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The National Links Trust announced Friday evening that the Trump administration helped keep Washington, D.C.’s three public golf courses “open, accessible and affordable for the residents and communities that depend on them.”
NLT will have a long-term lease for two courses, while the third, East Potomac Golf Links, will be operated by NLT until it is ready for “historic restoration” by federal officials.
“We are grateful that our talented and dedicated employees can now look toward the future with certainty…We thank President Trump for reaching an agreement that keeps Washington, D.C.’s three public golf courses open, welcoming and affordable community gathering places for D.C. residents and all golfers,” the NLT said in a statement.
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Jack Faraone attempts a putt as Cameron Levine reacts while playing golf at East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, DC on January 8, 2026. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)
“We look forward to continuing to provide our expertise in the operation and management of these historic and beloved courses and making DC proud.”
The Trump administration initially moved to take control of the courses, saying the NLT “failed to provide the National Park Service with reasonable assurances that the NLT had the funding, capacity, or plan to meet its capital investment obligations.”
President Donald Trump reacts as he walks on the course during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new 18-hole course at Trump International Golf Links July 29, 2025 in Balmedie, near Aberdeen, Scotland. President Trump is visiting Scotland as part of a combination holiday and work trip, having stayed at its Trump Turnberry Golf Course, followed by Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire, between July 25 and 29. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Trump supports federal takeover of DC
However, the NLT continued to operate the courses and it now appears that a solution has been found.
Trump has talked about turning East Potomac Golf Links into a “posh U.S. Open-caliber course.” Signs were posted this week warning of a disruption and preservation advocates sued the government as debris dumped there during the demolition of the White House East Wing tested positive for lead.
But the National Park Service said in a statement, via The Athletic, that the course would transform into “a premier 18-hole championship golf course, capable of hosting premier golf tournaments and providing players — of all skill levels — with an incredible experience in the heart of the nation’s capital and the National Mall.”
People play golf at the East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, DC, on May 3, 2026, with the Washington Monument visible in the background. (Pete Kiehart/The Washington Post)
The Washington Commanders Foundation also partners with the NLT at Langston Golf Course, less than a mile from the Commanders’ future home, the site of RFK Stadium. The new stadium is expected to open in 2030.
