President Donald Trump’s Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is urging the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to sell the Bretton Woods Recreation Center golf course in Germantown, a 286-acre property long associated with the institution’s staff and affiliates.
The call comes as Bessent, who was appointed Treasury Secretary earlier this year, pushes for the IMF to focus on its core mission of global financial stability rather than maintaining what he described as “nonessential” assets.
The Bretton Woods Recreation Center, located off River Road with a Germantown address, includes an 18-hole championship golf course, clubhouse, racquet facilities, swimming pool, and open park-like grounds along the Potomac River. The property has operated for decades as a private recreational facility primarily used by IMF and World Bank employees. Currently, the golf course offers memberships to local residents and charges customers between $12,000 and $20,000 in initiation fees. The fees are waived for IMF and World Bank employees, according to BizJournals.
Its potential sale could carry significant local implications in Montgomery County, where large open tracts of land are increasingly scarce. If the IMF were to follow through on Bessent’s recommendation, the move could prompt questions about the property’s future use and zoning. Redevelopment or private sale could alter the landscape of western Germantown and affect surrounding communities in terms of traffic, environmental impact, and tax revenue. Conversely, the sale could also present opportunities for new investment or expanded public access, depending on how the land is ultimately repurposed.
As of this week, the IMF has not announced any formal plans to sell the property. County officials have not commented on the potential change, but planning authorities and community groups are expected to closely monitor developments given the site’s size and prominence.
The Bretton Woods Recreation Center remains open and operating as usual. Whether Bessent’s call will lead to any action by the IMF remains to be seen, but the proposal has placed one of Germantown’s largest and most secluded recreational properties in the national spotlight.
