Golfers Sue Trump Administration over Public Course Takeover in D.C.

Rick Maese and Dan Diamond / The Washington Post

10:38 JST, February 16, 2026

A pair of Washington-area golfers sued the Trump administration Friday over the president’s plan to overhaul a public golf course, alleging it violated several laws and the original spirit of the park.

Dave Roberts and Alex Dickson, who describe themselves as frequent patrons of East Potomac Golf Links, say the Interior Department skipped required environmental and health reviews to rush the project. The DC Preservation League, a nonprofit that advocates for protecting historic sites, joined the lawsuit, which watchdog groups and lawyers who have frequently opposed President Donald Trump’s agenda filed in U.S. District Court.

The suit seeks to halt the project, vacate federal approvals and block any reassignment or termination of the existing lease, pending a full review. The complaint alleges possible violations of the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Historic Preservation Act and the Administrative Procedure Act, along with the 1897 congressional act that created the park and called for it to be “forever held and used as a park for the recreation and pleasure of the people.”

Trump, an avid golfer, and his allies have moved to remake East Potomac Golf Links and other local public courses, arguing that they are overlooked, often worn-down and in need of attention. Last year, the Interior Department terminated the lease of National Links Trust, a nonprofit that previously managed East Potomac and two other local courses.

That decision effectively cleared the way for the administration to take control of the properties, which sit on federal land managed by the National Park Service, and stoked fears among area golfers that Trump’s ambitions could convert low-cost entry points to the game into something far less accessible.

The administration hasn’t publicly revealed plans for the courses, though Trump has said he wants to rebuild the 124-year-old East Potomac into a championship-level venue. The course hugs the Potomac River and offers sweeping views of the Washington Monument.

“We’re going to make it a beautiful world-class U.S. Open-caliber course,” Trump told reporters last month. “Ideally, we’re going to have major tournaments there and everything else. It’s going to bring a lot of business into Washington.”

Despite the lease termination, National Links Trust agreed to continue operating East Potomac and Langston Golf Course on an interim basis. Rock Creek Park Golf closed for renovations in November, though construction later halted.

The moves follow complaints from local golfers who raised safety concerns after workers dumped debris from the demolition of the White House’s East Wing at East Potomac.

“East Potomac Golf Links is a testament to what’s possible with public land and why public spaces matter,” Roberts said in a statement. “It deserves better than becoming a dumping ground for waste and yet another private playground for the privileged and powerful.”

An Interior Department spokesman said the department does not comment on pending litigation. The White House said Trump’s plans for the parks were part of a broader mission to remake D.C.

“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,” Taylor Rogers, a White House spokeswomen, said in an email. “The President and his extraordinary team will redevelop these decrepit golf courses in our nation’s capital to restore glamour and prestige.”

National Links Trust signed a 50-year lease in 2020 to operate and renovate the city’s three public courses, pledging to restore the historic properties while keeping golf affordable and accessible in the nation’s capital.

But Interior officials said the nonprofit failed to complete required capital improvements and to present a satisfactory plan to address alleged lease defaults. National Links Trust has disputed that characterization, saying it invested more than $8.5 million in course improvements and complied with the lease while navigating complex federal permitting requirements.

A National Links Trust spokesman declined to comment on the lawsuit, saying the nonprofit is not a party to the litigation.

The Democracy Forward Foundation, Lowell & Associates and Democracy Defenders Fund brought the suit.

“We are acting to save this priceless part of our national park system from being another casualty of a reckless administration. We are honored for the partnership of our plaintiffs in fighting back against this unlawful assault on our cherished public space,” said Skye Perryman, the president and chief executive of Democracy Forward.