Trump admin terminates lease with National Links Trust for DC golf courses
Source: The Hill
ADMINISTRATION
Trump admin terminates lease with National Links Trust for DC golf courses
BY DOMINICK MASTRANGELO - 12/31/25 2:14 PM ET
President Trump’s administration has terminated a lease agreement with the National Links Trust (NLT), the Washington, D.C., public-private nonprofit that has overseen and operated the District’s three municipal golf courses for the last half decade. ... News of the lease termination, which was confirmed by The Hill on Wednesday, notifies the NLT that it is in breach of its contract with the National Park Service (NPS), which owns the land on which the three courses are built.
Signed in 2020, the agreement was made between the NPS and the trust with the goal of redesigning and renovating the historic sites where the courses sit, using money from private donors and the District government.
But the Trump administration argues the park service, which is part of the Department of the Interior, has not fulfilled obligations to make capital improvements at each of the three courses in a timely enough fashion.
“The Trump administration prides itself on getting the job done for the American people and partnering with others who share that same goal,” the Interior Department said in a statement to The Hill on Wednesday.
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Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5668310-trump-dc-golf-courses-national-links-trust/
Hat tip, Joe.My.God.
https://www.joemygod.com/2025/12/trump-moves-to-seize-dcs-public-golf-courses/
= new reply since forum marked as read
Someone more qualified? Like himself?
Some area golfers say the president’s ambitions for East Potomac Golf Links could put low-cost entry points to the game out of reach.
Golfers sue Trump administration over public course takeover in D.C.
— Helena (@gatomedianoche.bsky.social) 2026-02-15T01:21:04.126Z
Some area golfers say the president’s ambitions for East Potomac Golf Links could put low-cost entry points to the game out of reach.
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/02/14/dc-public-golf-course-trump-lawsuit
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 lawsuit 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.....
The Democracy Forward Foundation, Lowell & Associates and Democracy Defenders Fund brought the lawsuit.
“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.