Date - 2/5/95

Course Name:    "Black's Gambit."  This course is actually two 9-hole
                courses.  Individually, they are, "Robert A. Black GC" 
                and "The Gambit."
File Name:      ROBERT.ZIP
Total Par:      69 (Black's - 33, The Gambit - 36)
Total Length:   6,392 yards

General Description:

I originally approached the idea of JNSE golf course design with the
objective of designing one of the many 18-hole courses I've played over the
years in the Chicago area.  However, two factors stood in the way:  I very
much wanted to design a course I've enjoyed for many years - the Chicago
Park District Robert A. Black course, a 9-hole course - and I also had many
experimental ideas I wanted to try out.  So I decided to do what not too
many JNSE designers have done - design two 9-holes under the JNSE 18-hole-
only format.  It worked out pretty well, although I wish Accolade's JNSE
supported a 9-hole format.  Regardless, most of you will probably approach
the course as I have - as one course.  For the record, the front nine is
the Robert A. Black course, located in Chicago, IL, and the back nine is
"The Gambit" - a totally original course, located nowhere that I know of.
I originally titled the course as only "Robert A. Black GC," but later
decided to combine both names into simply, "Black's Gambit" (the Robert A.
Black course is commonly known as "Black's" to the regulars).  Black's is
of easy to average difficulty, The Gambit, average difficulty.  One other
thing, there are only a few "standard" "Jack" comments about how to play
the holes - most have a bit of innocuous humor injected to spice things up
a bit.  Hope no one minds.

Robert A. Black Golf Course
2045 W. Pratt
Chicago, IL  60626
312.245.0909

To quote from the Chicago Park District City Golf guide, "The newest of the
Chicago Park District Courses, this 2,450 yard, par 33 layout was designed
by the architects who designed well known Kemper Lakes in Long Grove, IL."
Don't be turned off by the "Park District" thing -  this is a decent
course.  I have slightly stretched-out the distance on some of the holes to
make it more challenging for JNSE - but only slightly; the essential
layout/routing of the holes has been preserved.  The frequent occurrence of
tilted and multi-leveled greens at Blacks is genuine.  On the actual
course, the water on hole #2 is represented by stones in a recessed area
bordered by rail-road ties - but it gives you the same sinking feeling when
you hit one there.  I have also included the putting and chipping greens -
which you may see off to your left on #9.

"The Gambit"
 - "any maneuver by which one seeks to gain an advantage," Random House.

"The Gambit" is significantly more complex than Black's.  It could never be
anything close to a Park District course.  My only regret about "The Gambit
is that I didn't expand it into a full 18 holes.  It is essentially a mish-
mash of golf holes - ideas that I've either wanted to try, or that occurred
to me on the spur of the moment.  This course should not be thought of as
continuous, though many, I'm sure, feel that courses ought to have
continuity.  Whatever the case, the general theme of " The Gambit" is the
frequent, sometimes subtle opportunity to "go for it" on many holes (#s
11,13, and 17 especially).  Though the concept of risk is, theoretically,
implicit in golf, this course specializes in it - sometimes
unconventionally.

Credits:

For the stuff I borrowed I'm only citing the courses I borrowed them from.
If the designers of those courses borrowed them from somewhere else, I have
not indicated it.

All objects have been borrowed with the exception of the following original
objects:
Cleat brush (added to the ball washer I got from Apache Hills), putting
green pins, tee blocks, sign, starter house, shelter/outhouse, water
fountain.

The rest came from the following courses:
Nahabino - Gene Rodriguez & Robert T. Jones
Oakcreek - Paul Conrad
Karen Country Club - Douglas A. Silfen
Cog Hill - Al Pajari
Apache Hills - G.W. Maggott
The two object files, GR3OBJ01.ZIP and GR3OBJ02.ZIP by Gene Rodriguez

The background is from Oakmont by Dan Rafferty.  I modified it only to add
Chicago's John Hancock Building and the Sears Tower jutting into the
clouds.

Thanks, also to Paul Conrad's Design Tips for a good basic approach.

No holes I've designed are based on any holes I've played in other courses
designed with JNSE.  If there are any similarities (I would be very
surprised), they are coincidental.

And oh, by the way, the font style used on my plot and the general design
of this text file is borrowed from G.W. Maggott.

I hope Black's Gambit is fun and challenging for you.  I would very much
appreciate any comments or criticism:
Ph # 312.743.4511
Internet address: 72652.1126@compuserve.com or just 72652,1126 if you're
already on Compuserve.

Ben Shearer
1247 W. Chase #3
Chicago, IL 60626
