Golf Olympic Q & A
How many players in the field?
The International Olympic Committee has capped the fields for both men and women to 60 players.
How many players from each country?
Nations, the U.S. included, with 4+ golfers ranked in the top-15 worldwide may enter up to 4 participants. All other nations may enter up to two players of their choice, caveat being they must be outside of the worldwide top-15.
How many countries represented?
34 nations, from India to Belgium, Spain to Chinese-Taipei, will be represented.
What is the golf course?
The Olympic golf course has been built at Reserva de Marapendi in Barra da Tijuca 
specifically in anticipation of this Olympics. You can see a tee-to-green walk through with Golf Channel analyst, Frank Nobilo, here. According to the International Golf Federation, "After the 2016 Olympic Games, the course will be used as a public facility with the chief purpose of promoting golf in Brazil and the globe, representing one of the most important Olympic Games legacies for sport development in the country." We will see...
What is the format?
Rest assured, this event will look very similar to those you watch on TV every weekend. Save your Olympic confusion for strange events like Handball and Field Hockey. Golf will play out in the tried-and-true stroke play format over 72 holes.
Team or Individual?
Individual. Team affiliation only serves aesthetic and patriotic purposes. 
Who makes up the American squad?
The Land of the Free, Home of the Brave will send off 4 golfers this week in Rio, including:
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Bubba Watson. #6 Worldwide
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Rickie Fowler. #7
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Patrick Reed. #14
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Matt Kuchar. #20
Wait a minute, I thought all the big names dropped out of the Olympics?
Trepidation over the Zika virus and the gruel of a shortened and intensified PGA Tour season has indeed lead to many of Golf's top names dropping from the guest list in Rio. These names include:
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Jason Day
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Hideki Matsuyama
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Dustin Johnson
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Jordan Speith
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Rory McIlroy
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Adam Scott
Nonetheless, the week's events will still call names such as Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia, Master's Champion Danny Willet, and the aforementioned American team representing thier countries. Golf is back in the Olympics for the first time since 1904, so it will certainly be one of the most intriguing events this month. However, health concerns and poor logistics have cast a dark shadow over the golfing world at the same time, and have undoubtedly created field that is the microwaved leftovers of the nail-biting Major Championships we've seen in 2016.