The new championship golf course in New Orleans’ City Park evoked mentions of top public venues such as Torrey Pines and Bethpage Black when it was officially unveiled on April 21. The course is the centerpiece of a $26 million public-private project that is being hailed as a symbol of the rebuilding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

The 96-year-old club will close its 90-acre course on May 7 and remain open to host events, parties and meetings. Memberships with golf privileges will be converted to social-only. “Basically, we couldn’t justify the cost with the use of the course,” a club manager said. The club has struggled in the past 10 years to recover from a drop in membership and debt incurred as a result of the recession. A city manager thinks the course offers opportunity for sale and mixed-use development.

Public golfers’ eight-year wait for a new course In the Crescent City may finally be nearing an end.