East Potomac Golf Links has become a makeshift dump site containing soil and debris from the East Wing of the White House.
Al Drago for The Washington Post via Getty Images
The Trump administration’s plan for a Tom Fazio-led renovation of East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C., is reportedly accelerating.
The administration was to shut down the course after the last tee time on Sunday in preparation for the renovation, the NOTUS website first reported Friday, citing two sources familiar with the plans. On Saturday, The Washington Post reported about a fund-raising document circulated to potential donors for an intended makeover of East Potomac; the document included renderings of East Potomac reimagined as a championship course, the report said.
In response to the news, the Democracy Forward Foundation, a legal organization representing the plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed in February to protect East Potomac, announced that the plaintiffs had filed a request for an emergency stay in U.S. District Court in Washington. “We are asking the court to act urgently to save this important part of our national park system from being another casualty of a reckless administration,” Skye Perryman, the foundation’s president and CEO, said in a statement issued Sunday.
The administration’s moves follow its December termination of the National Links Trust’s long-term lease to operate East Potomac and the city’s two other public courses, Langston and Rock Creek Park. The public reporting adds credence to prior speculation that the administration will seek to transform East Potomac from an affordable and accessible daily-fee course into a high-end facility capable of hosting major professional tournaments.
The National Links Trust, which has been operating the three courses on an interim basis, is being offered a renewed lease for Rock Creek Park, the NOTUS report said, citing an unnamed source. In a statement issued Saturday, the trust said the administration’s plans to begin renovations at East Potomac were “a complete surprise to us” and that it had not received any offer of a lease for Rock Creek Park.
Also on Friday, the Post reported that the Trump administration has approached the NFL’s Washington Commanders’ charitable foundation about overseeing Langston. The newspaper cited two sources familiar with the discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The course is close to where the Commanders are planning a new stadium on the former RFK Stadium site.
It is unlikely the foundation will agree to oversee Langston because the task does not fall within its usual scope of work, a source familiar with the talks told the Post. READ MORE
Oakland Hills Country Club has opened a new clubhouse following the 2022 fire that destroyed its century-old predecessor.
The clubhouse is part of a $100 million project at the suburban Detroit club that includes a new greens and grounds facility, a practice area and infrastructure improvements.
“What stands behind me is new, but what it represents is timeless,” Oakland Hills general manager Marc Ray told the Associated Press. “This clubhouse was not simply rebuilt. It was reimagined with intention, guided by history, and inspired by the generations who came before us.”
Oakland Hills has hosted six U.S. Opens, three PGA Championships and the 2004 Ryder Cup. It is slated to host its seventh U.S. Open in 2034. READ MORE
Tap-Ins
Canadian golf developer Ben Cowan-Dewar has sold the crown jewel of his Cabot Collection, Nova Scotia’s Cabot Cape Breton, to Canadian businessman John Bragg. Cabot Cape Breton is home to acclaimed golf courses Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs. read more
The Western Golf Association announced five future Western Amateur sites: Knollwood Club (2027), Baltimore Country Club (2028), Conway Farms Golf Club (2029), Glen View Club (2030) and Skokie Country Club (2032). READ MORE
Bridgestone Golf will shut down its ball manufacturing and testing facility in Covington, Georgia, effective June 30 while moving the facility’s production to Japan, the company announced Friday. READ MORE
Brian Stubbs, the executive director of the Haskins Foundation that awards the annual Haskins Award and Annika Award to the top male and female collegiate golfers, died last week, the Georgia PGA announced on social media. He was 54. READ MORE
Compiled by Mike Cullity
