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The National Links Trust announced late Friday night that the Trump administration helped keep Washington, D.C.’s three public golf courses “open, accessible, and affordable for the residents and communities that depend on them.”
The NLT will have a long-term lease for two courses, while the third, East Potomac Golf Links, will be operated by the NLT until it is ready for a “historic restoration” by federal officials.
“We are grateful that our talented and dedicated employees can now look forward with certainty about the future… We thank President Trump for reaching an agreement that keeps Washington, DC’s three public golf courses open, welcoming and affordable community gathering places for DC residents and all golfers,” the NLT said in a statement.
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Jack Faraone attempts a putt as Cameron Levine reacts while playing golf at East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 8, 2026. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)
“We look forward to continuing providing our expertise in operating and managing these beloved and historic courses and to making DC proud.”
The Trump administration had initially moved to take control of the courses, saying that the NLT “failed to provide National Park Services with reasonable assurances that NLT has the necessary funding, ability, or plan to fulfill its capital-investment obligations.”
President Donald Trump reacts as he walks on the course at the ribbon-cutting ceremony at a new 18-hole course at Trump International Golf Links on July 29, 2025 in Balmedie, near Aberdeen, Scotland. President Trump is visiting Scotland in a trip that’s part-vacation, part-work, as he stayed at his Trump Turnberry golf course, followed by Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire, between July 25 to 29. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
TRUMP THROWS SUPPORT BEHIND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TAKING OVER DC
The NLT continued to operate the courses, however, and it now appears there has been a resolution.
Trump has talked of transforming East Potomac Golf Links into a posh “U.S. Open-caliber course.” Signs were posted this week warning of a disruption and preservation advocates took the government to court as debris dumped there from the White House East Wing demolition tested positive for lead.
But the National Park Service said in a statement, via The Athletic, that the course will turn into “a top-tier 18-hole championship golf course capable of hosting pre-eminent tournament golf and offering players — of all abilities — an incredible experience in the heart of the Nation’s Capital and the National Mall.”
People play golf at East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C., on May 3, 2026, with the Washington Monument visible in the background. (Pete Kiehart/The Washington Post)
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The Washington Commanders foundation is also partnering with the NLT at Langston Golf Course, less than a mile away from the Commanders’ future home of the RFK Stadium site. The new stadium is slated to open in 2030.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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