Why The Trump Administration Is Taking Over Washington D.C.’s Public Golf Courses
The Trump administration offered to help D.C.'s public golf courses raise money and cut red tape. Instead, they are taking them over, likely raising prices to an unaffordable level.
Donald Trump is in legacy-building mode. With three years left in the nation’s capital, Trump has spent his second term focused on the physical legacy he will leave behind.
Demolishing the East Wing of the White House to construct a $400 million ballroom is the most obvious example, but there are others. Trump renovated the Rose Garden and Lincoln Bathroom. He recently announced plans to build a massive “Triumphal Arch” between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The Kennedy Center’s board has added his name to the building, and the UFC is scheduled to host an event on White House grounds this June, coinciding with Trump’s 80th birthday.
Then, there is golf. Trump has tried to play peacemaker by brokering a deal between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. He has met with Tiger Woods multiple times at the White House and even delivered the PGA Tour’s talking points directly to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his trip to the Middle East in May.
But with the PGA Tour and LIV Golf seemingly no closer to announcing a deal, Trump has turned his attention to a new project: renovating D.C.’s public golf courses.
Last week, the Trump administration terminated the lease agreement for three public courses in Washington, D.C. These taxpayer-owned golf courses — Rock Creek, East Potomac, and Langston Hughes — are currently managed by National Links Trust (NLT), a nonprofit that was awarded a 50-year lease in 2020 during Trump’s first term.
The Trump administration says NLT’s lease was terminated because the organization owes $8.8 million in unpaid rent and failed to make capital improvements on time.
On the surface, that sounds reasonable. However, after reviewing the 28-page lease agreement and NLT’s annual tax filings, the details tell a different story. National Links Trust has done everything it promised, and the Trump administration isn’t retaking control of D.C.’s public golf courses to make them nicer and more affordable for taxpayers. They are doing it to create an upscale venue that can host a Ryder Cup, replacing the promise of affordable golf with prices most taxpayers cannot afford.