Trump tours beloved but shaggy DC public golf course he plans to remake, says work starts Sept 1

Trump says construction will begin Sep. 1 on East Potomac Golf Links, following his visit on Sunday.

East Potomac Golf Links is a public golf course situated south of the National Mall. The course was built in 1923, and it serves local golfers, bikers, runners and community members.

Trump visited the course with Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum, White House aides, and renowned golf course architect, Tom Fazio, who will redesign the course. He said the course will be built through the Interior Department, and it will be financed through private contributions, according to the Washington Post.

Trump wrote, "On this fantastic site, with water and unparalleled views of D.C.'s Monuments, we will build one of the Greatest Golf Courses anywhere in the World which, importantly, will also be made available to the Public,” in a post on Truth Social.

He also wrote in his post that the renovated course will be able to host top PGA tournaments.

The National Park Service handles the environmental and regulatory review process for the course land, so it is unclear how Trump’s construction date aligns with its expectations, according to the Washington Post. The NPS signed a 50-year lease with the nonprofit National Links Trust in 2020 to rehabilitate three DC public courses.

The push to move forward with renovations follows a lawsuit filed by the National Links Trust regarding its lease. The Trump administration terminated its agreement with National Links Trust in December, saying it hadn’t lived up to its agreement on maintenance of the courses, which was disputed by the nonprofit, according to ABC News.

A federal judge said there would be “serious consequences” if the administration begins work without getting approval and notifying the courts in advance, according to ABC News.