WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — A newly unveiled plan to transform one of Washington, D.C.’s oldest public golf courses into a championship-style destination is drawing national attention — not just for the scale of the redesign, but for the bigger questions now surrounding affordability, historic preservation and the future of public recreation on federally protected land.
The proposal from the Trump administration would dramatically reshape East Potomac Golf Links, a public golf complex on a peninsula just south of the National Mall that has long been used by beginners, casual golfers, longtime players and tourists alike.
New renderings released this week by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum show plans for a sweeping redesign led by famed golf architect Tom Fazio. The proposal would transform much of the current municipal-style layout into a championship-level course inspired by nationally known public golf destinations like Bethpage State Park Golf Courses and Torrey Pines Golf Course.
Supporters see the proposal as a chance to create a world-class public golf destination in the nation’s capital.
But critics and some golfers said many of the most important details are still unknown — including how affordable the course would actually remain, how historic preservation laws could shape the project and who would ultimately operate the property long term.
Burgum said in a statement that the redesigned course would continue offering “locals of the National Capital Region championship-quality golf at affordable, highly discounted rates.”
National Links Trust — the nonprofit currently operating East Potomac through an agreement with the National Park Service — also said the course would remain affordable for “local DC, Maryland, and Virginia residents.”
Still, officials have not released projected greens fees or explained what “affordable” could actually mean at a redesigned championship-style course.
That uncertainty is already fueling skepticism among some golfers who use the course regularly today.
“I’ve been coming here since I was probably about ten years old,” one golfer told DC News Now. “People in D.C. need a place to learn golf for an affordable amount.”
Another golfer questioned whether affordability would ultimately mean something very different after redevelopment.
“Affordable to them is like 400 bucks a tee time,” Mariano Bernal said at the course Thursday afternoon.
The comparisons to Bethpage and Torrey Pines are notable because both are publicly owned destination golf facilities that offer discounted rates for local residents while charging substantially more for many visitors and non-local players.
The proposal is also drawing scrutiny because East Potomac Park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
That designation does not stop redevelopment from happening, but it does mean the federal government must go through historic preservation review processes before major changes can move forward.
Charles Birnbaum, president and CEO of The Cultural Landscape Foundation and a former National Park Service coordinator for the Historic Landscape Initiative, said projects involving historic federal landscapes typically require review under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
“The goal of Section 106 is to avoid, to minimize and to mitigate those adverse effects,” Birnbaum told DC News Now Thursday.
Birnbaum said the current proposal appears to dramatically alter the historic landscape.
“When I look at the current scheme, it’s hard to recognize what’s there today in this proposal,” he said.
Federal law requires agencies to study impacts on historic resources and consult with preservation stakeholders before major federally managed redevelopment projects can proceed.
At least two lawsuits tied to redevelopment efforts at East Potomac are already underway.
There are also still questions about what the long-term operating structure could eventually look like.
The National Park Service owns the land, while the National Links Trust currently operates East Potomac through an agreement with the federal government. But officials have not detailed whether that arrangement would stay the same after redevelopment or how the larger project would ultimately be financed and managed over time.
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