President Donald Trump wants to shut down the East Potomac Golf Links, a 106-year-old public course on Washington DC’s waterfront, for a major renovation. The plan has set off a legal fight and drawn strong reactions from the golfers who use the course.
On Monday evening, Trump called the course “Trash Island” in a post on Truth Social. He said the renovated site would be “open to the Public while, at the same time, designed to the Highest Level of Golf and able to hold World Class Tournaments.”
Trump’s vision for the golf course
The renovation is part of a wider and controversial push by the president to reshape the US capital. Those projects include a new White House ballroom, a 250-foot-tall arch and changes to other longstanding landmarks. The golf course is a smaller project, but it carries deep personal meaning for many people who live in the city.
Trump, an avid golfer who owns more than a dozen courses, says his plan will make the site “one of the Best and Most Spectacular Golf Courses anywhere in the World.” He has described the current layout in harsh terms, calling it “old, broken, dilapidated, and of no further use or effect.”
In his Sunday post, Trump cited falling and disease-infested trees, as well as what he called a collapsing and hazardous seawall. He also shared a rendering of the redesigned course.
Lawsuit and court order halt the work
The course sits about 2 miles (3km) south of the White House and is one of three public courses run by the National Park Service in the capital. A lawsuit brought by the DC Preservation League and two golfers from the course asks a court to stop the renovation.
Democracy Forward, the group representing the plaintiffs, said in a statement on social media: “Our litigation is intended to protect this community jewel for the people and communities it serves.”
The dispute escalated this month after the government began large-scale tree removal on the course without notifying the court or the plaintiffs. A federal judge has since ordered the Trump administration to stop its redevelopment plans until at least 26 October. Courts will need to resolve the dispute between the White House and the community before Trump can carry out his plans.
Despite the work stoppage, Trump announced on Sunday that the course would close for 15 months starting in November to accommodate the renovations.
Golfers warn of higher prices and lost culture
Jourdain Yardan, 35, plays at East Potomac about twice a week. He said the course is open to anyone, whether they are just starting out or are seasoned players, at a reasonable rate. He described a potential shutdown, even a temporary one, as a “huge dent” in DC culture.
The course does not offer the manicured experience of the luxury private clubs the president is known for building. It is open to the public and does not require a membership. Its facilities are more modest, with food court-style dining rather than white tablecloth restaurants or upscale locker rooms.
Thomas Snow, 70, who is not part of the lawsuit, has golfed at East Potomac for 15 years. He agreed the course could use a “facelift” but called the president’s description a “gross overstatement.” He pays $29 (£21.65) for 18 holes when he visits.
“There’s no place in the whole DMV (the metropolitan region including DC and its Maryland and Virginia suburbs) that you can play a nice 18 holes for that price point,” Snow said. He worries that people will be priced out if the proposal moves forward.
Yardan shared those concerns. “Anytime you hear about big league, big golfers, that also includes big prices,” he said. He added that the course’s affordability is what he likes most about it.
