Tree-cutting has begun at East Potomac Golf Links near the National Mall as the Trump administration advances plans to transform the historic public course into a championship-level venue.
The National Park Service said in a court filing that more than 500 trees which “do not contribute to the historic landscape will be removed” during the rehabilitation project.
The agency said 169 trees were due to be removed from Saturday, with a further 90 scheduled to be felled at a later stage. It said no healthy trees considered contributing features of the historic golf course, including historic cherry trees, would be removed.
The Interior Department, which oversees the park service and other federal land agencies, said the work was part of a seven-year-old plan to address tree overgrowth at East Potomac Golf Course.
It said selective work on trees and vegetation was intended to restore the course’s historic character and reopen views towards the Washington Monument, the National War College, the Potomac River and Washington Channel.
“The National Park Service is finally implementing a 7-year-old plan to address tree overgrowth at East Potomac Golf Course,” the department said in a statement.
The department added that the park service “recognizes the importance of trees to the park and its visitors” and described the work as part of its required stewardship of the site.
The 106-year-old course will remain open to the public during the renovation, although individual holes may close temporarily while work is taking place.
The project has faced a legal challenge since February. Plaintiffs including the DC Preservation League allege that the Trump administration’s reconstruction plans would breach the congressional act that created the park in 1897. The group sought an emergency stop-work order this spring over concerns that construction was about to begin.
Donald Trump, an avid golfer, has said the completed course could host major events including the US Open, the Ryder Cup and the PGA Championship. It is not clear when that could happen, as venues for such tournaments are selected several years in advance.
Residents have raised concerns that the planned changes could alter the character of a course that has served Washingtonians of all incomes for more than a century. They fear an upmarket redesign could bring higher fees and reduce public space.
