The National Park Service began a new round of tree removal at East Potomac Golf Links on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. The work is part of a plan to renovate the 106-year-old historic public course into a venue capable of hosting championship-level tournaments, a goal championed by President Donald Trump. According to a federal court filing submitted on Friday, Oct. 9, the agency intends to remove more than 500 trees as part of the project.
The Interior Department stated Saturday that the work implements a seven-year-old plan to address tree overgrowth and restore the course's historic character. The agency said the project is designed to reopen views toward landmarks including the Washington Monument, the National War College, the Potomac River, and the Washington Channel.
Specific removal numbers include 169 trees starting Saturday, followed by a second phase of 90 trees. The National Park Service stated in its filing that only trees "that do not contribute to the historic landscape" will be removed, and that healthy historic cherry trees will not be affected. The course will remain open during the project, though individual holes may close temporarily for work.
The tree removal affects Washington, D.C., residents and golfers who use the public facility. Plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed in February, including the DC Preservation League, state that the redesign risks changing the character of the site and could lead to higher fees and reduced public space. The lawsuit alleges the reconstruction violates the 1897 congressional act that established the park.
The scale of the project involves the potential removal of up to 529 trees across two or more phases. While Trump stated in June that the course would eventually host events like the U.S. Open and the Ryder Cup, the timing for such tournaments remains undetermined as locations are typically selected years in advance. Charles Birnbaum, president of the Cultural Landscape Foundation, argued Saturday that the work should be subject to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, which requires federal agencies to review a project's impact on historic properties.
The administration has not yet released a final, comprehensive plan for the full course redesign. The ongoing lawsuit filed by the DC Preservation League continues in federal court, following a denied request for an emergency stop-work order earlier this year.