As a child, I always dreamed of playing in the Olympics. Though my aspirations were for a different sport and the Winter Olympics, the dream was still there. My family and I always made time to watch the Olympics together, cheering on our country’s athletes. Yet Olympic golf never really grabbed my attention the same way.
Olympic golf
When golf returned to the Olympics, I wasn’t particularly excited—I am sure I was not alone with this feeling. However, with all the changes in professional golf over the last few years, this feeling has shifted. My interest in watching golf outside of the majors has dwindled, leaving a bit of a void. This is where Olympic golf grabbed my attention, especially with the Paris Olympics. I found myself eagerly following who would be playing and, more intriguingly, what the course would be like and the challenges it would present.
Le Golf National, the venue for the Ryder Cup in 2018, hosted the Olympic golf events. While my memories of that Ryder Cup are vague, I do recall the final results. With a desire to learn more about the course and its challenges, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that my Rapsodo MLM2Pro had this course available to play virtually.
Experiencing Le Golf National virtually
Paris is just a four-hour train ride from me and while it was tempting to watch the events in person, the chaos of the Olympics led me to opt for watching from the comfort of home. Playing the course virtually on my Rapsodo MLM2PRO seemed like the perfect way to get a feel for the course without being there.
What I quickly learned is that Le Golf National is tough. Period. Seeing Scottie Scheffler shoot a final round of 62 seemed impossible but, then again, that’s why he’s the best in the world.
For amateurs, this course is filled with hazards, smallish greens and requires precise placement of tee and approach shots. Even with the various tee options on the Rapsodo simulation, the course was a true challenge.
Settings and gameplay feel
Rapsodo sim rounds don’t include putting but offer a “gimme circle” feature instead. The standard settings are gimme at 10 feet and 30 feet. Land your approach within 10 feet and you’re awarded an automatic one-putt; within 30 feet, a two-putt, and anything beyond that but still on the green results in a three-putt. This can be adjusted but, given how many 10-footers I miss in real life, I find it more than fair.
I also turn on the elevation and penalty settings to make the experience as realistic as possible. While it isn’t perfect, it provides an appropriate feel while playing through the course. The penalty for missing a fairway is brutal and led to several high scores on my card.
How I played
The short answer: not great. As I mentioned, it’s not an easy course. Hazards are everywhere, bunkers abound and the fairways are tight. Many fairways require either fades and draws off the tee for the best approach angles.
I played the front nine several times and my best score was a 42. In real life, I’d be thrilled with that but in sim rounds I typically expect to break 80. While the screen might not show perfect lies, the reality is that my lie is, so I should be hitting more consistent shots.
I only completed 18 holes twice and both rounds ended in the 90s. It didn’t take much to drop a few shots and I found it challenging to maintain consistency throughout the course.
Why you should play Le Golf National on Rapsodo
Most of the courses we see on television are out of reach for us due to location, cost or time. TV coverage flattens the slopes and minimizes the dangers of a golf course but playing virtually on Rapsodo offers a fresh perspective on what Olympic golfers experienced.
Le Golf National might not be my favorite course to play on Rapsodo, but it’s definitely a must-try. Few courses present the same level of challenge and it can be humbling, pushing you to try again and improve your score.
Final thoughts
Watching the scores from the Olympics and seeing how the athletes performed was mesmerizing. The ease with which they navigate these courses brings a new level of respect. However, seeing Viktor Hovland smother his first tee shot into the water hazard on the first hole was incredibly relatable.
Going forward, I plan to make it a tradition to play the courses on my Rapsodo MLM2Pro before big golf events if they are available. This experience has given me a deeper respect for the athletes and a better understanding of the challenges these courses present.
