The Trump administration has terminated the federal government’s lease with National Links Trust, throwing the future of municipal golf in the District into question
WASHINGTON — The Department of the Interior issued the termination letter Tuesday, severing ties with the nonprofit that has operated Langston Golf Course, Rock Creek Park Golf and East Potomac Golf Links — all on federal land — since 2020.
The move marks the latest effort by President Donald Trump to reshape the District, following mass federal layoffs, a law enforcement surge in the city and the recent Kennedy Center board vote to rename the cultural institution.
In the termination letter, Interior officials said the decision was based on National Links Trust’s alleged failure to complete required capital improvements and to provide a satisfactory plan to address defaults under the lease. The department also accused the nonprofit of owing millions in unpaid rent.
National Links Trust officials say they are “fundamentally in disagreement with the administration’s characterization” and “devastated” by the decision.
“We have always had a productive and cooperative working relationship with the National Park Service and have worked hand in hand on all aspects of our golf course operations and development projects,” the organization said in a statement Wednesday.
National Links Trust Executive Director Damian Cosby called the termination “heartbreaking.”
“NLT has spent a massive amount of dollars and time and effort into this DC golfing community and the broader community as a whole, because we truly believe, at the municipal level, these facilities are community assets and community centers,” Cosby said in an interview with WUSA9. “It’s heartbreaking to see that a lot of those efforts could potentially be halted.”
Dispute over lease compliance
National Links Trust maintains it has consistently complied with all lease obligations and disputes the Interior Department’s allegations.
The nonprofit says it has invested more than $8.5 million in capital improvements at the three courses, including critical short-term upgrades that have more than doubled rounds and revenues while keeping green fees well below the market average for area public courses.
National Links Trust also says the lease allows rent payments to be offset by course improvements and that those offsets were approved by the National Park Service. The organization says “the first we heard about any rent issue was in the last few weeks” and that it has “asked for more information about the issue and have received little detail.”
Cosby said the October notice of default from the Park Service was vague — just two sentences with few specifics about what National Links Trust allegedly did wrong.
“We feel like we’ve been good partners. We feel like we’ve been great stewards of these facilities, and would continue to be great stewards of the facilities if we were allowed,” Cosby said.
The Interior Department did not respond to questions about National Links Trust’s claim that rent offsets were approved by the Park Service.
Rich history on federal land
Public golf in DC has deep historical roots. Langston Golf Course in Northeast, established in 1939, was the first public course built for Black golfers in the segregated District. Rock Creek Park Golf Course is one of the country’s oldest public courses and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. East Potomac Golf Links offers sweeping views of the Washington Monument and the Potomac River.
All three courses sit on federal land managed by the National Park Service.
National Links Trust, founded by Washington natives and golf course designers Michael McCartin and Will Smith, signed a 50-year lease agreement with the Park Service in October 2020 with a mission to refurbish the city’s three public courses while preserving affordable access for everyday golfers.
Major projects halted
Since taking over the lease in 2020, NLT has focused on making major renovations to the District’s three municipal golf courses.
The lease termination has forced National Links Trust to halt its most ambitious renovation project. Last month, the nonprofit closed Rock Creek Park Golf Course to begin a major overhaul that included a new maintenance facility, modern clubhouse, driving range, putting course and a Gil Hanse-designed nine-hole golf course.
“At our in-progress Rock Creek Park rehabilitation project, construction has been stopped and our general contractor is in the process of demobilizing,” National Links Trust said in its statement. “After five years spent navigating the complex federal permitting processes, this development is extremely disappointing for all who have supported the project.”
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Also on hold: a reversible golf course designed by Tom Doak at East Potomac’s Blue Course.
“It’s not just the renovation projects, but everything we’ve done in the community,” Cosby said. “All of that stops.”
Jobs and youth programs at risk
Cosby said more than 100 employees are now in limbo — a number that swells to nearly 300 workers during the summer season.
“We’ve got 100+ employees that we are concerned about, their financial well-being and whether they’re gonna have jobs or not,” Cosby said.
The termination also threatens youth programming, including the Jack Vardaman Workforce Development Program at Langston, which has provided summer employment to nearly 200 DC high school students, teaching the business of golf and providing essential job and life skills.
The program offers pathways to college scholarships. National Links Trust also runs a junior caddie program that provides opportunities for Evans Scholarships, along with Free Lesson Fridays that introduce the sport to the community.
“We’re concerned about our junior caddies and their potential to receive Evans scholarships in the summer,” Cosby said. “All of our community engagement that we’ve done in the community, whether it’s volunteerism, I mentioned the Jack Vardaman Workforce Development Program, I mentioned our free lesson Fridays, all of that stops.”
Concerns about Trump’s plans
The termination has intensified concerns among golfers and local residents about what Trump — who operates 16 high-end golf properties — has planned for D.C.’s public courses.
Trump has expressed particular interest in East Potomac Golf Links, which hugs the Potomac River just south of the Tidal Basin. His golf properties typically cater to a high-end clientele with premium pricing and amenities more commonly associated with private country clubs than municipal facilities.
Those concerns grew throughout 2025 when dirt from the White House East Wing demolition was dumped in the middle of East Potomac Golf Course, which the president regularly flies over. Large piles now sit alongside the ninth hole of the White Course.
When asked if he was worried Trump might implement plans that make golf less accessible to the public, Cosby said he would be concerned about any organization that would price out the community.
“I would be worried about anyone that would do that. My passion, NLT’s passion is around municipal golf, which means affordable and accessible,” Cosby said. “Municipal golf is the on-ramp for that. We are the stewards of growing the game. You’re not gonna grow the game, unfortunately, at high-end private golf courses. It’s just not gonna happen. Municipal golf is where that happens.”
Uncertain future
National Links Trust has agreed to continue operating the courses in the short term, though Cosby said he doesn’t know how long that will last.
“We are still there, we’re still operating, we’re still welcoming the community to the facilities, and we’ll continue to do so as long as we’re allowed,” Cosby said.
The organization says it hopes to find a way forward and will continue seeking dialogue with the Trump administration.
“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,” National Links Trust said in its statement.
Looking back on five years of work now in jeopardy, Cosby reflected on what the nonprofit accomplished.
“We set forward some ambitious goals, and we’ve met all of them. We said we wanted it to be affordable and accessible. We are absolutely affordable and accessible. We said we wanted to be stewards of the environment. We’ve worked really diligently on that,” Cosby said. “We’ve engaged the broader community through education efforts, through workforce development. We’ve done everything we’ve set out to do. Unfortunately, that all could come to a halt. It is very unfortunate.”
The White House and National Park Service did not respond to requests for comment about the administration’s plans for D.C.’s public golf courses.
