National Links Trust reaches 50-year agreement to run, rehabilitate 2 of DC’s public golf courses

WASHINGTON - The National Links Trust (NLT) announced Thursday that it signed a 50-year lease to run and rehabilitate Washington, D.C.'s Rock Creek Park Golf and Langston Golf Course.

It comes as their days of managing East Potomac Golf Links come to an end. NLT says work at Rock Creek Park will begin in the coming months along with a larger rehabilitation of Langston Golf Course.

What we know:

"There’s enough massive courses and enough country clubs and stuff, and that’s fine, but there’s not enough of these spaces where people can just come out and play," said Colby Vaughn, a golfer at the Langston course.

Langston Golf Course in Northeast D.C. is home to the oldest African American men’s and women’s golf clubs in the United States. It was once managed by Lee Elder, the first African American man to play in the Masters. Its history is tied directly to the desegregation of golf.

"A big issue in golf is representation by Black folks like myself," said Russ Green, a golfer at the Langston course. "It’s currently less than 3%, and without these courses we don’t have access, and we need real community partnerships."

READ MORE | Interior Dept. moves toward November closure of East Potomac Golf Course as court battle intensifies

The 50-year lease with the National Links Trust, the Interior Department and the National Park Service means the trust can finally pursue stalled efforts to renovate Langston and Rock Creek golf courses. In addition to course improvements and new clubhouses, Langston will also launch student workforce development programs, paid internships and college scholarships.

"When I tell people our history, this was the only place that Black people and people of color could play back in the day," said Tonya Walton, a golfer at the Langston course. "It’s very important to people in the community.

"Play! Be grateful," Vaughn said. "It’s a low cost as well. Especially with Langston being a historically Black course, it’s something we need to preserve."

Rock Creek Golf Course

Over at Rock Creek Golf Course in Northwest, D.C., more work is needed.

The National Links Trust says in the next few months, it is set to resume work in two phases: first, construction and practice facilities, and second, on the course renovation and restorations.

Rock Creek Park golfers said the work is badly needed, with faded grass on the course and invasive plants moving in.

What they're saying:

"There’s a lot of areas where the drainage is not so great, mud collects, and this place doesn't get a lot of people playing compared to East Potomac," said golfer Michael Nguyen.

"I think it’s great to have a staple of the community stay here for a long time and have a cheap place to play golf," said Rock Creek golfer, Matt Rodenberg. "It absolutely needs some work, it has some rough edges, but it’s the character of this place that keeps us coming back, so that’s why I’m here."

NLT says both courses will stay affordable and accessible to the public, with a completion date of spring 2028.

FOX 5 DC has reached out to both the National Links Trust and the Department of the Interior for comment. A spokesperson for NLT said they were not available. 

In a statement, NLT said its management of East Potomac Golf Course, which is the subject of an ongoing court battle, will end on November 15.

NewsWashington, D.C.