The Trump administration has abruptly terminated a long-term lease for three public golf courses in Washington, D.C., a decision that could reshape significant parts of the nation's capital and has left the managing non-profit organisation 'devastated'.
Lease Abruptly Terminated by Interior Department
On Wednesday, the National Links Trust confirmed that the U.S. Department of the Interior had ended its 50-year lease agreement. The trust had managed the three public courses on federal land for the past five years. The Interior Department justified the cancellation by stating the non-profit had failed to carry out required capital improvements and did not meet other terms of the agreement.
Officials from the National Links Trust strongly defended their stewardship in a public statement. They revealed that $8.5 million had been invested in capital improvements during their tenure and that both the number of rounds played and overall revenue had more than doubled under their management.
Unclear Future for Capital's Public Links
The administration's specific plans for the courses, which include sites overlooking the Potomac River and within Rock Creek Park, remain unclear. However, the move presents an opportunity for President Donald Trump, whose private company has a vast portfolio of golf course developments, to influence these prominent spaces. One of the sites holds particular significance in Black golf history.
'While this termination is a major setback, we remain stubbornly hopeful that a path forward can be found that preserves affordable and accessible public golf in the nation’s capital for generations to come,' the trust's officials stated. They have agreed to continue day-to-day management for now but will halt all long-term renovation projects.
Part of a Broader Rebranding of Washington
This decision fits into a wider pattern of the Trump administration rebranding civic spaces in Washington. Notably, this month saw the Kennedy Center renamed to include Trump's name after a vote by its board of trustees, which is composed of his appointees. Concurrently, the administration has deployed National Guard troops to city streets and is undertaking a construction project to add a ballroom to the White House's East Wing.
The termination of the golf course lease, effective from Wednesday 01 January 2026, raises immediate questions about the future of affordable public recreation in the capital and the influence of private presidential interests on federal land.
