{"id":17081,"date":"2026-07-25T20:05:33","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T15:05:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=17081"},"modified":"2026-07-25T20:05:33","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T15:05:33","slug":"with-plans-to-renovate-a-d-c-golf-course-trump-tees-off-another-fight-with-residents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=17081","title":{"rendered":"With plans to renovate a D.C. golf course, Trump tees off another fight with residents"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p id=\"anchor-2e6abc\" class=\"body-graf\">WASHINGTON \u2014 Unless a federal judge intervenes, President Donald Trump has said the administration will break ground on Sept. 1 for what the Department of the Interior is calling a new \u201cworld-class\u201d golf course only a mile from the White House South Lawn.<\/p>\n<p><button class=\"styles_subscriptionCTA__LOUeY\" id=\"subscriptionCTA\" type=\"button\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,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\" alt=\"NBC News Icon\" class=\"styles_icon__wRwWv\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"styles_textWrapper__vxvko\">\n<p class=\"styles_text__daaVB styles_textLarge__qlzwu\">Subscribe to read this story ad-free<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_text__daaVB\">Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/rockcms\/2026-01\/arrow-f55fa5.svg\" alt=\"arrow\" class=\"styles_arrow__tnruW\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/button><\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-7139e6\" class=\"body-graf\">It would feature beautiful sight lines, ranging from the Potomac River to the Washington Monument, and is already landscaped with historic cherry trees, an iconic gift from the government of Japan.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-88449d\" class=\"body-graf\">The only problem? It would replace a century-old municipal golf course accessible to beginners and Sunday duffers alike, on land belonging to the National Park Service, frequented by bicyclists, picnickers, anglers and others who cherish Washington\u2019s historic green spaces.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"styles_inlineImage__FvnTh styles_medium__MEKii\" id=\"anchor-5bd2cf\"><picture class=\"styles_image__i32F7\" data-testid=\"picture\" data-flavor=\"fit\" data-original-height=\"2667\" data-original-width=\"4000\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-07\/260724-donald-trump-potomac-golf-mn-1135-6affc0.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-07\/260724-donald-trump-potomac-golf-mn-1135-6affc0.jpg 1x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-07\/260724-donald-trump-potomac-golf-mn-1135-6affc0.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-07\/260724-donald-trump-potomac-golf-mn-1135-6affc0.jpg 1x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-07\/260724-donald-trump-potomac-golf-mn-1135-6affc0.jpg\" alt=\"President Trump Visits East Potomac Golf Links\" height=\"2667\" width=\"4000\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"caption styles_caption__TCewG\" data-testid=\"caption\"><span class=\"caption__container\" data-testid=\"caption__container\">Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and President Donald Trump visited the site of their planned &#8220;world-class&#8221; golf course on June 28.<\/span><span class=\"caption__source\" data-testid=\"caption__source\"> Tierney L. Cross \/ EPA \/ Bloomberg via Getty Images file<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"anchor-3e54fd\" class=\"body-graf\">Golfers practicing chip shots on a sunny Thursday afternoon were already mourning the loss of the inexpensive and accessible public links.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-a95a1b\" class=\"body-graf\">Cesar Romero told NBC News the municipal course was \u201cfor people who\u2019ve been doing it for more than a year, people who do it for more than 10 years. The courses are dynamic, they\u2019re diverse. \u2026 Right now we\u2019re playing nine holes for about $28, and that, for a golf course, if you look around, is really a great price.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-c73838\" class=\"body-graf\">Bicyclist Joanne Gribler stopped to tell NBC News: \u201cI moved here 10 years ago, and I come down here easily two to five times a week. Either riding my bike, running, having a picnic. This is really a big part of my life, a big part of why I choose to continue living in D.C.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-58e6c8\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cThere are world championship golf courses in the area. We don\u2019t need another one right here in D.C.,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"styles_inlineImage__FvnTh styles_medium__MEKii\" id=\"anchor-ce9e44\"><picture class=\"styles_image__i32F7\" data-testid=\"picture\" data-flavor=\"fit\" data-original-height=\"1200\" data-original-width=\"1800\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-07\/260724-potomac-golf-mn-1140-84e6d1.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-07\/260724-potomac-golf-mn-1140-84e6d1.jpg 1x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-07\/260724-potomac-golf-mn-1140-84e6d1.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-07\/260724-potomac-golf-mn-1140-84e6d1.jpg 1x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-07\/260724-potomac-golf-mn-1140-84e6d1.jpg\" alt=\"Graham's Sister Sworn-In To US Senate Days After His Death\" height=\"1200\" width=\"1800\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"caption styles_caption__TCewG\" data-testid=\"caption\"><span class=\"caption__container\" data-testid=\"caption__container\">The East Potomac Golf Links sit along the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.<\/span><span class=\"caption__source\" data-testid=\"caption__source\"> Daniel Heuer \/ Bloomberg via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"anchor-4363f1\" class=\"body-graf\">Elizabeth Kiker, executive director of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, questioned the lack of information about the White House\u2019s plans for the course. \u201cWe love the space and we love the land as it is. And if there is a change and you\u2019re going to make it a public space better somehow for us all, why can\u2019t we see it?\u201d Kiker said.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-5428a8\" class=\"body-graf\">The White House has not disclosed its plans for the proposed course nor submitted them to the National Capital Planning Commission or the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, federal agencies that are supposed to sign off on such projects. Neither has meetings scheduled in August before Trump said construction would start on Sept. 1.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-f071a8\" class=\"body-graf\">When Trump inspected the site on a recent Sunday, he was carrying what appeared to be a printout of a design for the new course. And he was accompanied by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Tom Fazio, the celebrated designer of several of Trump\u2019s own courses, including one at the president\u2019s Bedminster, New Jersey, summer retreat.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-78dcf0\" class=\"body-graf\">Fazio told <a href=\"https:\/\/golf.com\/news\/plan-president-trump-dc-muni-fazio\/?srsltid=AfmBOoq0LdIclGMEzeE1yrk2wjZpWCAeKL-KUZk1X6-TuL39yXNWN0pD\" target=\"_blank\">Golf.com<\/a> that he had initially told the president he was reluctant to take on the assignment because of the headaches involved in getting approvals for a municipal course. But he changed his mind when he saw the unique location, a human-made peninsula with breathtaking views of Washington\u2019s famed monuments.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-13a085\" class=\"body-graf\">In a recent court filing, the administration said it \u201creceived copies\u201d of \u201crenderings from Fazio Design, but the renderings and their associated intellectual property rights are in the possession of and maintained by Fazio Design.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-92f8e2\" class=\"body-graf\">Opponents, led by the D.C. Preservation League, are suing the Department of the Interior to try to stop the project. At a recent hearing, government lawyers insisted the agencies are carrying out the required deliberations before moving ahead with construction.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-44ba56\" class=\"body-graf\">U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes questioned how that was possible, saying: \u201cWhat I\u2019m asking is, how do I know that there\u2019s not been a final agency action, given that I\u2019ve got the president of the United States with the secretary of the interior on the golf course saying, \u2018We\u2019re changing this entire thing. We have an architect who\u2019s going to help us change the entire thing. It will be done, it will begin by Sept. 1.\u2019 How is that not basically, at the end of the day \u2026 we have a final agency action?\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-ce1a33\" class=\"body-graf\">The Justice Department\u2019s lawyer, Michael Robertson, told Reyes he was not aware of any other dates for the project, other than Trump saying it would start Sept. 1. \u201cThere\u2019s no schedule in place,\u201d Robertson said.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-465f2a\" class=\"body-graf\">Questioning whether the government could be trusted, the judge said, \u201cI don\u2019t want another demolished East Wing; I don\u2019t want another demolished Reflecting Pool,\u201d referring to two controversial administration construction projects. \u201cWhere will I have comfort that we\u2019re not sending in bulldozers in the dark of night to chop down cherry trees?\u201d Reyes said.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-9df1b4\" class=\"body-graf\">She refused the government\u2019s request to dismiss the case, but at the same time rejected the opponents\u2019 request for an injunction to stop the project, saying she was not sure she had the authority to tell the executive branch what to do.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-0d40d0\" class=\"body-graf\">Instead, Reyes told the two sides to confer and come back with answers as to whether the interior secretary had given any order to start construction. The government has now said that no order has been given and no decisions have been made.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-314b04\" class=\"endmark body-graf\">But part of the golf course has already been altered: A large pile of rubble appeared several months ago on the ninth and fourth holes. It turned out to be debris from the excavation of the East Wing dumped on the links \u2014\u00a0and it has tested positive for toxic metals, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcwashington.com\/news\/local\/east-wing-debris-east-potomac-golf-course-toxic-metals-nps\/4100585\/\" target=\"_blank\">National Park Service said<\/a>. It\u2019s now grassed over, but the mound is clearly not part of the course\u2019s original landscaping.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WASHINGTON \u2014 Unless a federal judge intervenes, President Donald Trump has said the administration will break ground on Sept. 1 for what the Department of the Interior is calling a new \u201cworld-class\u201d golf course only a mile from the White House South Lawn. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17082,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_nbcnews-fp-1200-630,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-07\/260724-donald-trump-potomac-golf-mn-1135-6affc0.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17081","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-hub"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17081","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17081"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17081\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/17082"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17081"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17081"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17081"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}