President Donald Trump says work to transform Washington, D.C.’s historic East Potomac Golf Links into a championship-caliber public course will begin Sept. 1, moving ahead with one of the most high-profile redevelopment projects of his second term despite ongoing legal and preservation challenges.
Trump announced the timeline in a lengthy Truth Social post Sunday after touring the century-old municipal course alongside Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and renowned golf course architect Tom Fazio.
“It was determined that, on this fantastic site, with water and unparalleled views of D.C.’s Monuments, we will build one of the Greatest Golf Courses anywhere in the World which, importantly, will also be made available to the Public,” Trump wrote.
The president described the current condition of East Potomac as “dilapidated, worn out, and very dangerous and outdated,” arguing the property has enormous untapped potential because of its location overlooking the Potomac River and the nation’s capital.
According to Trump, Fazio — one of the most accomplished golf course architects in the world and a longtime designer of several Trump-owned courses — will lead the redesign.
“When completed, this Course will have the ability to host Major Golf Tournaments, including The U.S. Open, The Ryder Cup, The PGA Championship, and other top PGA Tour events,” Trump wrote.
“Work on the new Course, which will go quickly, will begin on September 1st. Tom Fazio will be the Course Architect. It will be built through the Department of the Interior, and designed to the Highest Standards of Golf, but also in such a way that the General Public will love it.”
The announcement provides the clearest timeline yet for the administration’s long-discussed plans to overhaul East Potomac Golf Links, one of three public golf facilities located on National Park Service land in Washington.
Public access remains central to the plan
A key point emphasized by both Trump and Interior officials is that East Potomac will remain a public golf course after construction is complete.
The administration has repeatedly compared its vision to other publicly owned championship venues such as Bethpage Black in New York and Torrey Pines in California — courses that host major tournaments while remaining open to everyday golfers. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum previously unveiled renderings showing the redesigned course would preserve popular walking and biking routes around Hains Point while creating a layout capable of attracting elite golf events.
That pledge has resonated with many golfers frustrated by years of deteriorating conditions.
East Potomac has long been one of the region’s most affordable public courses, with low greens fees and heavy use by local players. While National Links Trust has invested millions into planning renovations, many golfers have complained that the pace of improvements has been slow amid lengthy federal permitting requirements.
Legal battle still hangs over the project
The redevelopment has also become the center of a broader dispute over the future of Washington’s public golf courses.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration reached an agreement allowing the National Links Trust to continue operating East Potomac, Langston and Rock Creek while clearing the way for the federal government to undertake the East Potomac renovation. Under the agreement, National Links Trust will continue managing the course until construction begins.
Not everyone supports the project.
Preservation advocates and local residents have argued the administration is moving too aggressively to remake the historic property. A lawsuit filed by local preservationists prompted a federal judge to order that the National Park Service notify plaintiffs before removing more than 10 trees or undertaking significant work at the site. While the court declined to halt routine maintenance, it warned federal officials to comply with environmental and preservation requirements before major construction proceeds.
Questions also remain about whether the administration’s ambitious Sept. 1 construction date can be reconciled with the environmental reviews and regulatory approvals federal officials have previously indicated would precede large-scale redevelopment.
Part of a broader effort to reshape Washington
The East Potomac project fits into Trump’s wider effort to remake prominent public spaces throughout the nation’s capital.
Since returning to office, the administration has launched or proposed several high-profile projects involving federal properties, including plans for a new White House ballroom, restoration work around the National Mall and other visible changes to public spaces.
For Trump, however, the East Potomac renovation represents an opportunity to create what he says will become one of the premier public golf destinations anywhere in the world.
“It will be built through the Department of the Interior,” the president wrote, “and designed to the Highest Standards of Golf, but also in such a way that the General Public will love it.”
