{"id":890698,"date":"2026-10-22T11:26:27","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T11:26:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/890698\/"},"modified":"2026-10-22T11:26:27","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T11:26:27","slug":"what-dc-loses-if-it-loses-east-potomac-park-to-trumps-golf-dream","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/890698\/","title":{"rendered":"What DC loses if it loses East Potomac Park to Trump\u2019s golf dream"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n President Donald Trump\u2019s plans to tear up East Potomac Golf Links<\/a> and the surrounding park are far more than just the latest obsession of a chief executive looking to put his mark on the nation\u2019s capital.<\/a>\n <\/p>\n

\n His proposed makeover of the municipal course<\/a> into a championship-level course<\/a> threatens an understanding between the federal government and the residents of the Washington, DC, area that has held for generations and could have massive implications for all Americans.<\/a>\n <\/p>\n

\n In a moment when the average American is often priced out of awe-inspiring sights and experiences, DC, is supposed to be a rare exception. The capital city\u2019s grand monuments, world-class museums and scores of parks have always been accessible, allowing them to be completely integrated into the lives of Washingtonians.\n <\/p>\n

\n It\u2019s the people\u2019s city. It belongs to every American.\n <\/p>\n

\n East Potomac Golf Links reflected that ethos. Even at a time when golf is exploding in popularity, and greens fees are rising at the same rate, getting in a round at East Potomac is an inclusive experience. Tee times go for less than $50 for a weekend 18-hole round if you\u2019re walking; tack on another $18 if you want to take a cart.\n <\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\n That affordability has made the course a haven for golfers across the capital region. From total beginners to low handicappers who play every weekend, the course has been open and welcoming to all \u2013 even if that made for some five-hour rounds.\n <\/p>\n

\n It may not be the greatest course, but even if there were some tee boxes that needed to be rebuilt, some bunkers that needed weeding, some patches of fairway that had more dirt than grass, it was still worth the money.\n <\/p>\n

\n You could aim your tee shot toward Washington Monument, an unreachable target that soars over the course like a beacon. A stroll down the fairway in the fall would show off the incredible foliage across the Potomac River in northern Virginia. In the spring, the blooming cherry trees that line the course\u2019s exterior would take your breath away.\n <\/p>\n

\"Golfers<\/p>\n

\n The course also provided that rarest of things in Washington: Spending a few hours with strangers who\u2019d become friends over the course of a round when you completed their foursome, and never once being asked what you did for work.\n <\/p>\n

\n Of course, those hacking it up on the course are only half the story.\n <\/p>\n

\n While the links might be the soul of East Potomac Park, the heart \u2013 quite literally \u2013 is Ohio Drive SW \u2013 the road that starts up at the south side of the Tidal Basin, heads around Hains Point at the island\u2019s tip, and comes back around near the Jefferson Memorial.\n <\/p>\n

\n When my wife and I lived in southwest DC, this road was a key part of our lives. As runners, the Hains Point loop was a staple of every long run, a place in the district where we could settle into a rhythm and enjoy more than three miles of uninterrupted road.\n <\/p>\n

\n It\u2019s a key part of nearly every running race held in Washington, including signature events like the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run in the spring and the Marine Corps Marathon<\/a> in the fall. These races haven\u2019t changed their routes in major ways in decades, and the long stretch to Hains Point and back is a core part of their identities.\n <\/p>\n

\"People<\/p>\n

\"Marathon<\/p>\n

\n While various versions of Trump\u2019s plans for East Potomac Park have become public in recent months, the latest ones posted by the president on Sunday<\/a> don\u2019t appear to show Ohio Drive. In fact, they don\u2019t appear to show anything other than a golf course, eliminating the public open space at Hains Point where families get together for cookouts, parties or just letting their kids run around with the expanse of the Potomac as their backdrop.\n <\/p>\n

\n It would be a major blow to the district\u2019s running, walking and cycling communities, all of whom use Ohio Drive as a gathering point to work out away from the crowds that usually gather on the National Mall. And it would take away yet another affordable spot for families to take their kids in the DC area where they can stretch their legs and play (not exactly the kind of activity readily made for a Smithsonian).\n <\/p>\n

\n The entire episode should serve as a warning sign to those who love this country\u2019s wonderful public spaces, including the national parks<\/a> that have been called \u201cAmerica\u2019s best idea.\u201d<\/a>\n <\/p>\n

\n With the seeming disregard for the laws and regulations laid out to govern these special places, let alone the court processes<\/a> meant to examine the legality of what\u2019s happening at East Potomac, what\u2019s to stop Trump or other presidents from similarly changing other precious parks into expensive retreats for the rich?\n <\/p>\n

\n The issue at play right now may be Trump\u2019s quest to add a golf course to his list of lasting marks on the capital. But the precedent it sets is worrisome.\n <\/p>\n

\"Hains<\/p>\n

\n Trump\u2019s stated aim is to build a course that could host major tournaments like the US Open, Ryder Cup and others. In his post on Sunday, he said it would remain open to the public.\n <\/p>\n

\n In theory, that sounds great. A championship-level course available to the everyman and everywoman golfer would be an incredible boon to the district\u2019s golf scene.\n <\/p>\n

\n But reality can be a tough tonic to those theories.\n <\/p>\n

\n There are other iconic public golf courses around the country at the level Trump is envisioning \u2013 Pebble Beach Golf Links in Northern California, Torrey Pines in San Diego, Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina, The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island in South Carolina. And to play any of them is going to cost hundreds of dollars.\n <\/p>\n

\n It costs nearly $700 to play a round at Pebble Beach or The Ocean Course. For non-San Diego residents, it costs more than $250 to play Torrey Pines. It\u2019s more than $700 to play the top course at Whistling Straits. Pinehurst No. 2 might be a public course, but you must book a stay at the course\u2019s resort for at least two nights to be able to get the right to pay hundreds of dollars for a tee time.\n <\/p>\n

\"Golfers<\/p>\n

\n If that\u2019s the level Trump wants for East Potomac, then that essentially prices out many the area\u2019s golfers. Instead, it becomes a destination course for rich people, a fancy bag tag to show off back at the usual home course after an expensive golf trip.\n <\/p>\n

\n While the Kennedy Center\u2019s future<\/a> has been the subject of handwringing among DC\u2019s cultural elite, the death of East Potomac Park would be a bigger loss to greater Washington \u2013 turning a bustling public space \u2013 for golfers, runners, cyclists, walkers and families alike \u2013 into yet another playground for the wealthy.\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"President Donald Trump\u2019s plans to tear up East Potomac Golf Links and the surrounding park are far more…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":890699,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[71],"tags":[427,99],"class_list":["post-890698","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-golf","tag-golf","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/890698","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=890698"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/890698\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/890699"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=890698"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=890698"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=890698"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}