The Trump administration’s push to redevelop East Potomac Golf Links has encountered ongoing legal disputes, and it remains unclear how this new agreement will affect the challengers.
President Donald Trump’s vision to transform East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C., into a “championship-level course” advanced on Friday after a coalition of six private and public entities finalized an agreement to overhaul the site.
In a statement released Friday evening, the National Park Service announced a partnership with National Links Trust, Fazio Design, First Tee of Greater Washington, D.C., the Western Golf Association, and the Evans Scholars Foundation to begin “immediate renovations” at East Potomac, as well as Langston Golf Course and Rock Creek Park Golf. The group aims to turn them “into the country’s premier public golf courses, while keeping them affordable and accessible for all.”
“Following this renovation, which will incorporate themes of the original Walter J. Travis design, East Potomac Golf Links will offer a top-tier 18-hole championship golf course capable of hosting pre-eminent tournament golf and offering players — of all abilities — an incredible experience in the heart of the Nation’s Capital and the National Mall,” the statement noted.
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum will oversee the project. The announcement indicated that the National Park Service will renovate East Potomac Golf Links and make other infrastructure improvements across East Potomac Park, while National Links Trust will be involved in renovations at Langston and Rock Creek.
The statement also referenced a potential partnership with the Washington Commanders at Langston, linking it to the NFL franchise’s plans to build a stadium. Alongside the course reworks, the statement announced the creation of a caddie academy by the Evans Scholars Foundation at East Potomac and a training school at Langston overseen by First Tee.
“We are pleased that Washington, D.C.’s municipal golf courses … will now remain open, accessible, and affordable for the residents and communities that depend on them,” National Links Trust co-founders Mike McCartin and Will Smith said in a statement released Friday night. “National Links Trust will continue operating all three courses, and we are committed to building on the progress we have made over the past five years.”
The Trump administration’s efforts to redevelop East Potomac Golf Links date back to December 2025, when it moved to terminate a 50-year lease the National Park Service granted to National Links Trust in 2020 to operate the course. Management of Langston and Rock Creek also fell under that agreement.
These plans have faced legal challenges, with opponents citing Congress’ 1897 declaration that established the course. The legislative decree stated East Potomac would be “forever held and used as a park for the recreation and pleasure of the people.” Trump administration officials have justified their plans by arguing that National Links Trust failed to complete necessary renovations on time, but lawmakers and the nonprofit have said those claims conflict with the lease terms.
The DC Preservation League and two Washington residents filed for an injunction to block the plan in February, arguing that the proposed changes would create a venue with inflated maintenance costs. They also said it would be beyond the skill level of most recreational players, putting it in conflict with Congress’ initial intent.
“For months, the administration has said over and over again that it had no plan for redesigning East Potomac. This agreement lays bare the administration’s plan to destroy East Potomac and build a professional-style course on its ruins. There is still active litigation that will continue,” a source involved in the litigation told The Athletic.
