The Trump administration this week unveiled a comprehensive redesign for East Potomac Golf Links, setting out an ambitious vision to transform the centrally located public course in Washington, D.C., into a venue capable of hosting major championships and Ryder Cup–level competition. The proposal, accompanied by architectural renderings released by a senior administration official, reimagines the course layout and signals the start of a new phase for a park facility that has framed views of the Potomac River and the capital since its opening in 1923.
The move follows a period of public dispute over control of municipal golf operations. During the former president's first term, the National Links Trust secured a 50-year lease to manage three D.C. courses: East Potomac, Langston Golf Course, and Rock Creek Park Golf Club. Earlier this year the president indicated a desire to assume direct control of East Potomac, a position that set off months of legal negotiations between the administration and the trust that manages the city’s public golf assets.
Those disputes reached a resolution over the weekend. The settlement preserves the National Links Trust’s authority to operate all three municipal courses while allowing the administration to proceed with work specifically at East Potomac. In a statement issued after the agreement, the trust said: “We are pleased that Washington DC’s municipal golf courses will remain open, accessible, and affordable for the residents and communities that depend on them. National Links Trust will continue operating all three courses, and we are committed to building on the progress we have made over the past five years. We are grateful that our talented and dedicated employees can now look forward with certainty about the future.” The declaration underscored the trust’s commitment to maintaining public access and affirmed continuity of operations across the city-owned facilities.
A federal judge has already addressed aspects of the dispute, ruling that “the administration could proceed with maintenance at East Potomac.” The court’s direction, however, placed limits on the administration’s authority: maintenance and improvement work may advance, but the course cannot be closed or completely overhauled without providing proper notice and following required procedures. Those legal boundaries set the framework for how quickly and extensively renovation work can proceed on the parkland course while administrative and community processes remain in place.
The plans made public by the administration include detailed renderings that depict a single ambitious 18-hole championship route stretching just over 7,000 feet from both ends. That design would replace the park’s current arrangement, which now consists of two nine-hole layouts alongside an 18-hole course. The proposed reconfiguration aims to create a contiguous championship-length experience along the riverfront that maintains the site’s historic relationship to the city skyline and surrounding recreational space.
Design oversight of the East Potomac project will be led by architect Tom Fazio, a veteran course designer who has previously worked on four courses for the president. An administration official posted the renderings on social media, writing: “Excited to unveil the design for the East Potomac Golf Links renovation from Fazio Design. Like iconic public courses of Bethpage Black & Torrey Pines, East Potomac will offer locals – of the National Capital Region- championship-quality golf at affordable, highly discounted rates.” The post framed the project as an effort to blend championship standards with public access and lower price points for local players.
The announcement drew immediate responses from the local golfing community. One posted comment praised the prospect: “This is awesome (from someone who actually plays and practices here).” Another welcomed the proposal while raising a local infrastructure concern: “This is amazing @SecretaryBurgum ! Excited to see this happen, but please protect the bike lanes.” Those reactions reflect both enthusiasm for upgraded playing conditions and attention to the broader uses of parkland surrounding the course. With the trust continuing to operate the city’s three municipal courses and the administration cleared to begin work at East Potomac within the court’s prescribed limits, the coming months are likely to involve further planning details, community consultations, and phased construction activities as officials move from concept renderings toward implementation.