Trump’s plans for historic Washington golf course face court scrutiny after tree felling

US President Donald Trump walks across the South Lawn after arriving on Marine One at the White House in Washington, DC, October 18, 2026. — AFP pic

First Published: Monday, 19 Oct 2026 9:51 AM MYT

WASHINGTON, Oct 19 — President Donald Trump yesterday unveiled his plans for overhauling a beloved municipal golf course in the US capital, a project already mired in a contentious legal fight.

On Truth Social, Trump posted a mock-up of an 18-hole course which would dramatically change the historic East Potomac Golf Links, saying construction was set to start in November.

“When completed, it will be open to the public while, at the same time, designed to the highest level of golf and able to hold world-class tournaments such as the US Open, the PGA Championship, the Ryder Cup, and the Presidents Cup,” Trump said.

A federal judge last week excoriated the Trump administration for cutting down hundreds of trees at the golf course with less than a day’s notice, in an apparent circumvention of her previous order requiring prior notification of such work.

Judge Ana Reyes has scheduled a follow-up hearing today and ordered senior officials with the Interior Department, which oversees the property, to testify.

The Trump administration has meanwhile asked Reyes to recuse herself from the matter, claiming she has shown “animus” towards the government.

The redesign of the East Potomac Golf Links, which has operated for more than a century, is just one of Trump’s pet projects to unilaterally remake Washington during his second and final term in office.

Others include the construction of a massive White House ballroom that required demolishing the entire historic East Wing, overhauling the Kennedy Center arts venue and plans for an immense triumphal arch.

Those projects have all similarly faced various legal challenges, including claims that Congress must give its consent to such large changes.

The course is situated on an island in the Potomac River and is currently surrounded by roads and paths frequently used by bikers, picnickers and people fishing.

The design Trump posted yesterday appears to eliminate those public areas.

A keen golfer and owner of several golf clubs, Trump has had his eye on overhauling the East Potomac course since returning to office last year.

“The current course is old, broken, dilapidated, and of no further use or effect. It is in very poor condition, with falling, dangerous, and disease-infested trees and, importantly, a collapsing and hazardous seawall,” he said yesterday. 

Work on the new project is set to begin on November 15 and take 15 months to complete, Trump said, without commenting on the ongoing legal saga. — AFP