Senators press Interior Department for legal basis after termination of National Links Trust D.C. golf lease

Congressional scrutiny intensifies over management of three federal-land municipal courses

Four Democratic U.S. senators from Maryland and Virginia are seeking detailed explanations from the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service (NPS) after the federal government terminated a long-term lease with the nonprofit National Links Trust to operate Washington, D.C.’s three municipal golf courses: East Potomac Golf Links, Langston Golf Course, and Rock Creek Park Golf Course.

The senators—Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland, and Mark Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia—sent a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and NPS Acting Director Jessica Bowron questioning the legal and contractual basis for the lease termination and warning that the action could disrupt public access, ongoing capital projects, and stewardship of historically significant public recreation sites.

Lease termination dated Dec. 30, 2025, now contested

National Links Trust was awarded a 50-year master lease in 2020 to manage operations and oversee rehabilitation of the three courses. The Interior Department terminated that lease on Dec. 30, 2025. The administration has cited alleged failures tied to required capital improvements and other lease terms, while the nonprofit has disputed those allegations and said it invested more than $8.5 million in improvements during its tenure.

The senators’ letter focuses heavily on process. It argues that the lease includes notice and “cure” provisions intended to give the operator time to address non-monetary defaults and asks whether those provisions were followed before termination.

Projects on hold, with Rock Creek course at center of planning debate

Uncertainty is particularly acute at Rock Creek Park Golf Course, where rehabilitation planning has been underway for years and construction work has been a focal point for both preservation and environmental concerns. The course is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing resource to the Rock Creek Park Historic District.

The senators said the lease termination has halted work tied to Rock Creek’s renovation, including major facility improvements and a comprehensive redesign intended to restore playability and modernize amenities.

Environmental questions raised over material deposited at East Potomac

The letter also seeks answers about reports that dirt and construction debris from the White House East Wing renovation were deposited on East Potomac’s nine-hole White Course. The senators requested disclosure of what materials were placed there, whether any hazardous-substance testing was conducted, and what risk assessments or remediation plans—if any—exist for golfers, staff, youth programs, and the Potomac River-adjacent environment.

• What specific lease or statutory violations justified termination
• Whether required notice, consultation, and cure steps were followed
• What testing and public-health safeguards were used for deposited materials at East Potomac

The senators requested a prompt response and asked that any further federal actions affecting the courses be accompanied by clear documentation of legal authority, compliance steps, and public-safety protections.

The Interior Department has publicly characterized the dispute as politically driven, while the NPS has not provided a detailed public accounting of next steps for course management. For now, operations and future planning for the three courses remain unsettled.