The Trump administration has taken the most consequential step yet in a growing dispute over Washington, D.C.’s municipal golf courses, revoking the lease of the nonprofit National Links Trust (NLT) and opening the door to federal control of the city’s public courses.On Wednesday, the Department of the Interior terminated NLT’s agreement to operate the Rock Creek, East Potomac and Langston Hughes golf courses. The decision follows President Donald Trump publicly raising the idea of federal — and possibly personal — involvement in the future of the courses, saying he would make them “very nice.”
NLT, which won a 50-year lease in 2020, has overseen a critically acclaimed resurgence of D.C.’s muni scene. The organization reports more than doubling rounds and revenue, investing more than $8.5 million in capital improvements and keeping green fees among the most affordable in the region – typically less than $50 for 18 holes. It also secured pro bono design work from architects such as Gil Hanse, Tom Doak and Beau Welling, while a major renovation of Rock Creek was recently underway.
Home Affairs officials cited $8.8 million in unpaid rent as justification for terminating the lease, a claim NLT strongly disputes. Under the terms of the lease, the rent could be offset by capital improvements, which NLT said have been approved by the National Park Service in amounts consistent with the government’s calculations.
Although the administration has not explicitly laid out its long-term plans, Trump’s personal interest in golf — and in reshaping Washington’s physical landscape — is deep. The president owns more than a dozen courses around the world and has recently focused on high-profile projects in the capital, fueling speculation that DC’s munis represent a new opportunity to make his mark.
For now, NLT will continue to operate the courses during the transition to federal control, but all work on the renovation of Rock Creek has been halted. Longer term, local golfers are concerned about affordability. Trump-hosted public access courses typically charge well over $100 per round, though the president has suggested local rates in D.C. would remain lower
NLT leaders fear their vision – accessible, community-oriented public golf – may not survive. “If you design for a $250 green fee, even if the locals pay less, the course still suits the $250 golfer,” NLT founder Will Smith said recently.
The move comes amid Trump’s broader re-engagement with the golf world, including hosting talks between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour and welcoming the Tour back to Trump National Doral in 2026 – a symbolic return after the event left the course during its first presidential run.
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