Scoop: Golf nonprofit hired Williams & Connolly to fight Trump takeover of public courses
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
East Potomac boasts iconic views. Photo: Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Last fall, after trucks carrying dirt from President Trump's East Wing demolition began unloading at East Potomac Park, the golf course's management took a big swing of its own.
What I'm hearing: The National Links Trust retained Williams & Connolly to help fend off a Trump takeover of Washington's historic public golf courses, sources familiar with the matter (who were not authorized to speak on the record) tell Axios.
Between the lines: Williams & Connolly is a storied D.C. firm that stood up to Trump's campaign against Big Law last year. Now it's being tapped to defend a hometown group as Trump involves himself more and more in D.C. life.
- "No decision has been made whether to litigate," said Jeff Arnold, an NLT spokesman, declining to comment on the W&C hiring, "but we are leaving all options open."
State of play: The president's ahead.
Catch up quick: Trump wants to bring a big pro event like a Ryder Cup to Washington. The federal government happens to own East Potomac, as well as the Rock Creek Park and Langston courses.
- The feds claimed NLT wasn't renovating them fast enough, despite it tapping top architects and toiling through project approvals. About a week after soil started piling up at East Potomac, the Interior Department told NLT it had defaulted on its lease.
- And then on Dec. 30, it canceled it altogether.
"If we do them, we'll do it really beautifully," Trump told the Wall Street Journal about his vision for overhauling the courses.
- Sources told the newspaper the president wants golf course architect Tom Fazio to redesign East Potomac, with a potential new name: "Washington National Golf Course."
Friction point: The National Links Trust is run by locals whose mission is to run courses that are as enticing to seasoned golfers as kids wanting to learn.
- Many locals hope the feds will more quickly improve sites, but also worry that a Trump-grade, upscale reno would defeat the purpose of affordable municipal golf courses.
- Trump told the Journal that D.C. residents would pay a lower rate than other golfers.
The other side: The NLT disagrees that it violated its lease, and says it's open to working with Trump, hoping he can cut red tape and lean on their local expertise.
- The East Potomac course (in the middle of the Potomac River) needs a $400 million seawall, NLT co-founder Mike McCartin said on a recent podcast.
What's next: After its leases were canceled, NLT halted its renovation project at Rock Creek Park, which it spent years to get greenlit (the fight included tree removals). It continues operating all three courses — though that could change at any moment.
- "We are focused on doing everything we can to keep DC's courses open to ensure ongoing access for the thousands of golfers who play at the three courses and allow our dedicated employees to remain employed," Arnold tells Axios.
💭 Town Talker is a column about money and power in Washington. Tell me about the talk of the town: [email protected]