photo by Phil
“Dear PoPville,
**Mr. President: Public Golf Should Remain Public**
When East Potomac Golf Links opened in 1921 as Washington’s first public course, it was designed to be “the model public playground”—a place where working people, not just country club members, could play the game. President Warren Harding loved it so much he’d skip his private club at Chevy Chase to play there instead. That’s the tradition President Trump now threatens to dismantle.
On December 31st, the Trump administration terminated the National Links Trust’s 50-year lease to operate Washington’s three historic public golf courses—East Potomac, Langston, and Rock Creek. The administration claims the nonprofit defaulted on capital improvements, yet NLT invested over $8.5 million in upgrades, doubled both rounds played and revenue, and kept greens fees affordable while elite courses nearby charge triple the price. The real default isn’t financial—it’s a failure to recognize that federal land should serve the public, not presidential ambitions.
These aren’t ordinary golf courses. (more…)
