Trump Wants to Seize a Golf Course That Changed Black History

Langston Golf Course Faces Trump Takeover

In 1939, Langston Golf Course opened on a former trash dump in Washington D.C. because Black golfers had almost nowhere else to play.

It became a landmark in the fight for civil rights, home to the nation’s oldest Black golf clubs, and the course where Joe Louis and Lee Elder teed off.

Now the Trump administration wants control of it.

The nonprofit that runs Langston has until the end of December to save its lease, and what happens next could reshape the course forever.

One of 20 Courses for Black Golfers

When Langston opened on June 11, 1939, it was one of only about 20 golf courses in America where Black golfers could play.

White golfers had more than 680 courses to choose from. In Washington D.C., the only other option for Black players was a small nine-hole sand-green course at Lincoln Memorial.

East Potomac and Rock Creek were whites-only. Langston changed that, giving the Black golfing community a real home for the first time.

Joe Louis Drew 2,000 Fans

Heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis played an amateur tournament at Langston in 1940, and 2,000 fans showed up to watch.

Golfer Lee Elder, who became the first Black player to compete in the Masters, later served as Langston’s manager and teaching pro for years.

Singer Billy Eckstine, tennis legend Althea Gibson, and golfer Charlie Sifford all played rounds there. According to one report, nearly every great Black professional golfer in American history has played Langston.

Named for Virginia’s First Black Congressman

The course honors John Mercer Langston, born free in Virginia in 1829.

He became the first dean of Howard University’s law school, the first president of what is now Virginia State University, and in 1890 was sworn in as Virginia’s first Black congressman.

In 1855, he was elected township clerk in Ohio, making him one of the first African Americans to hold elected office anywhere in the country.

His grandnephew was the poet Langston Hughes.

Built on a Trash Dump in 1939

Black golfers wanted access to DC’s public courses.

Interior Secretary Harold Ickes gave them something else: permission to build a course on an abandoned dump site near the Anacostia River.

The Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration built it. When it opened, some greens had no grass.

An open sewer ran alongside two fairways. Old tires and rusty cans littered the property. But Black golfers finally had a course they could call their own.

Trump Gives Nonprofit a December Deadline

In mid-December 2025, the Trump administration sent a default notice to the National Links Trust, the nonprofit that has managed Langston and two other D.C.courses since 2020.

The administration claims the group hasn’t made enough progress on renovation projects.

Trump told reporters the nonprofit has until the end of December to address the alleged violations or the courses will revert to government control.

He said he’s not interested in working with them.

Three Historic Courses at Stake

Langston isn’t the only course facing a takeover.

The National Links Trust holds a 50-year lease on East Potomac Golf Links and Rock Creek Park Golf Course as well.

East Potomac sits on an island in the Potomac River with views of the Washington Monument. Rock Creek was designed by William Flynn in 1926.

If the lease is terminated, all three courses would fall under the Trump administration’s control, and the nonprofit’s five years of planning would be wiped out.

Architects Agreed to Work Free

The National Links Trust had lined up some of golf’s most respected architects to renovate all three courses at no charge.

Gil Hanse, who designed the Olympic golf course in Rio, agreed to handle Rock Creek.

Tom Doak, known for his work at Bandon Dunes, was set for East Potomac. Beau Welling, who works with Tiger Woods’ design firm, was attached to Langston.

The nonprofit had already broken ground at Rock Creek when the default notice arrived.

Trump Wants Championship Venues

The president has different plans.

He reportedly told PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan that he wants to bring a Tour event to Washington D. C.

Sources say Trump envisions transforming East Potomac into a championship course capable of hosting professional tournaments, possibly even a future Ryder Cup.

He recently hosted architect Tom Fazio at the White House. Fazio has worked on several Trump properties and would likely redesign East Potomac for tournament play.

East Wing Dirt Piling Up

Trucks have been hauling debris from the demolished White House East Wing to East Potomac Golf Links. The dirt sits in a growing pile behind a chain-link fence near the ninth hole of the White course.

Earlier in 2025, the administration told the National Links Trust to accept the dirt or face a default finding. The nonprofit agreed.

The default notice came anyway, just weeks later, citing other alleged lease violations without specifying what they were.

A Civil Rights Landmark Since 1991

Langston’s original nine holes were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991 for their role in the integration of public recreation facilities.

The course was later expanded to 18 holes. Today it offers a driving range, golf school, and junior programs for kids.

The National Links Trust named each hole after a pioneer of Black golf, from John Shippen, who played in the first U.S. Open, to Althea Gibson, the first Black golfer in the LPGA. Whatever happens next, the history stays in the ground.

Visiting Langston Golf Course, Washington

Langston Golf Course sits at 2600 Benning Road NE in Washington D.C., just south of the National Arboretum.

The 18-hole, par-72 course is open to the public year-round with affordable green fees. There’s a 50-slot driving range, putting green, and a clubhouse with Melva’s Kitchen serving breakfast.

The course is part of Anacostia Park and managed by the National Park Service. You can walk the same fairways where Joe Louis and Lee Elder played and see the hole names honoring Black golf pioneers.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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