WASHINGTON — Unless a federal judge intervenes, President Donald Trump said the administration will break ground Sept. 1 on what the Interior Department calls a new “world-class” golf course just a mile from the White House South Lawn.
It would feature beautiful sightlines, stretching from the Potomac River to the Washington Monument, and would already be landscaped with historic cherry trees, an iconic gift from the Japanese government.
The only problem? It would replace a century-old municipal golf course accessible to beginners and Sunday enthusiasts alike, on National Park Service-owned land frequented by cyclists, picnickers, fishermen and others who enjoy Washington’s historic green spaces.
Golfers practicing the chip shot on a sunny Thursday afternoon were already mourning the loss of inexpensive and accessible public links.
Cesar Romero told NBC News that the municipal course was “for people who have been doing it for over a year, people who have been doing it for over 10 years. The courses are dynamic, they’re diverse. … Right now we’re playing nine holes for about $28, and that, for a golf course, if you look around, it’s a really good price.”
Cyclist Joanne Gribler stopped by to tell NBC News, “I moved here 10 years ago and I come here easily two to five times a week. Either bike, run, have a picnic. It’s really a big part of my life, a big part of why I choose to continue to live in Washington.”
“There are world championship golf courses in the area. We don’t need another one here in Washington,” she added.
Elizabeth Kiker, executive director of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, questioned the lack of information about the White House’s plans for the course. “We love space and we love the earth as it is. And if there’s a change and you want to make it a better public space for all of us, why can’t we see it?” » said Kiker.
The White House has not disclosed its plans for the proposed course or submitted them to the National Capital Planning Commission or the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, federal agencies expected to approve such plans. No meetings were scheduled in August either before Trump announced that work would begin on September 1.
When Trump inspected the site last Sunday, he had with him what appeared to be a printed copy of a drawing of the new course. And he was accompanied by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Tom Fazio, the famous designer of several Trump courses, including one at the president’s summer retreat in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Fazio said Golf.com that he had initially told the president that he was reluctant to accept this assignment because of the problems of obtaining approval for a municipal course. But he changed his mind when he discovered this unique place, a man-made peninsula with breathtaking views of Washington’s famous monuments.
In a recent court filing, the administration said it “received copies” of “renderings from Fazio Design, but the renderings and their associated intellectual property rights are owned and maintained by Fazio Design.”
Opponents, led by the DC Preservation League, are suing the Interior Department to try to stop the project. At a recent hearing, government lawyers insisted that agencies conduct required deliberations before proceeding with construction.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes questioned how that was possible, saying: “What I’m asking is how do I know that there hasn’t been final agency action, given that I have the President of the United States with the Secretary of the Interior on the golf course saying, ‘We are changing all of this. We have an architect who is going to help us change all of this. It will be done, it will begin by the September 1st.’ How come at the end of the day we don’t have final agency action?
Justice Department attorney Michael Robertson told Reyes he was not aware of any other dates for the project, other than Trump announcing it would begin on September 1. “There’s no timetable in place,” Robertson said.
Questioning whether the government could be trusted, the judge said: “I don’t want another East wing torn down; I don’t want another reflecting pool torn down,” referring to two controversial construction projects by the administration. “Where can I take comfort in knowing that we’re not sending bulldozers into the dark of night to cut down cherry trees?” » Reyes said.
She refused the government’s request to dismiss the case, but at the same time rejected opponents’ request for an injunction to stop the project, saying she wasn’t sure she had the authority to tell the executive branch what to do.
Instead, Reyes asked both sides to confer and come back with answers about whether the Interior secretary had given the order to begin construction. The government now says no orders were given and no decisions made.
But part of the golf course has already been modified: a large pile of rubble appeared several months ago on the ninth and fourth holes. It turned out to be debris from the East Wing excavation dumped on the connections – and it tested positive for toxic metals, the report said. The National Park Service said. It is now grassed, but the mound is clearly not part of the original landscaping of the course.