The Trump administration has approached the Washington Commanders about potentially overseeing the historic Langston Golf Course in Northeast Washington, according to people familiar with the discussions.
Interior Department officials contacted the NFL team's charitable foundation last month about possibly helping manage or renovate the course, which sits less than a mile from the Commanders' planned stadium at the former RFK Stadium site.
"We've been asked to look at if we can play any role in the renovation of Langston Golf Course adjacent to the future home of RFK stadium and are studying the needs of this historic facility that has contributed so much to D.C.'s golf history," a team spokesperson told The Washington Post.
The Commanders are unlikely to take on the project because operating a golf course falls outside the foundation's typical work, which focuses on community initiatives, according to people familiar with the matter.
The outreach comes as the administration searches for a new long-term operator for Langston after it decided late last year to terminate a lease with the nonprofit National Links Trust, which had been managing Langston and two other federally owned courses in Washington.
Federal officials said the nonprofit failed to meet financial and development obligations under its agreement, including required improvements and rent payments, while the organization has strongly disputed those claims and said it invested millions of dollars in the courses.
A spokesperson for the Department of the Interior said the agency is "committed to continuing the relationships we have built with the local golf communities to ensure these courses are safe, beautiful, open, affordable, enjoyable and accessible. ... President Trump has made affordability a cornerstone of this administration, and this project will be no exception."
The administration has offered limited public details about its long-term plans for the courses, though President Donald Trump has expressed interest in upgrading nearby East Potomac into a high-end or championship-level facility, raising questions about the future of public golf in the nation's capital.
Langston Golf Course, opened in 1939, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has long served as a cultural and community hub, particularly for Black golfers who were excluded from other courses during segregation.
The course has hosted generations of players and community programs and remains one of the most historically significant public golf venues in Washington, drawing tens of thousands of rounds annually.
The National Links Trust continues to operate the courses on an interim basis while federal officials determine a long-term plan, leaving the future of Langston uncertain.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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