Among the devastation Hurricane Katrina left behind in New Orleans were the civic pieces needed for a restoration like Atlantans have seen at East Lake. Folks from the area where this week's Tour Championship is being played are connecting with their counterparts in New Orleans to see if another "golf with a purpose" project could resuscitate a blighted area.

"The opportunity would not be here without Katrina, or had the East Lake model not been here," said Gerry Barousse Jr., 48, president of Monarch Real Estate Advisors, who seeks to play a role in New Orleans like developer Tom Cousins did at East Lake.

"In 1995 the East Lake Community Foundation (ELCF) was formed to lead the $120 million redevelopment of an entire neighborhood. Together with the Atlanta Housing Authority, the foundation set about trying to earn the trust of the neighborhood."

Hurricane Katrina showed no mercy to City Park, flooding more than 90 percent of New Orleans’ 150-year-old playground.

Before the storm, park officials were on their way to resolving monetary shortages that have plagued the park for years. In March, they adopted a $115-million plan for improvements through 2018. Then the Legislature passed a bill to direct 30 percent of state tax revenues from 700 Fair Grounds Race Course slot machines to the park.

City Park's massive $115 million master plan is opening wallets.

Since adopting a plan in March to rehabilitate the park by 2018, the park has raised $8.3 million, including $1.3 million from private donors and $7 million from federal, state and city contributions.

"When you think that pretty much that money's been raised in a year, in less than a year, really, you have to be pretty pleased," said City Park CEO Bob Becker. "Like anything, some of that money we've been working on a long time. And some of the money has come to fruition this year. And before the end of the year, we expect to raise some more money as well.

"We have gotten off to a very promising start in our plan."