Fresh stumps and patches of bare earth now mark parts of East Potomac Golf Links, where dozens of trees have been removed in recent weeks. The work has begun ahead of the Trump administration’s planned overhaul of the historic D.C. public course, despite the lack of a finalized design, construction timeline, or estimated cost, as per The Washington Post.
On June 28, President Donald Trump said work at the historical facility would start Sept. 1. By the days leading up to that date, the administration still had not released a final design, a construction schedule, or an estimated cost. Officials also had not said whether the course would shut the following week, what work might begin, or what golfers and other park visitors should expect.
An informal count conducted on Thursday found that more than 60 trees appeared to have been removed in recent weeks. A number of them stood near the perimeter and the parking lot. Others came out of playing corridors on the Blue, Red, and White courses. One of the most visible losses was a cherry tree near the 14th green on the Blue Course, a picturesque hole framed by cherry trees toward the southern end of Hains Point. Two large sycamores had also been taken out around the fourth hole.
Interior Department describes the work as selective removal of hazardous and declining trees
Major golf renovations often include tree removal so playing corridors can be widened, sight lines improved, and more sunlight and air can reach the turf. The Interior Department instead described the activity as routine maintenance and did not link it to the proposed redesign. The department also did not answer questions about whether the federal court overseeing a legal challenge had been given notice of the work.
“Arborists are doing routine maintenance at East Potomac Park with selective removal of hazard trees, non-native invasive trees, and declining and dying trees that cannot be brought back to good health through any degree of intervention,” a department spokesperson said in a statement. The administration’s projects have faced legal challenges, such as when a federal court ordered Trump to halt his 400 million ballroom project.
The spokesperson also said, “Trees throughout the park are regularly monitored for potential safety impacts to visitors, and when a tree is determined to be dying, declining, or hazardous our arborists may make the decision to remove it.”
At a May hearing on the lawsuit filed by preservationists seeking to block the overhaul, U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes declined to halt necessary maintenance. She warned administration lawyers not to present the court with a fait accompli. The dispute over required approvals is part of a broader pattern of legal challenges to the project, such as when a federal appeals court ruled Trump needs Congress’s approval for his ballroom.
She said she wanted advance notice before more than 10 trees were removed or equipment larger than a sedan was brought onto the property. That instruction was given orally and did not appear in a formal written order.
A person familiar with the legal proceedings, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said the government has not notified the plaintiffs or the court of the recent tree work. A joint court filing posted Friday added more questions about the Sept. 1 start date. The Justice Department, which has asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit, wrote that “no final agency action has occurred” and that “multiple public-facing steps” would come before a course redesign.
The plaintiffs pointed to the gap between that language and the administration’s timetable. They quoted a government attorney who told the court at a July hearing that Interior and the Park Service were “trying to meet” a September construction date.
The plaintiffs also noted that the government has said the Park Service will complete environmental and historical-preservation reviews, determine that the work would not impair park resources, and obtain approval from the National Capital Planning Commission before ground is broken. They cited an Aug. 6 email in which a Justice Department attorney said the Park Service “must secure final approval from NCPC before construction of a proposed redesign can begin.”
A National Park Service spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. Several required steps are still incomplete. An initial meeting for the historical-preservation review has been postponed twice and has not been rescheduled.
The golf course is not on the agenda for the National Capital Planning Commission meeting set for Thursday. The administration has not disclosed the expected cost, the source or amount of any private funding, or details of possible related projects such as seawall work around Hains Point.
It also has not said how construction would affect public use of the three courses, the driving range, the miniature-golf course, or the path used by runners, cyclists, and pedestrians. National Links Trust, which still operates the facility on an interim basis, declined to comment.
The condition of the trees that were removed varied from spot to spot. Many leftover stumps looked hollow or showed decay. In other places, the stumps had already been ground down, leaving only patches of dirt. RTEC Treecare crews were cutting trees on Thursday.
On the Blue Course’s 13th hole, a crew took down a large tree that showed clear signs of decay. A Park Service employee nearby was marking other trees and declined to answer questions. White dots had been painted on some trunks elsewhere on the grounds, and yellow ribbons were tied around many others.
It was not clear what those markings meant or whether those trees were also slated to come down. A spokesperson for RTEC said the company has only removed hazardous trees at East Potomac and has not taken down any cherry trees on the property.
Published: Sep 1, 2026 12:30 pm