A major Washington, D.C. golf project is gaining momentum, and Tiger Woods is quietly stepping in to play a surprising role while also doing a massive favor for Donald Trump
Donald Trump presented Tiger Woods with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019(Image: Getty)
A major renovation is coming to one of Washington, D.C.’s most historic public golf courses, and it’s drawing some of the biggest names in the sport, including Tiger Woods.
Langston Golf Course, an 18-hole track along the Anacostia River, is set for a long-awaited redesign as part of the Nation’s Capital Project, an effort to revitalize the city’s three municipal courses: Rock Creek Park Golf, East Potomac Golf Links, and Langston.
The National Park Service owns all three courses, but in 2020 it granted a 50-year lease to the nonprofit National Links Trust (NLT), which has since raised funds to restore the facilities. It comes as Donald Trump’s UK golf courses have seen financial losses despite noting record sales.
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Each course has a different world-class architect attached to it — Gil Hanse at Rock Creek, Tom Doak at East Potomac, and Beau Welling at Langston — all contributing pro bono design work to the project.
Rock Creek’s renovation is already underway and expected to wrap up in 2027, with Langston slated to follow.
That’s where Woods comes in, and where Donald Trump’s name enters the picture. White House adviser told Front Office Sports that Woods has agreed to assist longtime Trump consultant Ed Russo in redesigning Langston Golf Course.
Woods has maintained a positive relationship with Trump for over two decades(Image: Getty)
Russo, who now serves as chairman of the White House Environmental Advisory Task Force, confirmed the collaboration last week, telling FOS, “I’m responsible for redesigning it and making it better than it ever was. And I’m proud to say that Tiger Woods has agreed to help me do that.”
Russo’s role will largely focus on the environmental side of the project, including habitat restoration along the river and improved water management. “I can’t wait to work with Tiger,” Russo said. “He’s a great guy.”
The pairing marks an unexpected reunion of sorts between Trump’s circle and Woods, whose design firm, TGR Design, once partnered with Trump Golf on a project in Dubai that was never completed.
Trump is an avid golfer who frequently plays the sport(Image: Getty)
Langston Golf Course carries deep historical significance. It opened in 1939 as the first course in Washington built specifically for African American golfers, and it’s named after John Mercer Langston, the first Black congressional representative from Virginia.
In later decades, the course was managed by Lee Elder, the first Black player to compete in The Masters in 1975, whom Woods has credited as an inspiration.
Beau Welling, the architect leading the Langston redesign, also happens to be a senior design consultant for TGR Design. While Woods’s firm isn’t officially involved, the connection between Welling and Woods helped bring the golf legend into the fold.
TGR Design president Bryon Bell told reporters that the firm has “no formal role at this time,” though Woods’s personal involvement suggests he’ll lend design input and guidance to Russo’s team.
