RIO DE JANEIRO -- Rio de Janeiros Olympic golf course took three years to build as the project was slowed down by environmental lawsuits, Brazilian bureaucracy and stop-and-start funding by a billionaire real estate developer.Four months after golfs surprising popularity at the Olympics, an even larger test remains: What to do with an acclaimed course in a country where few play the game, and in a city that cant pay to maintain it.You know that its not going to be easy, Paulo Pacheco, head of the Brazilian Golf Confederation, told The Associated Press. Its challenging. Its not easy to do. Its very hard. I think its the only opportunity we have to improve golf in Brazil.Everything feels unfinished around the course, except the course itself, which threatens to become a white elephant.Billed as the first public championship-level course in the country, the layout is hidden behind several luxury apartment towers known as Riserva Golf, which wont be completed until 2018. Cinderblock walls and fencing obstruct the view from the street, and no signs mark the entrance to the course in the western Rio suburb of Barra da Tijuca.Once through the rutted parking lot and inside the clubhouse, theres no pro shop, few furnishings, no local club professional and no restaurant.And few players.Only four middle-age men were on the course one morning this week, though the early rain showers didnt help. Even in good weather, attendance has been sparse in a city of 6 million that has only 1,500 golfers.Brazil has about 20,000 players. compared to 25 million in the United States, and the game is played almost exclusively by the wealthy.Another problem: Who will pay to keep the course running? Out-going Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes says the city cant pay. He has said repeatedly he would not have pushed to build the course were in not for the Olympics.Its not a popular sport in Brazil, Paes said last year. But there are some things you need to do when you deliver the Olympics.Last week, a state court froze Paes assets as a public prosecutor investigates whether he improperly waived an environmental tax for the course builder. The builders assets were also frozen.The state of Rio de Janeiro has declared a financial calamity and is several months behind in paying teachers and public employees. And the country itself is in the deepest recession in decades, with unemployment at 12 percent.Pacheco, who has been managing the course, was vague in explaining how it will stay afloat. He said he would be leaving the job in a few weeks, and that negotiations were taking place with a new management company that could take over Jan. 1. But nothings been signed with just two weeks to go.Pacheco said employees of the present management company were being partially paid and were still working as both sides work out a pay settlement. Some employees complained several weeks ago about not being paid.Neil Cleverly, the Briton who helped build the layout and had been managing maintenance, is no longer working at the course since his visa expired. Pacheco said it would be six months before the course was fully operating, and estimated the cost to maintain the layout at between $75,000-100,000 monthly.World golf officials are concerned.As has been the case since the very beginning of this project, getting an accurate picture of the current situation on the ground, and the best parties responsible for the short- and long-term success of the Olympic Golf Course, has been difficult, said Ty Votaw, vice president of the International Golf Federation.Pacheco acknowledged that local golf officials have been slow in getting organized. He said a new website and Rio tourist agencies would soon be promoting the course, which will charge $80 green fees after Jan. 1 for Brazilians and foreigners.The IGF is worried, he said. Its the legacy you have to give back to the Olympics.In a deal with the city, billionaire developer Pasquale Mauro spent about $20 million to build the course in exchange for permission to construct multi-million-dollar apartments on some of Rios most desirable real estate.Its not just any course. From a wetland area -- formerly part of a nature reserve -- American golf architect Gil Hanse carved out a links-style layout with undulating fairways that bump up against scrubland brimming with wildflowers.Local animal life includes small alligators, nesting owls, and a large rodent called a capybara that leaves tracks through the courses abundant bunkers.Players raved about the course during the Olympics.Gil did a good job taking nothing and turning it into a great golf course without having time to make any changes or adjustments, American Rickie Fowler said. Theres a lot of fun characteristics.Marcos Dias, one for four players alone on the course one day this week, said it could be a milestone in developing young Brazilian talent.There was no place to practice. Now I have everything to improve my game, Dias said. In the United States you have a real good scenario to develop your game. Its like here with soccer. Wherever you go here you find a soccer field. But for golf, its really rare to have a course like this to play. Nmd_r2 Sko Norge . PAUL, Minn. Adidas Gazelle Tilbud . After dropping their final six games of December, the Wild opened the new calendar year with four consecutive wins. Following a loss to Colorado on Saturday, Minnesota rebounded the following night to blank Nashville 4-0, but then had the tables turned on them Tuesday. http://www.nmdnorgesalg.com/eqt-sko-norge.html . There was no hesitation from the 40th-ranked Pospisil, from Vernon, B.C., who admitted that he cut back on his training sessions over the last few days to conserve energy as the long ATP season finishes next week at the Paris Masters. Nmd_r1 Sko Hvit . -- Catcher Brett Hayes has agreed to a $630,000, one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, avoiding salary arbitration. Nmd r1 Norge . Louis. To which I would say two things: 1. Where there is smoke, there is or perhaps has been a little fire. Or, in other words, the two teams would appear to have at least spoken. And spoken is defined as one calling the other to inquire, no more, no less.Gujarat Lions made it two wins in two in the 2016 IPL, winning the battle of the two new franchises, beating Rising Pune Supergiants by seven wickets in Rajkot. Set 164 to win, Gujarats devastating opening pair of Aaron Finch (50 off 36 balls) and Brendon McCullum (49 off 31) were just that, putting on 85 for the first wicket inside nine overs.Dwayne Bravo - who earlier took the key wicket of Kevin Pietersen (37 off 31) in Punes innings - blasted an unbeaten 22 from 10 deliveries to see the Lions win with 11 balls to spare.Pietersen had earlier put on 86 for the second wicket with Faf du Plessis - who smashed 69 from 43 - but Punes innings faltered after both fell. The Inside the IPL panel discuss the Gujarat Lions victory over the Rising Pune Supergiants Supergiants skipper MS Dhoni won the toss and decided to bat first, and Ajinkya Rahane (21 off 17) got the side off to a super start, smacking four boundaries in the first four overs before fallling lbw to Pravin Tambe (2-33).ddddddddddddu Plessis and Pietersen countered, adding 38 runs in the next three, with Du Plessis smashing three sixes straight down the ground, and Pietersen pulling one over deep backward square leg.Bravo (1-43) was blasted for two of those sixes in a first over that cost 16, but bounced back with the wicket of Pietersen in the 14th over, to his trademark slower ball.Still well placed at 121-2 with five overs to go, Pune then managed only 22 runs from their next four, with Du Plessis falling - a ball after just smashing Tambe for a four and six off consecutive deliveries - as well as Australians Steve Smith and Mitchell Marsh, both out cheaply to Ravindra Jadeja (2-18).But just as it looked like Pune were well short of a par score, their captain Dhoni cracked 20 off former Chennai team-mate Bravos final over, hitting two fours and a six, taking the teams total to 163-5.Gujarats innings got off to an explosive start with McCullum clearing the ropes twice in RP Singhs third over, while Finch crunched four fours off Murugan Ashwin and tonked Rajat Bhatia for two sixes in the sixth and seventh.Finch fell soon after, three balls after bringing up his fifty, while McCullum departed one run shy of his half century in the 14th over.Lions skipper Suresh Raina added a run-a-ball 24 before being stumped by Dhoni to Murugan (2-31), but Bravos cameo - including three fours in a row off Ishant Sharma - saw the side home.Watch continued coverage of the IPL on Sky Sports, with the next live action seeing Delhi Daredevils facing Kings XI Punjab from 3pm on Sky Sports 2 on Friday. 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