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The future of three historic public golf courses in Washington, D.C., is unclear after U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has taken control of their operations.
The National Links Trust—the nonprofit organization that has run East Potomac Golf Links, Langston Golf Course, and Rock Creek Park Golf since 2020—announced the move on New Year’s Eve, saying it was “devastated” by the decision.
The NLT had signed a 50-year lease agreement with the National Park Service, which owns the courses. But over the past month, the organization had been making a last-ditch effort to stop the Trump takeover, after his administration alleged that the NLT violated terms of its lease.
“NLT has consistently complied with all lease obligations as we work to ensure the brightest possible future for public golf in DC,” a statement reads. “We are fundamentally in disagreement with the administration’s characterization of NLT as being in default under the lease. We have always had a productive and cooperative working relationship with the National Park Service and have worked hand in hand on all aspects of our golf course operations and development projects.”
What We Know
The NLT has agreed to stay in place for the time being as an operator so that the D.C. courses can remain open.
However, all planned renovations at the three courses are ending immediately. This includes Rock Creek, which just closed in November for construction to begin on a project that was estimated to cost between $25 million and $35 million and be completed by 2027.
Famed golf architects Gil Hanse (Rock Creek), Beau Welling (Langston), and Tom Doak (East Potomac) had all signed on to provide pro-bono architectural services.
The NLT said it will “continue to seek a dialogue with the administration to offer our experience, institutional knowledge, and strong community relationships to explore shared goals” for the courses. “While the termination is a major setback, we remain stubbornly hopeful that a path forward can be found that preserves affordable and accessible public golf in the nation’s capital for generations to come,” the NLT said.
Potential Trump Plans
The East Potomac Golf Links, which include two 18-hole courses along the Potomac River with views of the Washington Monument, appear to be the top target of Trump, who turns 80 in June.
One idea is building a new course entirely on that site designed by Tom Fazio and calling it Washington National Golf Course, according to The Wall Street Journal. The vision for that championship-level course is enabling it to host professional tournaments,including a prospective Ryder Cup, according to Golf Digest. The next Ryder Cup on U.S. soil without a venue already set by the PGA of America is in 2041. In 2037, the biennial event will be played at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md.; it would be unprecedented for two home Ryder Cups to be held in the D.C. market in consecutive cycles.
Previously, White House Environmental Advisory Task Force chairman Ed Russo told Front Office Sports that Tiger Woods had agreed to help with the Langston project. It’s unclear whether that will be impacted by the latest developments.
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