Rock Creek Park Golf Course glow up set to begin later this year
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Rendering of the renovated course with new clubhouse. Image courtesy of National Links Trust
The Rock Creek Park Golf Course is getting ready to start a two-year renovation late this year to add a new clubhouse and public nature paths.
Why it matters: The project, which was temporarily hung up in a contentious battle over tree clearings, will provide much-needed TLC to the 100-year-old public golf course.
Zoom in: The National Park Service, which owns the 100-acre land in Northwest, is collaborating with National Links Trust, a nonprofit that manages the city's three public golf courses and is funding the project.
- New renderings (more below) and an unveiling video were released this week.
What to expect: A new 50-bay driving range will be added for golfers at any skill point.
- The new clubhouse will have food service, a pro shop, and indoor practice areas.
- There will be a meadow and nature paths open to everyone.
- Overgrown and invasive plants will be removed.
- The lumber from 255 trees will be removed from the site and used in furniture, countertops, trim for siding, and decks.
The big picture: National Links Trust hopes that the projects — and future renovations of the East Potomac Park and Langston golf courses — will boost municipal golf and open it up to public schools.
The intrigue: "To restore the more than 100-year-old fairways, approximately 1,100 trees will be removed," the National Park Service announced. "About half of these trees are in poor health, already dead, or are invasive species."
- That tree removal was a contentious aspect of the proposal that delayed the approval stage.
- In their place, the project will plant "hundreds of native trees, 11 acres of new pollinator meadows, and increased habitat for wildlife," according to NPS.
