Trump administration plans to build new golf course on D.C. parkland, sparking legal challenge
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The White House says construction of a new golf course on National Park Service land could begin on Sept. 1, but preservation groups have sued to halt the project and a federal judge has raised questions about agency approvals.
The Trump administration announced that a new golf course could break ground on September 1 on a National Park Service parcel about a mile from the White House South Lawn. The Department of the Interior described the planned "world-class" facility as offering views of the Potomac River and the Washington Monument and featuring historic cherry trees.
The site currently hosts a century-old municipal golf course that is open to the public for a modest fee and is also used by cyclists, picnickers and anglers. Local residents and recreation groups have expressed concern that the development would eliminate an affordable green space. One golfer said the existing nine-hole course costs about $28 and serves long-time players, while a bicyclist noted she visits the area multiple times a week for biking, running and picnicking.
The White House has not released detailed plans for the project, nor have the proposals been submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission or the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, the agencies that normally review such projects. No public meetings have been scheduled before the proposed start date.
President Trump visited the site with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and golf-course designer Tom Fazio, who told Golf.com he was initially hesitant to take on the project because of the regulatory hurdles but was attracted by the location’s views. The administration’s recent court filing said it had received copies of Fazio’s renderings, which remain the property of his firm.
The D.C. Preservation League and other opponents have sued the Interior Department, arguing that the project violates federal procedures. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes questioned whether a final agency action had already occurred, given the president’s public statements about construction. The Justice Department’s lawyer, Michael Robertson, said no formal schedule exists beyond the president’s September 1 target.
Judge Reyes declined to dismiss the lawsuit but also denied an injunction, stating she was unsure she could direct the executive branch. She instructed both parties to confer and determine whether the interior secretary has issued any construction order, noting that the government now says no such order has been given.