“One of the courses (in City Park) are going to be designed as a championship venue."

Rex Hoggard files an update on the planned Rees Jones redo of City Park golf courses into a possible future Zurich Classic venue that would bring the tour closer to the city and to the players' favorite designer. 

The City Park plan has been mirrored off what East Lake patriarch Tom Cousins & Co. accomplished in Atlanta. “It will truly be an East Lake-type model where the golf course pays for much of the education model,” Ogilvie said.

The mixed housing element around City Park, which was flooded during Hurricane Katrina, has already been completed and the Bayou District Foundation, the fund-raising group behind City Park’s restoration, has already started the educational phase of the plan.

“That was our objective from the beginning to create a model that could be replicated around the country,” Cousins told GolfChannel.com during last year’s Tour Championship. “It’s hard to do. Just talk to the folks in New Orleans. That should have been the easiest place to do it. City Park and all that went on with (Hurricane) Katrina and all the international and federal interest in the area after Katrina.”

But it was anything but easy. At issue are the sometimes competing interests of state, local and parish officials for a complex plan that calls for the Jones-designed championship course where the current East and West courses are, at least one other 18-hole golf course along with a First Tee chapter. There is also a $3 million funding gap that must be bridged.

Phil? I think this is a check for you to write seeing as how you just LOVE Rees' work.