President Donald Trump wants to turn a historic public golf course in Washington, D.C., into a championship venue capable of hosting major tournaments. But plans seen during a recent site tour show a redesign that could come at the expense of historic cherry trees, a popular riverside bike trail, mini golf, and other public recreation on Hains Point.
Trump toured the federally owned East Potomac Golf Links on June 28 with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, White House aides, and golf course architects Tom and Gavin Fazio. He later said the renovation would begin Sept. 1 and that the course could eventually host the U.S. Open, Ryder Cup, PGA Championship, and other major golf events.
The tournament pitch is only part of the story. The larger issue is what the redesign could remove from Hains Point.
What the Plans Show
Photos from Trump’s tour showed a far larger overhaul than federal officials have publicly released. The photographed drawings appear to stretch the redesigned golf course across nearly the entire East Potomac peninsula and omit several existing public amenities, including the riverside bike trail, the miniature golf course, and a historic grove of cherry trees.
If built as shown, the redesign would reduce East Potomac from its current three-course, 36-hole layout to a single 18-hole championship course. It would also expand golf into roughly 50 acres of parkland now used for picnicking, fishing, cycling, and other recreation.
What Will It Cost?
The administration has not released a firm public price tag for the East Potomac redesign. A May agreement said the renovation would be supported by private contributions, and court filings indicated Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum intended to raise as much as $150 million in charitable contributions for D.C.’s public golf courses.
That still leaves unanswered questions. Trump has said the project will be built through the Interior Department, and court filings indicate the National Park Service may manage and execute the East Potomac renovation under its own authority. The available record doesn’t clearly spell out how much public money, staff time, maintenance funding, environmental review, or park infrastructure spending would be tied to the project.
A Public Golf Course With a Public History
East Potomac is a public golf complex on federal land administered by the National Park Service. D.C.’s public golf courses were built in the early 20th century for people who could not afford private clubs. Crews built the first 18 holes at East Potomac from 1918 to 1923, from a design by Walter J. Travis. The course also played a role in efforts to desegregate the city’s public golf courses in 1941.
The East Potomac Park Mini Golf Course was built in 1931 and is one of the oldest continually operating miniature golf courses in the United States.
The Cherry Trees Have Their Own History
The cherry trees at East Potomac are part of D.C.’s cherry blossom history. The 1912 gift of cherry trees from Japan led to plantings around the Tidal Basin and East Potomac Park. From 1913 to 1920, workers planted Yoshino trees around the Tidal Basin and planted the remaining Yoshinos and 11 other varieties in East Potomac Park.
A Lawsuit Is Already Underway
The project is already in federal court. The D.C. Preservation League and two local residents sued the Department of the Interior, the National Park Service, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and NPS official Jessica Bowron in February, arguing the East Potomac plan violates federal environmental and historic preservation laws, as well as the 1897 act that established East Potomac Park for the “recreation and pleasure of the people.”
The lawsuit also points to material dumped at East Potomac from the White House East Wing project. An NPS-commissioned interim report said that the project produced more than 30,000 cubic yards of excavated soil, which was transported to the golf course and stockpiled on 2.25 acres. Plaintiffs later argued in a court filing that government soil testing raised contamination concerns, including lead, mercury, arsenic, and carcinogens.
In May, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes warned the administration not to begin major work without approval and advance notice to the court. She declined to block basic maintenance, but warned of “serious consequences” if major construction began without proper notice.
What Happens Next
National Links Trust says it will continue operating East Potomac Golf Links until the National Park Service is ready to begin what federal officials have called a historic restoration. The nonprofit also said the NPS has committed to following the established compliance process for any large-scale work at East Potomac.
East Potomac is federal public land with historic, recreational, and environmental value. It’s also a rare urban public space where golfers, cyclists, anglers, families, tourists, and cherry blossom watchers all use the same narrow peninsula.
A championship golf redesign that cuts into trails, mini golf, cherry trees, shoreline access, and public park space is a public land decision, not routine maintenance. And the public deserves to know exactly what it would lose before construction starts.
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