the course, a common feature of courses in Japan but one the club is keen to eradicate before the games.

Other work is likely to include the revision of bunker positions throughout the course to adhere to modern driving distances, as well as the building of new back tees.

Kasumigaseki East was designed by Hugh Alison and opened for play in 1929.

More to follow…