The Trump administration and the National Links Trust have reached an agreement over the weekend to keep Washington, D.C.’s three municipal golf courses operational, putting an end to a contentious dispute.
At the close of 2025, the administration terminated a 50-year lease that the National Park Service held with the National Links Trust—the nonprofit responsible for managing and maintaining the three District courses. This move halted ongoing renovations at Rock Creek Park Golf Course and cast uncertainty over the futures of Rock Creek, Langston Golf Course, and East Potomac Golf Links.
Under the new deal, the National Links Trust will maintain control over all three courses and has secured fresh long-term leases for Langston and Rock Creek. Meanwhile, President Trump and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum—whose department oversees the park service—will supervise a redesign of East Potomac.
The stalled Rock Creek renovation will resume, and the NLT confirmed in a statement that all three courses “will remain open, accessible and affordable for the residents and communities that depend on them.”
This settlement was reached shortly after a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration could not shut down East Potomac unilaterally or redevelop it without proper notice.
“We thank President Trump for reaching an agreement that keeps Washington, D.C.’s three public golf courses open, welcoming and affordable community gathering places for DC residents and all golfers. We look forward to continuing to provide our expertise in operating and managing these beloved and historic courses and to making D.C. proud,” the NLT said in part.
Trump’s history as a golf magnate far predates his political career. His portfolio includes Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey, which hosted a U.S. Women’s Open, and Trump National Doral outside Miami, which returned to the PGA Tour schedule this year with the Cadillac Championship. LIV Golf has hosted events at both those venues, as well as at Trump National Golf Club Washington, D.C., a private course in Northern Virginia that is not part of the NLT’s jurisdiction.
According to a report from Golf Digest, acclaimed course architect Tom Fazio—who has worked on four previous Trump properties—will be brought in for the East Potomac redesign. Trump envisions the site as a future host for major championships or the Ryder Cup.
