Municipal Golf Course

     Municipal is just what the name says it is -- a public
course in a city environment, where land is precious, golf
courses are somewhat cramped, but the beauty lies in the
contrast of the gem-like park environment with the urban
setting all around it.
   As municipal courses go, this one is rather
distinguished.  Although not what would be considered a
conventional championship layout and definitely tailored to
the weekend golfer, the course is maintained in excellent
condition, and despite its shortness, can be challenging
from the championship tees.  The City Championship is held
here annually, as well as occasional state level amateur
qualifying and tournament events, to say nothing of the
local high school matches.  Lee Trevino gave an exhibition
here once, and set the course record -- even 60.  Lee put a
ball in the water on the 18th hole, or there's no telling
what he would have shot.
     My primary goals in designing Municipal were twofold:
     Number 1 goal was to design objects and background that
would succeed in suggesting the ambience of an elegant
modern city park.  In that regard, everything is original.
Personally, I think original backgrounds and objects should
be a requirement of a design contest, but....  I could have
saved at least a month if I had borrowed, but then it
wouldn't have looked at all the way I wanted it to look.
     Number 2 goal was to create a course that was
different, not only in being shorter than usual, but in
presenting holes of a length that are not ordinarily
encountered.  I have sub-300 yard par 4's, sub-500 yard par
5's, one 645-yard-long hole, just to give Municipal
something to brag about, and five par 3's of mostly quite
intimidating length.  The effect of the short par 4's and
long par 3's, besides echoing the space limitations of a
public city park, I have found provide a drive which is very
much like a second shot on a par 5, having already given
yourself a perfect lie in the middle of the fairway.  Thus,
although the course only has three actual par 5's, in a way
it plays like a course with nine or ten of them.
     In closing, I would like to comment that two months is
not long enough to design a JNSE course from scratch -- not
for me.  On the other hand, who wants to spend MORE time
doing it?  There must be a solution to this somewhere.
Maybe the rest of you guys are all retired.
     It's 5:50 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on October 31st,
and I have three hours and ten minutes left to send
Municipal on its voyage into the unknown before the
expiration of the contest deadline.
     Good luck to you, my creation, and good luck to all the
players whose fortune it is to encounter you in the days to
come.
                                   Revery
                                   10-31-92