Future plans to construct new engineering facilities on parts of the White Golf Course might handicap play for two years, but the University hopes to score a hole-in-one with the designing efforts of legendary golf pro Arnold Palmer.

At this weekend's University Board of Trustees meeting, Gary Schultz, assistant vice president for operations and services, revealed plans calling for a partial redesign of the Blue and White golf courses to accommodate construction of new facilities for the College of Engineering and Earth and Mineral Sciences.

Steve A. Garban, senior vice president for finance and operations, said the project will be handled in phases, the first costing $25,000. The University has not determined a final price for the plan.

Seven or eight holes on the White course will be replaced, and another two or three possibly altered as part of the renovations, Garban said.

Mary Kennedy, men's and women's golf coach, said she was slightly disappointed in the administration's handling of the issue. Kennedy said she was chosen last April to serve on the committee charged with selecting an architect, but the meetings never materialized.

"The fact of not really having a firsthand look at what was happening was a bit unfair from a golf coach's perspective," she said.

"In the long term, the project will have a very positive effect, but the short term will involve some difficulties," she added.

The University will hire Palmer Course Design Co., headed by the renowned golfer, to act as a consultant in the development of the final course plan and provide specifications for construction. The University plans to begin construction this summer.

The new engineering facilities will border the southern portion of the White course between Atherton Street and Corl Road, he added.

Reconstruction will take at least two years to complete, said Schultz. The new holes will need that time to mature, he added.

During the two years of construction, Kennedy said, it is possible that the golf teams will hold their collegiate tournaments at Toftrees Resort Hotel and Conference Center.

In addition to the redesigning, Schultz said the plan includes the construction of a new clubhouse near the current Blue course facility. The White course clubhouse is currently on the east side of North Atherton, behind Rec Hall.

Asked whether this would cause an inconvenience to students, Schultz said installing a walking bridge over North Atherton and combining the two clubhouses would offset any difficulties. Golfers currently have to cross North Atherton in order to tee-up at the first hole.

The remaining holes of the White course not affected by the engineering facilities will be joined with several holes on the Blue course to create a new 18-hole White course, Schultz said. University land east and west of Blue course drive will be utilized to construct new holes for a new 18-hole Blue course, he added.