Preservation group, D.C. residents try to stop Trump takeover of golf course

A preservation group and two D.C.-area residents are legally trying to stop the Trump administration’s takeover of East Potomac Park and its golf course.

The DC Preservation League, along with Dave Roberts and Alex Dickson, filed an injunction in the U.S. District Court on Friday against the Department of the Interior and its Secretary Doug Burgum, and the National Park Service and acting Director Jessica Bowron.

The plaintiffs argue that the administration’s takeover goes against Congress’ intent for the park to be public and “be forever held and used as a park for the recreation and pleasure of the people.”

“Allowing East Potomac golf course to become dependent on the whims of the White House deprives this community of what the National Park Service set out to accomplish with a long-term operator that can not only oversee sustainable improvements but do so with the needs of golfers with varying experience, skill levels, and economic means in mind,” Mr. Dickson said in a statement.

The Trump administration ended the lease agreement with the National Links Trust for three golf courses in the District in December.

The trust is a nonprofit group charged with making golf courses affordable and accessible. It has operated the three public golf courses in the District for the past five years.

The Interior Department said it was terminating the leases because the National Links Trust did not implement required capital improvements or fulfill the lease terms.

“The Trump administration prides itself on getting the job done for the American people and partnering with others who share that same goal,” the department said in a statement.

The three courses include the East Potomac Golf Links, the Langston Golf Course and the Rock Creek Park Golf Course.

The White House lauded the president’s work on the golf courses.

“President Trump promised to make D.C. safe and beautiful again for all its residents and visitors by removing violent criminals from the streets, cleaning up the parks, and making long-overdue renovations to public lands,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said in a statement. “As a private citizen, President Trump built some of the greatest golf courses in the world, and he is now extending his unmatched design skills and excellent eye for detail to D.C.’s public golf courses. The president and his extraordinary team will redevelop these decrepit golf courses in our nation’s capital to restore glamour and prestige.”

In the court filings, the plaintiffs said that NPS has already dumped 30,000 cubic yards of fill on the East Potomac Golf Links, along with dumping “dirt, debris and wreckage” from the White House East Room destruction.

“In a city where politicians are constantly focused on what separates us, East Potomac is one of the few remaining spaces where no matter who you are, what you do, or the state of your game, everyone is welcome and everyone is treated the same,” Mr. Roberts said in a statement. “East Potomac Golf Links is a testament to what’s possible with public land and why public spaces matter. It deserves better than becoming a dumping ground for waste and yet another private playground for the privileged and powerful.”

The plaintiffs also argue that the changes to the golf course could up the tee time costs because the president wants to build a “championship-style golf course suitable for professional tournaments.”

“Such courses tend to be large and sprawling, with exaggerated features, inflated maintenance costs and difficult elements beyond the skill of most recreational players,” the filing said.

Rebecca Miller, executive director of the DC Preservation League said the course is “a unique cultural landscape that reflects the history of recreation in the nation’s capital.”

“Altering its historic character would undermine a site meant to be accessible to the public. Historic preservation is about maintaining the qualities that make a site an asset — affordability, openness, and architectural significance — rather than allowing for exclusive redevelopment. Losing this golf course would significantly impact our shared history and limit public access to one of the District’s vital recreation and green spaces,” she said in a statement.