U.S. President Donald Trump, after collaborating with golf legend Jack Nicklaus on the renovation of the golf courses at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland in late November 2025, has now expanded his involvement in golf course redevelopment.  

This time, Mr. Trump has turned his attention to Washington, D.C.’s historic public golf course layouts. East Potomac Golf Links, a low-lying public course along the Potomac River, has emerged as the centerpiece of his interest.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, conducted on Friday, Dec 12, in the Oval Office, Mr. Trump outlined his vision:  “If we do them, we’ll do it really beautifully.” Mr. Trump continued, “If I take control of the courses, D.C. residents will pay a lower rate than other golfers.”

According to people familiar with the discussions, Trump has also told Jay Monahan that he would like to see a future PGA Tour event held in the Washington area, a move that would require significant upgrades to East Potomac’s layout and infrastructure.

How East Potomac Became The Centre

East Potomac gained more attention following the October 23 demolition and dumping of the White House’s East Wing. Earlier that year, the Trump administration instructed the National Links Trust, which operates East Potomac under a long-term federal lease, to accept soil and debris from the demolition or face a potential finding of default under its lease. The nonprofit agreed.

In recent weeks, the administration’s relationship with the National Links Trust has begun to sour. The Interior Department informed the group that it had violated a lease provision and later issued a formal default notice. Trump told the Journal that if the alleged violations are not resolved, the courses could revert to government control.

The dispute unfolded alongside broader planning discussions. On Aug. 1, Mr. Trump held a meeting with his senior advisers, including U.S. attorney and frequent golf partner Jay Clayton, former Trump administration official Johnny DeStefano, then-senior adviser Taylor Budowich, and White House chief of staff Susie Wilesto review the future of Washington’s public golf courses. 

According to people with direct knowledge of the meeting, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum proposed using East Potomac as part of a professional-level redevelopment, citing the site’s low elevation and need for fill.

Donald Trump And Jack Nicklaus Redevelopment of Joint Base Andrews

Mr. Trump’s collaboration with Nicklaus, where the president took an aerial tour of Joint Base Andrews aboard Marine One and described plans to restore the base’s long-neglected golf courses.

Nicklaus, whose design firm has completed more than 425 courses across 40 states and over 45 countries, is expected to play a key architectural role at Andrews. 

While Mr. Trump has not confirmed whether 'The Golden Bear' would be involved in Washington’s public courses, he has expressed interest in having American golf course architect Tom Fazio design a reimagined East Potomac layout.

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Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Joyita Das