Among the many stories coming out of the PGA Championship that ended Sunday at the Atlanta Athletic Club was a brickbat flung by one of the prominent touring pros: “Modern architecture is killing the game.”

That’s what Phil Mickelson, winner of four major championships, said. Not for the first time, Mickelson was being critical of course-designer Rees Jones, who has designed championship layouts around the world. It was Jones who renovated AAC in 2006 for this year’s major championship, and, of course, for AAC members, as well. Which is where Mickelson took aim.

“The course is great for the PGA Championship, but it’s not great for the membership,” he said.

I bring this up only because the course being designed for City Park’s post-Katrina golf comeback is in the hands of Rees Jones, Inc., a layout City Park officials said will offer “a high-end golf experience and will be challenging for every type of golfer.”

My main question: How challenging will it be for the public golfer, the average Joe?

By most accounts, the ongoing recovery at New Orleans' City Park from an estimated $43 million in damage caused by Hurricane Katrina has been remarkable, as beloved attractions return better than ever and flashy, new ones come on line.

The lone pothole on the park's comeback trail has been the inability of administrators to close a deal with private investors on a proposed championship golf course.