The National Park Service has begun removing trees at East Potomac Golf Links as the Trump administration moves ahead with a plan to renovate the historic public course into a championship-level venue.
In a court filing Friday, the park service said more than 500 trees 'that do not contribute to the historic landscape will be removed' as part of the rehabilitation project. The agency added that 'no healthy trees that are contributing features of the historical golf course' — including historic cherry trees — will be removed.
The service said 169 trees will be removed starting Saturday, with another 90 trees slated for removal later.
The work is taking place at a 106-year-old public course near the National Mall. The Interior Department said Saturday that the park service is 'finally implementing a 7-year-old plan to address tree overgrowth at East Potomac Golf Course.' It said the renovation will include selective tree and vegetation work to restore the course and 'help restore the course’s historic character and reopen views' toward the Washington Monument, National War College, Potomac River and Washington Channel.
The department also said the park service 'recognizes the importance of trees to the park and its visitors' and called the project 'carefully planned work' as part of its stewardship of the park. The golf course will remain open to the public throughout the renovation effort, though individual holes may temporarily close while work is underway.
The project has drawn a lawsuit since February. Plaintiffs including the DC Preservation League say the Trump administration’s reconstruction would violate the congressional act that created the park in 1897. The group sought an emergency stop-work order this spring because of concerns that work was expected to begin immediately on the course.
Trump, an avid golfer, wrote in late June that when completed the course will be able to host major tournaments, including The U.S. Open, The Ryder Cup, The PGA Championship and other top PGA Tour events. It is unclear when the course could host any major tournaments.
Residents have said the planned changes could alter the character of a place that has served Washingtonians of all income levels for more than a century. They also fear the overhaul could mean costlier fees and a likely loss of public space.
The market has already voted on the bigger issue: public land is not a blank check. When the government remodels a taxpayer-owned asset, the burden is supposed to be stewardship, not spectacle. If the renovation improves the course without closing it off, that is one thing. If it prices out ordinary players and trims away open space, the public will have paid for a private-looking result.
