Trump Administration Plans Overhaul of East Potomac Golf Links
By Staff Writer
2 min read
Key takeaways
- The Trump administration plans to overhaul East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C., a public course that opened in 1919.
- Tom Fazio Design is handling the redesign, modeled after Bethpage Black and Torrey Pines South.
- Interior Secretary Doug Burgum says the rebuilt course would offer "championship-quality golf at affordable, highly discounted rates."
- Regulars who now pay around $36 for nine holes with a cart worry the changes will price them out.
- A May agreement lets nonprofit National Links Trust keep running the course until the overhaul formally begins.
East Potomac Golf Links, a public course inside Washington, D.C.'s East Potomac Park, faces a Trump administration overhaul that longtime players fear will price them out of a course they have used for decades.
What is the plan for the course?
President Trump said on social media in June that the rebuilt course would be able to "host major golf tournaments, including the U.S. Open, the Ryder Cup, the PGA Championship and other top PGA Tour events." Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has described the goal as "championship-quality golf at affordable, highly discounted rates."
Tom Fazio Design is handling the redesign, reportedly modeled on two well-known public courses: New York's Bethpage Black and Torrey Pines South in California. The overhaul was expected to begin Sept. 1 but had not started as of publication.
Why are regular golfers worried?
East Potomac Park traces to an 1897 congressional act, and the golf course opened in 1919. Longtime player Joe Foley, in his 70s, told the AP his nine-hole round with a cart runs $36 and said the plan "deprives people of having a reasonably inexpensive place to play that is readily accessible to everyone."
"Let's just hope that they make changes that are beneficial for everyone rather than just a certain type of golfer," Jason Levitt said.
Debris hauled from the demolition of the White House's East Wing was piled near the course, and the National Park Service later reported it tested positive for lead, chromium and other toxic metals. The administration has also removed dozens of trees from the park.
A nonprofit, National Links Trust, and two D.C. residents sued the administration to try to block the project. The sides reached a deal in May letting the nonprofit keep running the course until the overhaul begins.
Frequently asked questions
Will East Potomac Golf Links stay open during construction?
Yes, for now. National Links Trust reached a deal with the administration in May to keep operating the course until the rebuild formally begins.
What other public courses is the new design based on?
Reports point to Bethpage Black in New York and Torrey Pines South in California as models for the Tom Fazio-designed rebuild.
Has anyone challenged the redevelopment plan?
Yes. National Links Trust and two D.C. residents filed a lawsuit seeking to block the project before reaching the May operating agreement.
- East Potomac Golf Links
- Washington D.C. golf
- Tom Fazio
- Bethpage Black
- Torrey Pines
- municipal golf
- National Links Trust
