The future of DC’s public golf courses is up in the air following the termination of the National Links Trust’s 50-year lease.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s administration is taking a swing at the District’s public golf courses. The Trump administration has terminated the lease agreement with the National Links Trust, which has managed Langston Golf Course, Rock Creek Park Golf and East Potomac Golf Links since 2020.
This is just the latest effort from the Trump administration to reshape the District following DOGE layoffs, the law enforcement federal surge and the recent board vote to rename the Kennedy Center.
The Department of the Interior issued the termination letter on Tuesday. The letter claims the National Links Trust, a nonprofit organization created to protect and promote accessible, affordable municipal, or public, golf courses, failed to complete capital improvements and provide a satisfactory plan moving forward.
In a statement Wednesday, the National Links Trust said they were “devastated” by the decision.
“We are fundamentally in disagreement with the administration’s characterization of NLT as being in default under the lease. We have always had a productive and cooperative working relationship with the National Park Service and have worked hand in hand on all aspects of our golf course operations and development projects,” the statement said.
Since taking over the lease in 2020, NLT has focused on making major renovations to the District’s three municipal golf courses.
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“Our tenure as lessees of the DC golf courses has been rewarding and successful. We have invested over $8.5 million in capital improvement projects at the courses, including critical short-term improvements that have paid significant dividends, more than doubling rounds and revenues while keeping green fees well below the market average for area public courses. Most importantly, we have made a difference in the community. As one example, our Jack Vardaman Workforce Development Program at Langston has provided summer employment to nearly 200 DC high school students, teaching the business of golf and providing essential job and life skills applicable in and outside the golf industry.”
With the termination of the lease agreement, the NLT says the courses will stay open for now, but long-term improvement projects will cease.
“At our in-progress Rock Creek Park rehabilitation project, construction has been stopped and our general contractor is in the process of demobilizing. After five years spent navigating the complex Federal permitting processes, this development is extremely disappointing for all who have supported the project,” NLT said.
The organization says they hope to find a way forward, and will continue to seek a dialogue with the Trump 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.”
