Trump's East Potomac golf course plan leaves big questions
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East Potomac Golf Links, D.C.'s busiest and most affordable public course, is in danger of being shut down. Photo: Pete Kiehart for The Washington Post via Getty Images
D.C.'s East Potomac Golf Links — one of the region's busiest and most affordable public courses — is now at the center of another legal clash over its future.
The big picture: The Trump administration says it's fixing a rundown course. Critics — and now a federal judge — say it looks like something much bigger.
Driving the news: After an emergency hearing Monday, a federal judge declined to issue a temporary order to stop work at the site, saying the case didn't meet the bar for intervention.
- "I don't want to be the overseer of Parks and Rec. I'm no Amy Poehler," judge Ana Reyes said.
- But the judge signaled she's watching closely — warning the government not to take major steps without notifying the public and legal challengers.
- The course remains open — for now.
Why it matters: This goes beyond golf. Hains Point is a heavily used free urban escape — popular with golfers, yes, but also with families and cyclists. Any closure or overhaul could hit close to home for many Washingtonians.
State of play: Government attorneys said in court filings Monday that no final decision has been made on redesigning the course.
- But a recently surfaced fundraising pamphlet is raising questions.
- Critics say it fits a broader pattern — from the East Wing demolition to the Kennedy Center shake-up — of moving fast on high-profile projects without due process or public support.
- And some worry a redesign could shrink public space, reduce affordable tee times and fundamentally change how the park is used.
Catch up quick: The National Park Service terminated the course's 50-year lease with the National Links Trust earlier this year, citing failures to complete required capital improvements.
- NOTUS reported last week that the administration would shut down the course after Sunday play, and preservationists and advocacy groups rushed to court to block any sudden moves.
What they're saying: Preservationists aren't trying to stop upgrades — they want process and transparency.
- "We'd like to see the government follow its own policies and procedures," Rebecca Miller, president of the DC Preservation League and one of the orgs involved in the lawsuit, tells Axios.
- That means historic and environmental review, public input — and a clear plan. The stakes, she says, go beyond one park: "If you allow this type of closing of public space … what happens to our other recreational opportunities in D.C.?"
Here's what we know — and the ongoing questions — so far.
The vision: That depends on who you ask.
- In filings, government lawyers described the next steps as limited maintenance — including cleanup and repairs.
- But officials are also weighing whether upgrades could require shutting down part — or all — of the course. No timeline yet.
The intrigue: A separate set of plans tells a very different story.
- Fundraising materials from the newly formed National Garden of American Heroes Foundation outline a sweeping vision for the area — including a fully redesigned golf course and a new monument space.
- The group describes itself as a nonprofit focused on "revitalization" of the National Mall and surrounding areas.
- Its materials call for a "comprehensive redevelopment" of East Potomac — and renderings show a dramatically reworked landscape that appears to take over most of the island.
Yes, but: There's little public information about the organization itself.
- "No filing … no registration for fundraising," Miller said, noting that multistate fundraising typically requires formal registration.
- Emails to contacts listed in the materials, including Trump fundraiser Meredith O'Rourke, have bounced back.
The White House declined to comment on the foundation itself.
- President Trump's "Garden of Heroes" — to be built around West Potomac Park — "will be built to reflect the awesome splendor of our country's timeless exceptionalism," spokespersons tell Axios.
This case isn't just about what might happen — but what already has.
- Advocates say further scrutiny is needed over allegations the administration dumped potentially toxic material at East Potomac Park during the East Wing demolition.
- A recent filing claims early test results point to "a cocktail of contaminants" — and raises questions about whether dumping continued despite "indications of the refuse's contents."