The Trump administration has officially moved to seize control of the municipal golf courses in Washington, D.C.
National Links Trust, the nonprofit that holds a 50-year lease with the National Park Service to rehabilitate three historic public golf courses — East Potomac Golf Links, Langston Golf Course and Rock Creek Park Golf — received a formal notice of termination from the Department of the Interior (DOI) on Tuesday, according to a statement from the organization. The termination is effective immediately.
In the notice, obtained by The Athletic, the DOI cited National Links Trust’s inability to comply with a renovation timeline and provide a plan to cure those violations as the reason for termination. The nonprofit organization said it “fundamentally disagrees” with the characterization in the termination notice, which follows an initial notice of default sent by William L. Doffermyre, a DOI solicitor, on Oct. 29.
“The National Links Trust is devastated by the Trump administration’s decision to terminate our 50-year lease with the National Park Service. Since taking over stewardship of Rock Creek, East Potomac, and Langston courses five years ago, NLT has consistently complied with all lease obligations as we work to ensure the brightest possible future for public golf in DC,” the organization wrote.
National Links Trust officials say they have made significant short-term improvements to course facilities while complying with red-tape processes to secure renovation approvals. The organization points to language in its lease that states that timelines are “subject to change due to compliance timeframes.” National Links Trust is exploring the possibility of taking legal action.
In the notice of termination, the administration writes that National Links Trust has “failed to provide National Park Services with reasonable assurances that NLT has the necessary funding, ability, or plan to fulfill its capital-investment obligations.”
The notice also states that National Links Trust may owe as much as $8.8 million in unpaid rent on the course properties. National Links Trust officials dispute the claim. The nonprofit’s publicly available lease states that rent can be offset by capital improvements to the courses after a certain amount of rent has been paid. The National Park Service has approved those rent offsets, according to National Links Trust officials. The DOI and the National Park Service did not comment on National Links Trust’s rent offsets.
The DOI said in a statement Wednesday: “The Trump administration prides itself on getting the job done for the American people and partnering with others who share that same goal.”
National Links Trust has managed East Potomac Golf Links, Langston Golf Course and Rock Creek Park Golf since it was awarded the lease in 2020. Rock Creek Park Golf closed for renovations on Nov. 17. Founded by golf industry professionals Mike McCartin and Will Smith, the organization seeks to provide affordable, accessible public golf to the city and improve community resources that have long needed attention.
According to National Links Trust’s statement, it has invested $8.5 million in “capital improvement projects” and more than doubled rounds played and course revenue since being awarded the long-term lease. Work to date has involved fundraising, tree removal and reviving East Potomac’s putting course. Top golf course architects Gil Hanse, Tom Doak and Beau Welling have committed pro bono hours to direct restoration efforts.
But the wide-ranging project has now ceased, the Rock Creek Park renovations are suspended, and the future of public golf in the D.C. area is uncertain, with a pathway cleared for the president to take charge.
Rather than walk away from the courses immediately, National Links Trust plans to agree to a transition period with the administration. The organization will continue to operate East Potomac Golf Links and Langston Golf Course, honoring its mission of accessibility for the D.C. golf community and allowing hundreds of course employees to continue to work for the time being. It is not yet apparent when National Links Trust will hand over operational control of properties to the administration.
“While this 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 nonprofit wrote.
Since the DOI’s initial outreach to National Links Trust in late March, officials from the nonprofit have attempted to communicate with the administration and reach an agreement to work collaboratively on the projects. But “numerous proposals” from National Links Trust as to how to effectively partner with the administration received a “total lack of response to that outreach,” according to a source briefed on the communication, granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
The administration’s seizure of the D.C. public golf facilities comes amid President Trump’s attempt to make his mark on the city’s public spaces. Multiple sources close to the matter say Trump’s interest was originally focused on East Potomac, a 36-hole facility that sits between the Potomac River and the Washington Channel.
In late October, the administration hauled truckloads of discarded dirt and debris from the demolition of the White House’s East Wing onto East Potomac. That was the first sign of the administration’s targeting of the property. The movement of the debris could expose the administration to Clean Water Act violations, as the park has long-standing drainage issues, according to a Washington attorney familiar with the discussions, granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
