Trump visits DC golf course he wants to fix, paints a negative picture
In President Trump’s first extended remarks about the Washington, DC golf course he wants to fix, he offered a withering assessment of the area’s current state.
On Sunday, following a tour of the Blue Course at East Potomac Golf Links, Trump, in a Truth Social post, described the course as “worn, worn, and very dangerous,” citing falling tree branches as a threat to golfers. “Furthermore, the sprinkler system is gone, there is no filtration, and the remaining sprinklers cannot even do 10% of what is needed,” the president continued. “The grass is dead, the greens aren’t playing, and the Course is in terrible shape.”
Trump said he visited the site with a team that included Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who oversees the project for the National Park Service, and golf course architect Tom Fazio, who was selected by Trump to redesign the course. “It was decided that, on this beautiful site, with water and unparalleled views of the DC monuments, we would build one of the Greatest Golf Courses in the World,” Trump wrote.
He said construction of the course will begin on September 1 and “will move quickly.”
Before it can be breached for any reason (legally, anyway), NPS will need the blessing of the courts. After expropriating the coveted property from the National Links Trust late last year, the Trump administration unveiled plans for East Potomac that bore little resemblance to the existing Walter Travis design and completed nine holes of this 18-hole course.
The threat of demolition and rezoning of East Potomac Park, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, prompted a February lawsuit from the DC Preservation League and, in May, an emergency motion to prevent NPS from starting any renovations. The federal judge who issued the ruling told Justice Department lawyers that there would be “serious consequences” if the administration proceeded with any major work on the course without obtaining permission and notifying the court in advance.
The next hearing on the proposal is scheduled for July 2, said Rebecca Miller, executive director of the DC Preservation League. GOLF.com earlier this month.
Miller said he hopes the judge will issue an injunction that will prevent NPS from proceeding with any construction until it has been approved by all the necessary parties. Miller said he would like to see a faithful restoration of Travis’ design. “Under Section 106 of the Preservation Act, that golf course defines the character of the historic district,” Miller said. “So, yes, it should be reinstated. If there are going to be changes, those changes can be mitigated to have a minimal negative impact on the course.” He added, “The reconstruction of supermarkets will not be compatible with conservation standards.”
On Monday, the DC Preservation League filed more court documents — this time, a “friend of the court” brief addressing historic concerns about the Blue Course from the Walter J. Travis Society.
“The Association is not asking the Court to decide who should reorganize the East Potomac, or set the course as it was in 1920,” the article read. “Lessons change; the Park Service says so. What the Park Service cannot do is change the course of history while treating the law as if it doesn’t exist.”
Later, the forum says, “For the non-golfer, the short point is this: the historic value of the East Potomac lies in the layout, the landscaping, not the dirt itself. Change the layout and replace the historic resource.”
In his Public Truth book, Trump concluded that the courses “will be designed to the highest standards of golf, but also in a way that the Public as a whole will love.”
