Trump Administration Ends Decades-Long Lease for D.C. Golf Courses, Nonprofit Says

National Links Trust (NLT) reported Wednesday that the Trump administration has terminated its 50-year lease agreement with the National Park Service to manage and renovate three municipal golf courses in Washington, D.C. The nonprofit described the move as “devastating,” noting it had maintained a “productive and cooperative working relationship” with the National Park Service for all aspects of golf course operations and development projects since 2020.

The termination is effective immediately, according to NLT’s statement on X. The organization highlighted that it has managed Langston Golf Course, Rock Creek Park Golf, and East Potomac Golf Links—all located on federal land—throughout its tenure with the National Park Service.

This decision follows reports that President Donald Trump expressed interest in personally overseeing redevelopments of Washington’s public courses. Earlier this month, Trump stated to a major news outlet: “If we do them, we’ll do it really beautifully.”

An Interior Department letter cited NLT’s failure to complete required capital improvements and submit an adequate plan addressing alleged lease defaults as the basis for termination. The document emphasized that NPS provided NLT multiple opportunities—including in-person meetings, teleconferences, and written submissions—to present a credible cure proposal. However, it concluded NLT did not offer “reasonable assurances” of funding or operational capacity to fulfill its capital investment obligations.

NLT co-founder Michael McCartin confirmed the nonprofit is exploring legal options while seeking dialogue with the administration to preserve affordable public golf access in the nation’s capital. In a statement, NLT reiterated: “While this termination is a major setback, we remain stubbornly hopeful that a path forward can be found that preserves affordable and accessible public golf in the nation’s capital for generations to come.”