12/31/2025
The Trump Administration has decided to the terminate the 50 year lease between the National Park Service and the National Links Trust. A major part of the NLT's mission was to fund and oversee the renovation of the three Washington, DC public golf courses. Those efforts, already well underway, will now cease. In all likelihood this will mean the end of affordable and accessible public golf in Washington, DC, most certainly at the flagship venue known as East Potomac Golf Links. This is a very unfortunate development, and one that should not have occurred.
The impact of the lease termination goes beyond the management and renovation of the properties. It also impacts those course's associated communities which have developed and sustained services that enrich the lives of young people and their golfers. Of particular note is the Jack Vardaman Workforce Development Program at Langston, which has provided summer employment to nearly 200 DC high school students, teaching the business of golf and providing essential job and life skills applicable in and outside the golf industry.
Below is the statement which was sent out today to 'The Friends of the National Links Trust' which the Middle Atlantic GA has been proud to be part of since the inception of the NLT.
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Dear Friends of National Links Trust,
As supporters of the National Links Trust, our community programming, and our ongoing efforts to rehabilitate DC’s three municipal golf courses, we wanted to update you on recent developments around the National Links Trust stewardship of East Potomac, Langston, and Rock Creek.
We are devastated to report that the Trump administration is officially terminating our 50-year lease with the National Park Service to manage and renovate the three courses. We remain in fundamental disagreement with the administration’s characterization of NLT as being in default under the lease. We have always had a productive and cooperative working relationship with the National Park Service and have worked hand in hand on all aspects of our golf course operations and development projects. The termination is effective immediately.
In the short term, NLT has agreed to stay in place for the time being as operators so that the DC courses can remain open. This will allow uninterrupted access to golf in the District and our hundreds of dedicated employees to stay in place. However, all long-term renovation projects will immediately cease, including our in-progress Rock Creek Park rehabilitation project that was made possible with your support. We also expect the community programming, like the Jack Vardaman Workforce Development Program at Langston and Free Lesson Fridays, to cease as well.
We are so grateful for your support of NLT and our vision for high-quality, affordable, accessible public golf in DC over the last five years. Without your help, none of our work over the last five years would have been possible.
This is not the update we wanted to send, and we worked tirelessly to try to avoid this outcome. 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. We will continue to pursue our mission with the support of our community for as long as we are allowed. We hope you continue to stand with us.
Sincerely,
The National Links Trust Team
Here is the link to the NLT's official response as posted on their website -
The National Links Trust is devastated by the Trump administration’s decision to terminate our 50-year lease with the National Park Service. Since taking over stewardship of Rock Creek, East Potomac, and Langston courses five years ago, NLT has consistently complied with all lease obligations as w...